Knife Made From A File

[TripleF]

OH....so sorry to hear about your friend. That sure is an awesome knife to remember him by.


Smokpole - Knice knives dude!

[smokepole]

Thanks Scott, glad you like them!

[vikingdog]

Smokepole, that's the idea! I want to see knives made from files. Yours are really nice! Thanks for posting them, got any more?

[AREMINGTONSEDGE]

Let em' rip Willem! Show em' your stuff! He is a very talented artist! I'm a big fan of his work!

[philco]

Let em' rip Willem! Show em' your stuff! He is a very talented artist! I'm a big fan of his work!

I'm inclined to agree. Everything I've seen smokepole show that he's made has been top notch.



There's something about the concept of making a knife from previously used material that intrigues me.

[vikingdog]

There's something about the concept of making a knife from previously used material that intrigues me.

Me too Phil, especially from something that was used up in one form going on to serve another purpose. I know people make knife blades out of old industrial saw blades too.

[smokepole]

Thank you guys, I am truly flattered that you enjoy my work!!

Vikingdog, I have done a few more from files but I'd have to look for the pics, and they are much in the same vein as the ones I have shown before.
On the other hand, I have done some very different work from files, where I don't leave a part of the file like I did on the skinners. It is mostly more "rustic" stuff that I make for historical re-en-actors.

This one was made as a traditional American "Long hunter" - the type of knife a trapper may have used. I used a rather large file as if it was a piece of bar stock and did stock removal - this whole knife was built using a hand dril, two files and some sand paper. It was the 3rd knife I ever made:





The following one is a historically correct copy of a knife of the type used by our Pioneers in the 1800's. It was basically a pruning knife, built by inhabitants of a German Mission - the missionaries had taught the locals the art of knife making. I forged this one from an old Nicholson file - in the back ground on the computer screen is the picture of an original from a museum that I had to work from:



And then for Phil and Vikingdog - I do a lot of work from old circular saw blades too - normally excellent quality high carbon steels.
Let's start off with a little skinner, African Black wood handle and warthog tusk bolster:




Then a set of big hunter/skinners I did for two brothers, who are my neighbors, using the same materials:



A little utility with African Black Wood handle, brass trim and push tang:



Then a whole bunch of utility skinners, a hunting knife, a skinner and a couple of bird and trout knives all made for "traditional" hunters using muzzle loaders:



OK, here's a couple more from files - two long hunters I did for guys over here that like to re-enact the trapper era:




A puukko with an African flavor - black wood and warthog tusk, made from HSS 18 steel from an old table plane/thicknesser blade:






Large friction folder from an old circular saw blade:







And lastly, for now at least, a utility from circular saw blade, Paduak handle, in forge finish:





Thanks for asking and thanks for looking!

[AREMINGTONSEDGE]

You are a true talent Willem!! I LOVE your work and await an opportunity to own a few! Thanks for showin' some of your knives my friend! We have some folks here in the U.S. and members of this site who also are great artist in their trade! Amazing beauty gentleman!!
Rocky

[vikingdog]

WOW! Beautiful knives, the ones with the saw blades are exceptional. That puukko is off the hook!

[smokepole]

Thanks again Rocky and Mike, I really appreciate the kind comments. Rocky, I'd be honored to make you a knife or two...you just let me know!

[jmh58]

smoke.. Those are way cool!! I really like them alot!! WOW!! NEAT!! John

[philco]

I do believe ole Smoke has been holding out on us.

I was impressed before; now I'm amazed!

[smokepole]

Thanks John and Phil, I appreciate the compliments! I think that a very large part of the reward for making knives is other people's appreciation of what you try to achieve - I know it holds true for me, and it inspires me to try and do better every time.

[vikingdog]

I do believe ole Smoke has been holding out on us.

I was impressed before; now I'm amazed!

What Phil said. More than I'd hoped for when I started this thread, that's for sure. Thank you Willem! I'm going to have to look at those photos a few more times for it all to sink in.

[Old Hunter]

I have an old buddy who has been my gun collecting and reloading mentor for many years - he is 83 now and during a visit yesterday we talked knives. He is a handy fellow who's family owned a planing mill years ago, he spent his career working there. He showed me some knives he made from wood chipper blades (1/4" thick) years ago. He made them for himself and he made others which he gave away, all are very practical and stout, but not finely finished. I took some pictures, this one is his version of a standard hunting knife of the 50's/60's.

[Old Hunter]

This is his skinning knife, reminds me a bit of the Buck 103.

[Old Hunter]

This is his Bowie, getting a bit heavy now.

[Old Hunter]

This big guy is a bush knife, the blade is about 12", and I imagine you could fell small trees with no problems. He made the scabbard from a cloth drive belt that ran machinery in the mill, he impregnated it with paint and it has maintained itself for 50 years in that condition! I love the practical nature of his handiwork - fuse blades from the big saw mill fuses were used to make the guards, and copper water tubing was used to make the handle rivets.

[tank]

You're very talented Smoke. That pukko is brilliant

[smokepole]

Thanks Tank, it means a lot to me, especially coming from you.

Old Hunter, I love your buddy's knives - honest working tools, with a style all of their own. Great work.

[vikingdog]

Old Hunter, those knives are very cool, thanks for showing them. Your friend must be an interesting person.

[Old Hunter]

Yeah, the old Colonel is a very interesting guy. When he was a company commander my Dad served as his First Sergeant - I have known him for years, since I was a teenager. He has always taken an interest in me and guided me in my earlier reloading adventures and gave me much valuable advice when I was a 2LT and he was a LTC. I was pretty much self taught in reloading until I learned that he knew a LOT more than I did - then I started asking questions. He is a practical sort of man who can find a way to accomplish most any task by using his brain and his mechanical ability - I think you guys would like him just fine. He always acts like he is delighted to see me when I drop by - really enjoy his company and he is still sharp as a tack at 83.

[smokepole]

Old Hunter, visit him often and write his stories down...My one great regret is that I never wrote down the stuff my one great grandmother told us - she lived with us for a few years before she died and she was an amazing person - she was born in 1894 and died in 1988 - she literally went from ox wagons to space shuttles in her life time, and had a very unique way of looking at life.

[vikingdog]

A nice video of knives being made from old files:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... wim9QxGozA

[AREMINGTONSEDGE]

Thanks for the video, way cool!