When making simple hand tools, a ferrule is an important addition.
The ferrule on the knife was made by heating a nut on punch, to a nice cherry red an then beating it with a hammer. This gave it a good angled inner surface that jams on tight to a wooden mortise. This makes for a stronger tool.
A ring at the back end of a tool can keep it from being destroyed by the process of wacking the tool with a mallet. Ferrules are important, and there are a lot of ways to make them.
Bob
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That is an awesome knife! Excellent shape and very nice style.
Great tip on the ferrule. I will try that out.
Thanks, Richard, I do love a good striking knife! I just ordered some ferrules for the striking ends. Stainless Steel Rings from Ebay. http://jewelry.shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=steel&_sacat=64512&_fromfsb=&_trksid=m270&_odkw=lots&_osacat=64512
Ornamental and solid. Reasonably inexpensive, and in assorted sizes. With the variations in ornamentation, you may even be able to tell chisels apart just from the ends.
Bob
“That is an awesome knife! Excellent shape and very nice style.Great tip on the ferrule. I will try that out.”
It so happens that Bob has supplied me with one that looks just like that. It has a Bob Z. blade just like those in the photo. Just an occasional swipe across a diamond plate and it’s very sharp indeed!
Notice that the handle is mesquite… very tough wood material. Considering the three parts and the assembly method, this thing is a “tank” of a knife!
Yet is very light to handle, almost delicate seeming. There is no question of where the line is knifed with this beefy blade…. I carve with it, I open big packages with it; I just be careful not to drop it on it’s tip over concrete.
Sooo, I gave my Veritas knife to my son…
Skip
In fact, the knife in the picture, is your knife, Skip!
I am pleased you like it.
Apparently we both respect Japanese Tradition enough to have, so far, escaped the possible issues with this. 😉
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061215114506AAMVyL2
Bob
Mercy Bob… well… what a list! It’s a good thing we are not superstitious….
Skip
Where did you find those beautifull blades?
Here is where I sneak a critical bit of data into a comment. Hiding important information in my comments! Mwaaa-Haa-Haa-Ha.
Bob Zajicek was the blade blank source. He offered a very nice price since they were being discontinued.
I put a bevel on them and then used Oxpho Blue to put a wear and weather resistant surface on it. After treating it, steel wool doesn’t scratch the finish. It puts a really nice hard surface on the steel. I really like the dark look to the blade. 🙂
Then I treated it with Ballistol to add even more rust resistance.
Grinding these and keeping temper was way too much work. In the future, I will make them with tool steel still annealed and then temper them myself. Much less work this way.
Bob
You grinded the steel by yourself?
Could you explain me the process you used?
Which is the geometry of the blades?
I think they are very beautifull.
I will have to make an article on the process for you. I will try to put it together this week!
For a superb guide to clean grinding done simply, this one by Derek Cohen will give you a great starting place, http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/TheSecretToCamberinBUPlaneBlades.html
Bob
Thank you very much, Bob.
Your blog is full of interesting informations.