Working on my first knife

[Bill Ladd]

Found an old Old Hickory - cut, filed and ground it into this roach belly. It's a work in progress:

[Bill Ladd]

Started with this:

[Squirrel pizza]

Bill I like the shape of your knife but I'm curios what made you take the time to reshape an (in my opinion) ok knife instead of making one out of an old file or some such thing? Seems like the return on time invested would have been greater.

[Bill Ladd]

Been wanting to do a knife for a while, I came across this one for cheap and had read quite a bit about folks using Old Hickorys for doing this very thing.  It's actually a very nice blade and holds an edge like a champ.

And, it was super fast to do.

[Squirrel pizza]

Dad has a drawer full of Old Hickory knives. And yes they do hold a good edge. I personally like a thicker, heavier blade. But if your project goes the way you want, and would like to do some more I would be glad to send you some more Old Hickorys. There are several shapes and sizes. Let me know and good luck!

[Bill Ladd]

Heck yeah!  Thanks, I'll pm you.

Here's some of my inspiration:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=15944.0

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=16549.0

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2134.0

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=29128.0

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=1054.0

And yes, I agree, they are relatively thin.  My knife is a good bit shorter than the blade I started with, so I feel the thinkness is okay relative to length.

[Squirrel pizza]

Just as long as you think the thinkness isn't to thin than I think I agree with your assessment of the situation.  I p.m.ed you back . Happy thinksgiving!

[LRB]

  Most knives of that type were quite thin, and Old Hickory makes them from 1095, properly heat treated. The most commonly carried knives of the early period were scalpers and butchers with thin blades.

[jcmcclure]

I love the contemporary looks of the antler handled knifes of all different sorts, but from what I have read your observations are the most historically correct.

[Squirrel pizza]

I just said I PREFER a thicker, heavier blade. I didn't say anything about historically correct or what so and so carried on the Mayflower.

[Bill Ladd]

 Most knives of that type were quite thin, and Old Hickory makes them from 1095, properly heat treated. The most commonly carried knives of the early period were scalpers and butchers with thin blades.

Thanks Wick. Glad when I accidentally get close to hc!  I have yet to make it to any shows or events, so all my learning so far has come through this forum and images on the net.

It's really hard to appreciate scale and dimension without handling the items.