9" Leuku to 5" Pukko or bushcrafter

[Amon81]

So I used my Dremel to cut up a Leuku I've had for about 10 to 12 years I never use, about only 5 times. Its been sitting in the bottom of a metal toolbox I keep my sharp tools in. I don't like having tools I don't use. So as it had a 9" blade I thought it would make a nice 5" bushcrafter as it had a nice high scandi grind. The blade blank was only like £20 so no loss really if I'd of messed it up.

That vertical line is 4" before I decided, Oh, that would work as a 5".

Im going to use it as a rat tail in birch for the handle.

Simple G-clamped an old ruler to it as a freehand guide.

With a good file it should be a great knife.

I used 2 of the EZ SpeedClic discs and they were great. I'd 10000% recommend those for your Dremel, not only are they super quick to change discs, none of the snapping discs over tightening the screw. The the sanding drum one is very good too!

I hoped and it did do exactly what I wanted it to do and that was keep it cool. Absolutely no colour change in the steel.

 

[SoldierPalmer]

Looking good what woods are using for the handle? Only thing I would of changed is to have the tang in the middle rather than the top if your fitting a brass bolster it might show abit of a gap.

 

[Janne]

Reduce the blade by the tang a few mm, but do not make a 90 degree cut. Round the cutout as a sharp angle is fracture prone. Also take greater care not to cut into the tang the way you did as this is weaking the knife a lot.

Agree, the tang should be in the middle. Now your handle will sit above the blade. You need a bit of wood surrounding the steel, so it does not split.

You can reduce the spine of the tang by 1/2 mm or so, to make a tiny 'step' the bolster will rest against.

I think you used to much pressure on the disk, one single disk should last for several of similar jobs like this.

 

[Yeoman13]

Can't wait to see the finished article.

 

[Amon81]

Thanks all

I know about the tang. Hence the filing. That's just only cut out with the disc cutter

 

[Janne]

Of course, you can just tidy up the spine of the tang, then fix the handle by glueing AND a couple of rivets or screws!

The tang will be exposed on top, just like German kitchen knives,
.

 

[Stew]

Thanks all

I know about the tang. Hence the filing. That's just only cut out with the disc cutter

You won't have sufficient metal there to make it so the the tang is centered. I would just look to do a mortise tang style fitting.

 

[Amon81]

Can't post a photo atm but I'm not fitting a bolster. I've made about 1mm step down in the tang and cleaned it up. I'm not looking for it to be a heavy work horse I just want something I can put in a nice comfy birch handle and use for carving. I have zero intentions in it being used for anything like battening through wood. I never do that. That's why I carry a hatchet.

If I was to do this again I'd buy the blade blank and cut from the tang into the blade making it a longer one I'd go all the way through the handle. But I'll probably burn it in and glue it. Fine for what I'm after.

Just a pity the progress is delayed as the birch is still wet inside after cutting a blank out of a branch I've had sitting in that garage for 4 months. Next to my boiler it goes.

 

[Janne]

It will dry quicker if you drill a pilot hole or three where the tang will be.

 

[Amon81]

Already done

 

[snappingturtle]

If your going to drill it for a cross pin and the steel is too hard try a masonry bit, be cool when its done!

 

[Amon81]

Ah Internets back on

That will more than do for my intentions.

Phffftt! Who needs a saw to remove bulk material.

Cut so I have plenty of stock for a thick handle (as thats how i like them) and long enough to cut to length I want while I'm shaping it

 

[Amon81]

If your going to drill it for a cross pin and the steel is too hard try a masonry bit, be cool when its done!

I'm not going to pin it. A tight hole with 24 hour drying glue should be fine for me. Or a dowel cut in half and hammered in with glue, a method I've not tried but have seen and looks very effective.

I have a few colbolt drill bits that would be able to drill through the hardened steel.

Also it took more like 1.5 discs as one was half worn and its a hard bit of steel. Plus I wouldn't be surprised as it was being held pressing the C- Clamp on a block of wood it probably wore more out with the free hand grinding, but what £5 for 5 they last a huge amount longer than those rubbish red discs. I think I'd still be cutting it out with those.

I like doing stuff by the seat of my pants. its fun that way.

 

[snappingturtle]

Sounds like a plan! I've never just glued be good to see how that turns out, also never used a wedge!

 

[Janne]

I have seen them use wedges on the Yakut ethnic knifes. Works for them!

I always glue too. 3500 psi slow setting.

The wood looks nice, straight and strong!

Blades like this were never battened with. Battening is a newfangled idea. So you are correct, it will be a knife for cutting.

You in fact made your knife from one that translated to English is called "chopper" as in chopping small branches. Like a small machete.

 

[Amon81]

Yeah the bigger blade used by SammI (sp) to clear brush when moving reindeer up north to breed

 

[Janne]

Mainly to cut firewood.
FYI the reindeer get moved by the Same owners towards the mountains in spring, in Sweden to the West. In Norway up into the mountains, be it South, north, West or East! Not sure where to in Finland though.

It was not so much for breeding they got moved, it was more for the food supply and to get outside the range of mosquitoes and gnats in summer. Reindeer mate in late autumn, so either on the way into the forests or already in the forests,( they spend the winter in the forests).

Same knives come traditionally in four sizes, the largest ( your starting point) is the Chopper, the smaller one the allaround knife, and the smallest is used to cut the ownership marks into the reindeer's ears.
Plus the smallish knife the ladies use, when cooking and so on.
( Variations between the different arreas and Same types of course)

 

[Janne]

The picture with the axe: the v shaped oiece of birch, you can get a nice piece out of that, with very interesting grain.

 

[Amon81]

I was thinking that too. Might make a nice catapult or handle for something

 

[Janne]

I was thinking a knife handle. If you cut kind of across it, you get a very interesting grain pattern.


Not straight across, more tilted.