Having a go for the first time at Making a Knife

[Gearpac]

I have only recently joined this site and have read some of the many posts on here about making a tools and its given me a bit of bug to have a go. I do a bit of traveling, mostly motorcycle touring but I want to get out and do a bit of bush craft too.

So is the following kit worth looking at? I want something, that though might look a little rough will at least be servicable and last a while.

http://www.thegoodstuffshop.dk/group.asp?group=3848&sub=940

 

[scottishwolf]

The Enzo kits are absolutley fantastic, the blades are top quality. Wish I was able to get a kit like that as my first knife Have a look at what 'brisa' has too, some decent kits on there too

 

[Dougster]

I've been dealing with Per for a few years now and you can't go wrong with him.

That is a good knife - my preference for most uses is hollow grind now too.

I'd give it a go for a first.

 

[Gearpac]

Cheers for the comments, the kits look relatively simple and though i can imagine it will probably take me a while with the shaping the general construction appears straight forward. My one wish though is for a landyard hole and it appears the blade has a hole but should i line the hole with a tube or just leave it bare.? I prefer to have a landyard loop as i was taught to have a loop just the same length as the handle, that way if you slip it over your palm whilst working with the blade its near impossible to slip and have your hand slide forward onto the blade. Also usefull for preventing it being dropped and helping secure it in its scabard..

The blades seem to be well regarded too from a few threads on here.

 

[hedgepig]

I'm just finishing a trapper kit. I'll post some pics when it is finished. With the kit the scales are shaped already, but they are oversized. You need to glue and bolt the scales to the blade, then grind the bolts down and then sand the scales down to size. I have nothing other than a file and sand/wet&dry paper and it has taken the best part of a day. I just need to oil the handle - I haven't decided what to use yet, either danish oil or teak oil (which contains Tung oil).

With regard to the lanyard tube. I too had wanted to add one, but in the end decided not to for 2 reasons:
1. I don't have a jig for drilling the hole through the scales and didn't fancy doing it freehand.
2. The handle is actually quite short and I figured than lanyard tube could have been an irritant against the heel of my palm.

If you were to buy a blade and make your own scales you could lengthen the handle forwards and this might make more room for a lanyard tube.

I'm not sure what to do with the supplied sheath - it is a VERY tight fit and I suspect that it is designed to be wet formed.

Anyone any tips on oil for handles or finishing sheaths?

 

[Gearpac]

Hedgepig - thanks for the landyard tip. Point about grip length noted. I think i will stick to the kiss principal.. for the first one.

On the leather forming, I believe its something along the lines of soak the leather, protect/oil the blade and insert and leave to dry. I have in the past steamed some leather for forming, but used copious lynseed oil on it prior to doing so.

Blades- The BRIS site has three choice of blades;
1) Carbon steel
2) Stainless
3) D2

I take the D2 is a damascus forged one?

I was thinking of going with the carbon steel one, any one got any views on the selection?

 

[hedgepig]

D2 is a high carbon tool steel with better wear characteristics than 01. It is not Damascus steel.

I would have gone for the D2 blade myself but they have made the grind much higher and they have hollow ground it. I wanted a scandi grind and so went for the Carbon (O1) blade - HOWEVER, this also has quite a high grind and they have put a secondary bevel on it. This is probably my biggest gripe about these blades - they all have secondary bevels. :-(

 

[Shinken]

with regard to drilling the lanyard. You do not need a jig. Simply bolt one side only to the tang with the bolts supplied (you may need to drill a hole in a little piece of wood to make up for the thickness of the other scale) then drill a hole for the lanyard from the tang side. then attach everything together grind the bolts down (so you have a flate scale) then drill ther lanyard hole from the scale side this time, all the way through both scales

 

[Zammo]

What Shinken says is exactly what I did. I got a Trapper from Brisa as well, not a kit though. Heres how mine turned out:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21866&highlight=trapper


I used Danish Oil on mine.

 

[Lore]

http://outdoors-magazine.com/s_topic.php?id_rubrique=17 If it doesn't come up search for ENZO or look in the Maker's Corner under Enzo Bushcrafters

 

[hedgepig]

I'm just finishing a trapper kit. I'll post some pics when it is finished....

I forgot I said I would post a finished picture! So here it is ...Enzo Trapper in Carbon Steel, with curly birch scales ...

 

[bushwacker bob]

Very sweet,Simon.
JM (James on OMF) speaks very highly of those carbon Enzo blades,so they must be pretty good and you've done a great job with it.

 

[clgladiator]

if your looking at starting a knife project is it a good idea to buy the special rasps and files like these ones http://www.thegoodstuffshop.dk/group.asp?group=3144&sub=940 or can you make do without?

 

[hedgepig]

I don't know what is special about them, but I managed without them. I just had a small draper metal file and some wet&dry paper.

I'm sure it would be easier if you did have those tools though!

 

[Sickboy]

For a fulltang blade i don't think the special tools are needed, but a dremmal will be worth it's weight in gold, it's helped me no end makes general shaping much easier especially with very hard or stabalized wood........