Leuku WIP (work in progress)

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Shinken

Native
Nov 4, 2005
1,317
3
43
cambs
Here it is so far, normalised. I am building a new forge so it will be a while before i finish it.
DSCN0397.jpg
 

Xunil

Settler
Jan 21, 2006
671
3
55
North East UK
www.bladesmith.co.uk
That's looking very nice indeed - I'm liking the rounded shoulders and junction of the tang.

Smarty pants ;)

Have you considered a modified hidden tang with a nut on threaded bar or a long bolt instead ?

Looks roughly like this (apologies for the crude, thrown-together image):

knife-tang.jpg


The slot for the head of the bolt can be done easily by drilling a couple of holes and squaring them off with a file, and the main slot can be cut in with a cutting disk on an andle grinder. Chamfer off the edges of the slots to take a good weld, weld the whole lot up and grind everything back flush. I usually grind the sides off the head of the bolt before welding to prevent excess heat build-up when cleaning up. Obviously you can make the same arrangement with a nut welded to threaded bar, but either way this is the strongest method I know of for jointed hidden tangs. I prefer silver solder to welding but either will produce an incredibly strong and durable joint - I came up with this method when destruction testing hidden tang knives. When I finally managed to introduce failure (think sledge hammer-level abuse :rolleyes:) it was the joint that caused problems more often than not. This seemed a logical and simple progression to me, and I use it whenever I do a jointed hidden tang that has to be threaded on the pommel end.

Shhhhh...

Our little secret...

Looking forward to seeing how this one progresses :)
 

Shinken

Native
Nov 4, 2005
1,317
3
43
cambs
The threaded bar in the pick has been silver brazed to the tang for the reasons you stated (does not enlarge the grain like welding would) i then braze a long nutto the pommel material (the kind you use to join threaded bar together)

Then i tighten the whole thing up
 

Xunil

Settler
Jan 21, 2006
671
3
55
North East UK
www.bladesmith.co.uk
Out of curiosity, will you be fully or differentially hardening it ?

It just occurred to me that I've never made a differentially heat treated Leuku before and wondered whether you had or whether this will be.
 

Everything Mac

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 30, 2009
3,112
83
36
Scotland
Out of curiosity, will you be fully or differentially hardening it ?

It just occurred to me that I've never made a differentially heat treated Leuku before and wondered whether you had or whether this will be.

Differential hardening or differential heat treatment?
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,714
1,960
Mercia
Shinken,

Can I suggest a certain order of work here?

1) Make Leuku

2) Decide its not quite perfect

3) Make two more Leukus with design refinements

4) Flog me the original "failure" cheap because you don't value your own work properly

In order to expedite this process, could you make it with some nice stabalised wood to match a certain puukko? :D

Okay...so I can't get lucky twice :(

Looks great chap
 

Xunil

Settler
Jan 21, 2006
671
3
55
North East UK
www.bladesmith.co.uk
Differential hardening or differential heat treatment?

That's kind of what I was asking.

I was generalising, hoping to use terms most folks would find familiar, and hoping to prompt a reply from Shinken, without wanting to open up the whole differential/selective/zone hardening/tempering/heat treating discussion.

That'll teach me.

How about - "are there any plans afoot to selectively heat treat the blade in some fashion, either during hardening or tempering ?"

:D

I meant to ask earlier as well, what handle materials will be used to complete the project ?
 

Shinken

Native
Nov 4, 2005
1,317
3
43
cambs
nd hoping to prompt a reply from Shinken

Sorry mate i have been where the internet dont shine overnight.

I have hardened the bottom third of the blade, but being 01 it probably hardened up to half, not as strong as it could be, but lots of people use one that has been fully hardened without breakage, and id bet you could bend it 45 degree's without breaking. Which is enough for me!

So yeah during hardening, i spose i could draw some temper from the spine as well. might do that before the final oven temper.

Shinken,

Can I suggest a certain order of work here?

1) Make Leuku

2) Decide its not quite perfect

3) Make two more Leukus with design refinements

4) Flog me the original "failure" cheap because you don't value your own work properly

In order to expedite this process, could you make it with some nice stabalised wood to match a certain puukko?

Okay...so I can't get lucky twice

Looks great chap

Did not think you liked the leuku design Red :D

I have made two so i guess i could put a stabilized elm burr handle on one
 

Shinken

Native
Nov 4, 2005
1,317
3
43
cambs
When I finally managed to introduce failure (think sledge hammer-level abuse ) it was the joint that caused problems more often than not

I have gone for the old V joint, you van bend the tang 90 and the joint wont break (and that will never happen inside handle) so i thought more than adequete.

But i know what you mean it is nice to challenge yourself to make the "unbreakable"
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,714
1,960
Mercia
Did not think you liked the leuku design Red :D

I have made two so i guess i could put a stabilized elm burr handle on one

The casstrom one I had was...very poor.

But then again the puukko you made is night and day different to a cheap puukko. Its become one of my favourite knives...and my "utility carry" around the homestead.

Its just possible you could convert me to the dark side ;)
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,714
1,960
Mercia
Why was it poor Red?

A number of reasons - the handle primarily. Too short to get a full grip on for chopping. So wide that it couldn't be properly grasped. It was as though someone has seen a large knife but never actually used one
 

Shinken

Native
Nov 4, 2005
1,317
3
43
cambs
The too short a handle will be fixed quite easilly, but it is more difficult to make the handle smaller while still looking in proportion due to the width at the riccasso.
 

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