Scouts knife making

[brancho]

We had a knifemaking camp with our Scouts (10 to 14 year olds) back in February. We got the idea from some Danish scouts and I have done kinifemaking with Explorer scouts (14-18 year olds). They make themselves a small fixed blade knife and sheath. We use Brulletto Trollungen 52mm blades


Knifeblade blanks by Alf Branch, on Flickr


They carved the handles from green wood that we cut down the day before


Handle blanks by Alf Branch, on Flickr


The blades were fitted into a piece of wood and the blade covered to protect the scouts thier balde and knife they were carving with. We use Mora basic wood carving knives.


Knife in progress 1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Knife in progress 3 by Alf Branch, on Flickr


We had a few of them and the knives were done on Saturday


Handles carved 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr


Handles carved by Alf Branch, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

They made the sheaths on the Sunday which were wet formed to fit the knives from Veg tanned leather


In thier sheaths by Alf Branch, on Flickr


With sheaths 1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr


With sheaths 2 by Alf Branch, on Flickr


I do not have photos of all the knives and their sheaths just a selection

 

[Chalkflint]

Thats an impressive activity.
Chalkflint

 

[Dave Budd]

very cool Glad to see scouts making their own knives! low tech but a great activity too. Next lesson is sharpening, if you haven't done that already


I was a leader for a spell 7 or 8 years ago and making knives was the first thing I did with my scouts. We started with bruseletto blades too, but we used seasoned ash and cherry for the handles and the whole process (including sheathes) was done the same way as I do in the workshop and and with students.

I'll be interested to see how the green wood works out for them. Presumably you drilled oversized holes and glued them in rather than burn fitting? and how did the epoxy deal with the moisture (it doesn't like moisture at all!)

 

[brancho]

very cool Glad to see scouts making their own knives! low tech but a great activity too. Next lesson is sharpening, if you haven't done that already


I was a leader for a spell 7 or 8 years ago and making knives was the first thing I did with my scouts. We started with bruseletto blades too, but we used seasoned ash and cherry for the handles and the whole process (including sheathes) was done the same way as I do in the workshop and and with students.

I'll be interested to see how the green wood works out for them. Presumably you drilled oversized holes and glued them in rather than burn fitting? and how did the epoxy deal with the moisture (it doesn't like moisture at all!)

Thanks.
I remember when you made knives with Scouts.
No glue just a friction fit on a 2mm series of holes and tapped into place. We got the instruction from some Danish Scouts and translated them to English and did some tests. With the right size handle we didn't need to be careful with drying them.

Thats an impressive activity.
Chalkflint

Thanks Chalkflint

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[Dave Budd]

hmmm. so they are relying on the wood shrinking to hold them firm and potentially a little corrosion acting as a glue. Not a hard use solution, but it'll work

 

[brancho]

hmmm. so they are relying on the wood shrinking to hold them firm and potentially a little corrosion acting as a glue. Not a hard use solution, but it'll work

Dave yeah We had a think about made some test knives used them and were satisfied it would be ok. It's only a 52mm blade I wouldn't expect a 100mm blade to last long term.
I know at least one has used his a lot and it's going well.
They will get a chance to make another knife in Explorers

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