Chop Chop with the new knife

Bit more chopping technic studies :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tESrJaRnjZY

Custom made leuku based chopping knife

I managed to get one idea, thht i have been drawing quite long time,get materialized with help from lapland blacksmith T.Kotavuopio ,who runs his business in Karesuvanto.He made it Just as i darw it,and left the handle intentionally bit too "fat" so i can finish it to the final shape while i fit the handles to it.Its made from separately hardened/annealed springsteel.Total length is 38.5 cm,and the blade is 35.5cm long.Thickness varies from 4 to 6 mmm,from the root of the edge,in a way that the heaviest & thickest part is the place that first hits the object while chopping and then the blade again gets more narrow as it goes towards tip.The root of edge has profile for whittling and carving,and then it changes to convex styled,more bold and rounded,for effective and durable chopping tool,and the tip once again has good sharp edge for opening game and maybe skinning etc.Spine has some dull bevels to use it for cracking game bones and such and the rest of the spine has sharp cormers for use with fire steels.

I also wanted to have this 8mm diameter pressed thing,in front of the handle,to use it while i make fire with fire bow.You can use the pressed "hole"as upper bearing of the firebows drill.Ive seen few knives with this funtion and always wanted to try it out and on this project it came to my mind and there it finally is.

Handles i made from dyed curly birch block,and i fastened them with some epoxy glue and thos ethree 8mm copper pipe "rivets" that also allows me to put a good sized lanyard on the handle.I will put the lanyard on the middle one,as it then allows a good safe grip if i want to use all chopping power by keeping the knife in my hand with only two or three fingers.ive sen this sort of technics used by sami folk and i want to try that out too.When i get my hands on some nice piece of board and leather,ill be making a sheath for this one.

Short,crude video about trying this for the first time ever.
Another link to see the same video.

Didnt sleep last night.Made a sheath instead.

I didnt feel sleepy at all last night so i spent it watching few horror movies and started to play with leftover leather pieces i got from my friend.After three movies,at 8:30 at morning i noticed that i should make cup of coffee and take few photos,asfter i got all the dye off my hands,cleaned the living room table so my girlfriend would not notice that i had used it as work table.So heres the result of one sleepless,leather themed night:).

Its made from 2.2 and 3.0 millimeter leather,stitched rough with thick wax thread used for sails.Few buttons,d-rind and one rivet and one rifle rivet,thats about the materials in it.I have drooled over Hedgehog leatherworks sheaths for few years but i cant afford things like those,but i just love the idea of sheath that carries small kit within,not just the most essential firesteel.So i managed to add small pouch in the backside,with brass rifle sling rivet,for  fällkniven´s DC3 sharpening stone.it really dont need the closure,a sits pretty tght anyway,but its better to be safe than drop it on the ground in trails i think.On the side,theres really tight loop for basic firesteel,in this case its misch metal firesteel with handmade,dyed curly birch handle and some piece of raw cut leather string,for better grip.

On the front side,theres bit bigger pocket with snap closure,for some small items like compass,SAK,wiresaw,what ever thats quite flat.Even old,slim multitools like PST fits there.im planning to use it for Swiss folding knife that has saw in it,and maybe for some wire and thin cordage.

I added a flap closure for the knife too,as i like those visually and its once again,harder to loos ethe knife from sheath this way,although the sheath itself is quite tight.

Last thing i did was quite big dangler,hanging the sheath quite low so the knife is at reach of my fingertips easily,for easy draw and free movement of the sheath,this way i wont sit on it so easy as with high riding and fixed belt loop.

One guy whos into history study,told me that sheaths in this style were use by mountain men in USA in past.I didnt know that at all.

Dug out an old project blade.

I dug out,from my bin,my dusty treasure chest,this blade taht i made some...maybe 7 months ago,and got an inspiration to work on it at home and in schools crafts shop & dorm,so i got it into hardness of 58 HRC and softer on spine,fabricated a stamp with dremel mini drill & small diamond bit on it,to get good looking ( ? ) stamp on it.I added some small filework on spine,for thumb,and sharpened the spine for using it on firesteels.

I then sawed ,drilled and filed,ground and sanded the handle slabs,from curly birch,that i dyed with oak & dark brown,then oiled it,and then i just made the brass fastening hardware form cheap furniture screws and counterparts,shortened them to fit,and polished the ends just a bit,and made those bit more flat / low profiled.Added some epoxy and assembled the damn thing.

Then i sharpened the blade,and its still waiting for final touch of sharpness,thht i will perform when i get to home where i have my sharpening kit.

I also made a firesteel to match the knife,from leftover piece of the same dyed wood that i used for handles.

Now,when i have time and will,ill be making the sheath for this "kit".