From silver inlay to blade sports!

Jan Hendrik

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
292
Location
Pretoria, South Africa
I decided to enter for the Randburg Knife Club Cutting Competition the 2nd of April 2016. So a week before the time I started making my competition cutter in the evenings after work. I wanted to add a little something to my knife to make it look meaner and ended up doing silver inlay in the blade just before the handle.
The steel used was 5160 spring steel and the handle is South African Wild olive wood. There were strict specifications regarding blade length, width and overall length that all the competitors had to adhere to.
Here is the link to the youtube video of the cutting competition: https://youtu.be/D90h21YC1sk

The cutting course we had to complete was a real challenge! Chopping through a wood beam, ropes, water bottles, golf ball, tennis ball, drinking straw, pool noodle, apple, coke can and through another wood beam. All of this without having the cutting edge of your knife warp, bend, crack or chip. If any of these defects were present 50 points would be deducted from your score! The cutting test was also performed against time which was deducted from your score.
In short: I won! :cool:
And my inlays stayed secure!
We had a blast and I can hardly wait for the next event.


skull inlay.jpg finished cutter.jpg
 

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Dani Girl

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
1,110
Location
NSW, Australia.
Did you end up doing the silver wire inlay before or after heat treat? Would before heat treat with any blade steel be safe. I believe gold is fine.

Thanks, and congratulations.

Danae.
 

Jan Hendrik

Elite Cafe Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
292
Location
Pretoria, South Africa
Did you end up doing the silver wire inlay before or after heat treat? Would before heat treat with any blade steel be safe. I believe gold is fine.

Thanks, and congratulations.

Danae.

The recess areas for the inlay was cut before heat treatment. The blade was then heat treated in a gas forge and quenching oil. Then placed in a hydrochloric acid bath for about 40 minutes to remove most of the black scale. I then sanded the blade and did the inlays. I ran into some trouble at the lower left jaw. My recess was not cut deep enough. With all the sanding that area was too shallow and I could not get the wire to stay in place. I ended up re-cutting the recess deeper and shattered my carbald graver tip several times! Not surprising if you consider that the steel was tested at 60 Rockwell hardness!!
 

Dani Girl

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
1,110
Location
NSW, Australia.
AHHHHH... that's a shame... yes no surprise shattering gravers in that. Well done all over. Thanks for sharing
 

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