self introduction

[Bill Burke]

Hello My name is Bill Burke and I am a knifemaker. I am an American Bladesmith Society Master Smith as well as a gun nut. I have decided to take the plunge into engaving some of my work. I have a grs graver mach and meji scope. I hope that I can contribute a little here and am sure that I can learn a lot. here are a few pictures of my knives for your inspection.

please feel free to post any comments that you have

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Bill

Welcome aboard.

You're in good company and there are a few knifemakers that engrave their own knives with us.

I only ave one comment about your knives.............FANTASTIC!!!!

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Tira]

Welcome Bill. Pull up a chair and grab some coffee - there is plenty to share here.

 

[Peter E]

Welcome Bill. I am also a knife collector.

Pleasure to have you here.

Peter

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Welcome Bill, nice knives.

arnaud

 

[Joe Mason]

Welcome Bill,
This is a geat place to learn engraving.

Joe

 

[Sam]

Welcome aboard, Bill. I love your classic knife designs. You're in the right place for engraving information, so join the fun!
~Sam

 

[Bill Burke]

thank you all. I have been lurking here for a little while and have already picked up some valuable advise.

Sam thank you for this forum and the rest of your site. your tutorials have been very hepful to me.

everyone else, I am currently using a 115 degree parallel heel point. what do yoa all suggest for a beginner?

 

[Ron Smith]

Welcome Bill,

Your knives are exquisite, but watch out!! Engravng will hook you. Don't give in to the temptation to give up kinifemaking for engraving...........HaHaHa.......... Your knives are too nice.

115 degree will do it, but you will have to adjust that point from time to time, depending on what you are doing with it. Shading looks a little better with a narrower point if you can get away with it. (point breakage you know with the weaker point). Many use a 120 degree point.

Good luck! Welcome to the forum.

Ron S

Ron S

 

[Bill Burke]

Welcome Bill,

Your knives are exquisite, but watch out!! Engravng will hook you. Don't give in to the temptation to give up kinifemaking for engraving...........HaHaHa.......... Your knives are too nice.

115 degree will do it, but you will have to adjust that point from time to time, depending on what you are doing with it. Shading looks a little better with a narrower point if you can get away with it. (point breakage you know with the weaker point). Many use a 120 degree point.

Good luck! Welcome to the forum.

Ron S

Ron S

Thank you very much Mr. Smith. There is no danger of me giving up knife making as it is the third love of my life. I wish to learn engraving so as to make my knives more appealing. But I have been spending more time lately engraving than making knives.

 

[D.DOUGLAS]

Bill, Great looking knives! Love those little slip joints. You could make a few of those with stainless sides and have a great canvas. Great to have you hear. Doug

 

[Bill Burke]

Bill, Great looking knives! Love those little slip joints. You could make a few of those with stainless sides and have a great canvas. Great to have you hear. Doug

Thanks Doug. Both the the slipjoints have integral 416ss bolsters and liners. I have been doing this for all my slippies and thought that same thing.

I would again like to thank you all for the warm welcome and the grand comments about my knives.

 

[Winstonklein]

Awesome Work !!

 

[ddushane]

Beautiful Work Bill, I hope to get into making my own Damascus before long, I just bought a couple of little giant hammers, a 25# & a 50# not long ago, & my son in law bought another 25 # little giant the other day. I'm getting excited, I love the engraving part of it too. Glad your here, you'll enjoy yourself,

Dwayne

 

[monk]

hmmmmm. welcome ! masterful work to say the least. if your engraving is half as good as your knifework, wow ! your foto skills aren't too shabby, either ! excellent all the way.

 

[Bill Burke]

Dwayne, thanks. Be warned though making damascus is a terrible disease. if there is anyway that I can help your exposure to it please feel free to ask. I have seen your knife work and you are not too shabby yourself.

Monk right now my engraving sucks but with the help that is availible here I am sure it will improve. also I can't take credit for the photos just the knives.

 

[ddushane]

Where do live Bill? I'm in West Texas.

Dwayne

 

[Bill Burke]

Dwayne, I'm in Idaho. I have a sister that lives in Westbrook though. I will be going to the ABS show in San Antonio. I don't know how far that is for you but if you could make it down there we could talk and I could introduce you around to some of the other guys. There are a few very good makers in texas also so getting you up and running should be no problem. If you don't alreadt have one a power hammer is pretty much indispencible but you can ret by with a hydaulic press. both are Ideal.

 

[fitzo]

Hi, Bill.
Enjoy your engraving journey. Very few scars, compared to making knives.
You'll learn not to flick burs away with your finger soon enough. LOL

 

[ddushane]

Bill, I have a rebuilt 25lb Little giant that Sid Suedmeier rebuilt, and a 50 lb. that's in decent shape, I also have a press that I'm going to reconfigure, several forges and other tools. I also hang around Johnny Stout & Harvey Dean when I can, I've been around Steve Dunn & Steve Swartzer as well as others at hammer in's at Johnny's in New Braunfels. I just have to get to were I can spend more time doing it, kinda like the engraving We'll run into each other one of these days.

Dwayne