Official Luthiers Forum!

Please share pictures of your own-made kives, blades or handles..! Mines are coming

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Filippo,
In the context of woodworking. Scribing, carving, marking. I have a few that I will try to take some pictures of today. They were Jim Krenov's favorite tool. I have made a few with old jig saw blades and some with disposable planer knives. Ron Hock sells blanks for making knives and I have made one out that. It's easy and fun and they are really useful. You can make the blades what ever shape and thickness you want. Much finer than a sheet rock or utility knife.
Some uses off the top of my head would be scribing around a bridge, carving a neck, picking and poking this and that, sharpening your pencil, shaping a piece of wood for getting into a nook to remove glue, etc. Just yesterday I used one to rough cut a side I was profiling prior to using my plane.
Lots of uses for a knife in the shop and home made ones are often better and cool.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

According to Frank Ford one of the most used tools in his shop for various tasks.

Here are a couple of mine. The one on top has a BW handle. The bottom two I didn't make the blades, one is a Hock and one a Japanese.
The top two are made from jig saw blades. The shape lets me sharpen all the way to the handle. I have a few more floating around but I can't find them right now. I have a nice curved blade one somewhere.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Here's some damascus knives I forged, though probably not what you meant

A bush craft knife

a damascus bowie

and my first a damascus carving knife


Another hobby of mine and I know its not a knife but its damascus and my Journeyman piece

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

Here's a few I made.

The top one is for carving heels. I got the idea from an article in one of the big red books. It is very easy to control when the handle is braced on your hip. Maple handle and bronze wire whipping.

The second one is a 1/4" Hock, violin blade. Cones in handy for trimming F holes on my archtops as well as other detail work. Flamed maple handle.

The third one is a Murphy blade I picked up on sale at Lee Valley. Pink Ivory handle. It's my utility knife much like what Frank Ford uses his for.

The last is a marking knife I made from an old spade bit. Handle is African Blackwood.

Sorry if this topic isn't at the good place... for my, lutherie is not only making guitars, but also making tools, jigs, templates, plans, calculations, etc... So, I thought making personnal blades and knives was a big and useful part a luthier's job. And I tought it could be interesting to share our ones...

Personnaly, I cutted blades for old skates, and that's a fantastic steel, i've made a long (2½") curved knive (for sp. neck joint, and more!) with Cocobolo Handle (had problems with glue... but now is OK), and an other one, with a metal file, a smaller and more carved blade, with a 6pc lamination of Bloodwood and Madagascar Rosewood, and Black Ebony incrustations.

Sorry, no pictures 'cause no camera, for the moment. Coming soon!

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Very nice blacksmith work John! Those damascus blades are beautiful!

Joe

I always thought exacto should have a line of specialty blades. I would like a #11 style blade that is flat on one side (more like a markeing knife).

I find myself using knives and very small picks for lots of tasks.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Yup, here's my favorites...

'Course I wouldn't be without a set of these!

John,
Very cool on the damascus. I love that stuff. I would love to do that. It would be cool to make some cabinet pull with that process.

Darrel,
Great knives, all of them but I especially like the spade bit one. Great shape on the handle.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

I have a Japanese hollow ground thing I got off ebay,Its about 1.2 inches wide, no handle,flat on one side has the traditional soft/hard steel deal going. I was just making a cross grain cut to take off 1/8" from the sides and after a few slices, the wood just came off! And I still had all my fingers!

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I