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Fillet Knife

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2020 9:07 am
by guzzo
Hi Fellas,

Just finished this fillet knife I made for myself. Forged from 1075 carbon steel with a brass bolster and buffalo horn scale. Blade is 1.5 mm at the bolster and tapers to the tip. This holds an edge a lot better that my factory made boat knives. the only drawback with carbon steel blades is the rust but as this knife is for filleting once back at home I can easily deal with this.

Would love to see any fillet knives you guys have made and hear any of your thoughts on what you like in a fillet knife.

Rob

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 6:47 am
by ronje
Certainly looks the goods. How long is the blade? Flexibility?

Did you buy the blade or blade blank?

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 7:29 am
by guzzo
Hello Ronje,

The blade is 8 inch and has good flex. I hand forged the blade and heat treated it. Here is a pic as forged.

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:08 pm
by Matt Flynn
That's a topic that's not been covered here before.

Nice work. Where do you buy the high-carbon steel? I assume it's not something you get at the local steel/hardware outlet. Do you need a special grinder to cut and shape it?

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:13 am
by ronje
The lost (I thought) art of the blacksmith. Fascinating.

Do you do this as a hobby or as an income?

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:28 am
by jeffish
Great looking Knife , must be very proud to be able to craft something like that . 8)

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 1:55 pm
by guzzo
Matt Flynn wrote: Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:08 pm That's a topic that's not been covered here before.

Nice work. Where do you buy the high-carbon steel? I assume it's not something you get at the local steel/hardware outlet. Do you need a special grinder to cut and shape it?
Hi Matt,

Thanks, I get some of my steel from Gameco but I forge a lot of my blades from car springs and farriers rasps, old files, cold chisels etc.

A lot of knife makers will cut out their blades and then grind in the bevels and then heat treat but I forge my blades and bevels with hammer and anvil to get as close as I can to the finished shape then finish with a belt grinder or draw filing with files.

I just have a cheap Ryobi belt grinder.
jeffish wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 8:28 am Great looking Knife , must be very proud to be able to craft something like that . 8)
Thanks jeffish, I do get a real buzz from firing the forge and making something I need or want instead of buying it.
ronje wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:13 am The lost (I thought) art of the blacksmith. Fascinating.

Do you do this as a hobby or as an income?

Hi ronje,
This is a hobby for me though I have been doing it for a while now.
I feel the world is going forward and i am going backwards and i like that.

I make some fancy things and also some things based on pure usability. I will post some pics of some of my past works.

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 2:14 pm
by guzzo
Here are some of the blades I have made. Sometimes I like to make a something based on a historical blade and sometimes I just make what comes to mind at the time.

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:43 am
by ronje
My congratulations on truly unique and impressive "works of art" along with practical aspects of your hobby. Are there others with your skills hiding in plain sight within the community?

How did you get started in this hobby?

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:52 am
by guzzo
ronje wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:43 am My congratulations on truly unique and impressive "works of art" along with practical aspects of your hobby. Are there others with your skills hiding in plain sight within the community?

How did you get started in this hobby?
Thanks ronje,
I have heard of a few around Darwin making knives etc. I got into making blades because I was sick of spending good money on knives that did not hold an edge or chipped so I decided to research and make my own.

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:58 pm
by coastaljoy
They are all fine pieces of work, hats off to you any your skills

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:43 pm
by Matt Flynn
Really impressive work there.

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:35 am
by ronje
Guzzo, what's the significance of the horse's head motif on some of the examples?

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:03 pm
by Jeno
Great stuff Guzzo!

I'm one of the blokes around Darwin making knives, it has become somewhat of an obsession.

Re: Fillet Knife

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 6:52 am
by guzzo
Thanks fellas,
ronje wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:35 am Guzzo, what's the significance of the horse's head motif on some of the examples?
Hi ronje, I used to have a facebook page called Workhorse Forge and that heavy horse head is my makers mark and earlier work I had a small anvil as my mark. We have a couple of heavy horses at home and they are cool dudes. For me the heavy horse is a symbol of strength and reliability.
Jeno wrote: Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:03 pm Great stuff Guzzo!

I'm one of the blokes around Darwin making knives, it has become somewhat of an obsession.
Hi Jeno, It is a great useful thing to do. Once you make your own you never feel right about buying a knife haha. Nice knife you made too Would love to see more of your work.

Here is a Pipe Tomahawk that I sent to America. before I hardened the steel I engraved the bear head and bald eagle into the steel. It was forged out of an old drilling rod.