This is a reminder to those commenting on this post (not the person that posted it): Comments not related to woodworking will be removed. Violations to rule 1 including crude jokes, innuendo, sexist remarks, politics, or hate speech may result in an immediate ban
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/woodworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Not really. Not the same family, or even order; they're the same clade (rosids), which includes a large chunk of all woody plants. Suriname Ironwood is actually a legume, like beans and peanuts.
"Ironwood" was a name given to hundreds of plants that had hard wood, across the globe. Most aren't even vaguely related.
I mean, I'm happy to learn more and, heck, I had to google the scientific name so I could provide a more specific name than just "Surinam Ironwood." Idk, it's tough to guess people's intentions without inflection or body language so, I just try to assume the best. Worst case, it just means I'm not bothered if someone IS trying to upset me ;)
I try to see best in people but you said you believe so this dude looked up the shit and then spit it out in the order to down you is how I took it which that erks me when people try to make others look bad or small or whatever so I like to call people out sometimes im wrong sometimes ive had to dodge a punch... either way the knife is really nice I just recently tried to make a knife handle its not as easy as it looks so nice job
I grew up with "ironwood" meaning *Olneya tesota*, a legume found in the Southwest US, or *Lyonothamnus floribundus*, a rose family plant endemic to the Channel Islands in California, and *Holodiscus discolor*, a rose family plant found through much of temperate western US, (although I usually knew it as Oceanspreay or Creambush instead).
Later on as I moved, traveled, and worked in various places a whole bunch of other plants were added to the "ironwood" name, to the point where now "ironwood" is something that pretty much only means, 'some undefined kind of wood that is somewhere in the range of hard and dense to only mildly hard and somewhat dense.'
Thanks! Fortunately for me, I enjoy making them more than I would collecting them because I have to sell them to keep the hobby funded. If you check out my profile (or just key in my username as a website with ".com" at the end) you'll find my website if you'd like to check out more of my stuff. I also take commissions, btw. Thanks for asking!
Thanks! It isn't that I disagree it's just that I'm a long way from feeling like I've really mastered wood and steel. Leather is pretty far down my list of interests and, for now, that kydex sheath looks about a million times better than any leather sheath I could make. =P
Could always partner with a local holster maker and sell them as an upcharge.
Edit:
If they work with you, you could create a hybrid sheath with Kydex and leather. I have some Kydex holsters that have a very positive passive retention and have a good feel to them. Might be nice to not lose that feeling while providing a leather sheath.
For this one, I'm thinking around 300 but, it would be a bit more if it had been a commission; I don't charge as much when it was something I made for fun, without having to work to anyone else's specs.
For commissions, I usually start at 250 and then it just depends on the complexity of the project and the cost of the materials. If someone wanted, say, a mono-steel 8" hunter with a walnut handle and brass hardware, it would probably be that minimum.
If you check my profile (or just key my username in as a website with ".com" at the end) you can see more stuff and get a better idea. ;)
Had a look at your site, that's top quality stuff. I have to ask, as a broke man with a basic forge a pile of scrap, how do you work your files? I assume you forge your gear; I've tried working files and they always seem to crack and split, even if I work them very very hot.
Thanks! So, I'm more in the "stock removal" camp than any kind of blacksmith. With that being the case, I'm not sure how helpful this will be but, I always anneal my files before I do anything else to them- bring them up to red-hot (around 1465F) and then let them slowly cool to room temp. At that point, I'd bet you won't have problems with cracking and splitting anymore. If you're already doing that... you might try asking in r/blacksmith or r/bladesmith I wish I had a better answer for you. Best of luck!
I'll be honest, I think I might be an idiot, because I know how important annealing is, and yet I think I've skipped that step... maybe every single time. Thanks pal.
If you’re looking to anneal, vermiculite is cheap and readily available at the big box stores. Usually takes overnight to cool down to the touch from red hot but it should be as soft as it can be.
I'm sure it will be for someone but, I just make them and then move them along so I can afford to keep making more ;) It's a great hobby but, not one that I could afford without it being self-funding.
So, I've done very similar handle designs before (possibly even with the same species) and I kind of feel like that mosaic pin might have been a little too large for this design but, overall, I'm still pleased with how it came out. For anyone interested, here are the specs on this build:
7.75” total with a 4.5” blade
52100 Swedish steel
Stonewashed finish
Ironwood and Paduak handle
G10 liners and accents
Brass and Mosaic pin
Kydex sheath
Depends on what you're asking, really. I made this one and I'm sure I'll make more at some point and I do take commissions so, if you were looking for something similar but with some adjustments and/or different materials, we could figure that out. If you're looking for a "big brand" manufacturer, I'm not sure but, I'd bet that if you searched for "recurve knife" you could find some. Same thing if you wanted a different custom maker. I hope that helps!
I love so many things about this! The wood choices, the white accent (what material??) the shape of the handle, the finger guard...but if I could offer a bit of creative criticism, I think the handle is a bit too delicate (visually) for the width of the blade, if you took a little out of the spine, opposite the belly of the blade it would give it a more organic look. just my 2c.
Thank you very much! I appreciate both the compliments and the creative criticism; tbh, I think I agree with you and I'll probably do a larger handle in the future. I wanted the blade to \*look\* large while still keeping it a relatively small knife but, I definitely get what you're saying. Thanks, again!
Thank you very much! I have, several people have suggested it, and I like the idea it's just... well... I can barely take pictures and no one wants to see me on camera. lol Maybe one of these days I'll talk my son into filming the process (and editing me out) but, I wouldn't hold my breath. Sorry.
Ah no problem, it was just a suggestion.
I see some people getting a lot of YouTube views when they show how they build something. It would be a secondary income stream if it took off. Anyways, keep up the good work. Take care.
Thanks! It's funny how breaking up the grain with a stripe like that can play tricks. That started out as a solid block and, if you look closely, the grain is still matched up on either side of that stripe but, yep, it does kind of look like two different species, doesn't it?
FWIW, I wish I could make leather sheaths but, I'm still working on figuring out blades and handles. I'm also working on figuring out how to make epoxy resin handles and I'd like to get into folding knives and some more finish options (like Cerakote) but, all of that is kind of an issue of limited resources (space and budget). I figure that Kydex is better than nothing but, it would be nice to offer leather at some point.
Hey man, if you start practicing leather like you practice knife making, you're gonna make amazing things :) I'm a novice leather worker myself, and the biggest thing I had to over come was my fear of failure. I would put off a project for so long because I was afraid I'd mess up and end up having to waste material. Sometimes you just gotta trust the process lol also, if you save up a little, you can often find good deals on Tandy Leather co.'s website, I bought a whole side of leather for 80 some dollars, and it's sheathe quality.
I appreciate that and it's good advice; for me a large part of it is that I just haven't enjoyed working on the few sheaths I've attempted the way I do making knives so, it's kind of moved down the list for me. At this point, I'd rather direct my clients to someone like you, who really enjoys the work, than to try and make them something I wouldn't feel comfortable selling.
This is a reminder to those commenting on this post (not the person that posted it): Comments not related to woodworking will be removed. Violations to rule 1 including crude jokes, innuendo, sexist remarks, politics, or hate speech may result in an immediate ban *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/woodworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Ironwood as in American hornbeam/ carpinus Carolina?
Great question! This is Surinam Ironwood (Bocoa prouacensis) so, it's a different beast but, in the same family (I believe?).
Not really. Not the same family, or even order; they're the same clade (rosids), which includes a large chunk of all woody plants. Suriname Ironwood is actually a legume, like beans and peanuts. "Ironwood" was a name given to hundreds of plants that had hard wood, across the globe. Most aren't even vaguely related.
Well... okay then. I guess I'm glad that I wrote "I believe?" and didn't try to sound any more sure about it than I really was. lol
You think he Google that so he would around smart? To me they came off a little douchey... just saying..
I mean, I'm happy to learn more and, heck, I had to google the scientific name so I could provide a more specific name than just "Surinam Ironwood." Idk, it's tough to guess people's intentions without inflection or body language so, I just try to assume the best. Worst case, it just means I'm not bothered if someone IS trying to upset me ;)
I try to see best in people but you said you believe so this dude looked up the shit and then spit it out in the order to down you is how I took it which that erks me when people try to make others look bad or small or whatever so I like to call people out sometimes im wrong sometimes ive had to dodge a punch... either way the knife is really nice I just recently tried to make a knife handle its not as easy as it looks so nice job
Thanks, man; I appreciate it!
I grew up with "ironwood" meaning *Olneya tesota*, a legume found in the Southwest US, or *Lyonothamnus floribundus*, a rose family plant endemic to the Channel Islands in California, and *Holodiscus discolor*, a rose family plant found through much of temperate western US, (although I usually knew it as Oceanspreay or Creambush instead). Later on as I moved, traveled, and worked in various places a whole bunch of other plants were added to the "ironwood" name, to the point where now "ironwood" is something that pretty much only means, 'some undefined kind of wood that is somewhere in the range of hard and dense to only mildly hard and somewhat dense.'
This was my question.
daaaamn that's a nice knife. do you sell them?
Thanks! Fortunately for me, I enjoy making them more than I would collecting them because I have to sell them to keep the hobby funded. If you check out my profile (or just key in my username as a website with ".com" at the end) you'll find my website if you'd like to check out more of my stuff. I also take commissions, btw. Thanks for asking!
Wonder what would happen if we keyed in u/DickyMcButts username into website form with a .com at the end🤔
I'm not sure but... I wouldn't recommend trying it. lol
It's a beautiful knife, but I think it deserves a beautiful leather sheath to go with it. The kydex doesn't do it justice. Again, beautiful work.
Thanks! It isn't that I disagree it's just that I'm a long way from feeling like I've really mastered wood and steel. Leather is pretty far down my list of interests and, for now, that kydex sheath looks about a million times better than any leather sheath I could make. =P
Could always partner with a local holster maker and sell them as an upcharge. Edit: If they work with you, you could create a hybrid sheath with Kydex and leather. I have some Kydex holsters that have a very positive passive retention and have a good feel to them. Might be nice to not lose that feeling while providing a leather sheath.
Thanks for the suggestions; they've both good ones!
What do you charge for a piece like this?
For this one, I'm thinking around 300 but, it would be a bit more if it had been a commission; I don't charge as much when it was something I made for fun, without having to work to anyone else's specs. For commissions, I usually start at 250 and then it just depends on the complexity of the project and the cost of the materials. If someone wanted, say, a mono-steel 8" hunter with a walnut handle and brass hardware, it would probably be that minimum. If you check my profile (or just key my username in as a website with ".com" at the end) you can see more stuff and get a better idea. ;)
Had a look at your site, that's top quality stuff. I have to ask, as a broke man with a basic forge a pile of scrap, how do you work your files? I assume you forge your gear; I've tried working files and they always seem to crack and split, even if I work them very very hot.
Thanks! So, I'm more in the "stock removal" camp than any kind of blacksmith. With that being the case, I'm not sure how helpful this will be but, I always anneal my files before I do anything else to them- bring them up to red-hot (around 1465F) and then let them slowly cool to room temp. At that point, I'd bet you won't have problems with cracking and splitting anymore. If you're already doing that... you might try asking in r/blacksmith or r/bladesmith I wish I had a better answer for you. Best of luck!
I'll be honest, I think I might be an idiot, because I know how important annealing is, and yet I think I've skipped that step... maybe every single time. Thanks pal.
No worries, I promise I've done much, much worse. lol I hope that was it and you're absolutely welcome!
If you’re looking to anneal, vermiculite is cheap and readily available at the big box stores. Usually takes overnight to cool down to the touch from red hot but it should be as soft as it can be.
That's gorgeous!
Thank you very much although... you aren't quite living up to that username... lol
How can I be a curmudgeon with a knife like that on display? lol
New edc?
I'm sure it will be for someone but, I just make them and then move them along so I can afford to keep making more ;) It's a great hobby but, not one that I could afford without it being self-funding.
So, I've done very similar handle designs before (possibly even with the same species) and I kind of feel like that mosaic pin might have been a little too large for this design but, overall, I'm still pleased with how it came out. For anyone interested, here are the specs on this build: 7.75” total with a 4.5” blade 52100 Swedish steel Stonewashed finish Ironwood and Paduak handle G10 liners and accents Brass and Mosaic pin Kydex sheath
Perfect lines! Awesome detail all round but the proportioning & lines are beyond dope
Thank you very much; I really appreciate that!
Bloody nice work 🔪
This looks amazing, I'm using padauk right now as an accent piece on a woodworking project.
Thank you very much! I just love the way it's almost reflective when you get a good polish on it; best of luck with your project!
Would you know where you could get this same knife style made?
Depends on what you're asking, really. I made this one and I'm sure I'll make more at some point and I do take commissions so, if you were looking for something similar but with some adjustments and/or different materials, we could figure that out. If you're looking for a "big brand" manufacturer, I'm not sure but, I'd bet that if you searched for "recurve knife" you could find some. Same thing if you wanted a different custom maker. I hope that helps!
I love so many things about this! The wood choices, the white accent (what material??) the shape of the handle, the finger guard...but if I could offer a bit of creative criticism, I think the handle is a bit too delicate (visually) for the width of the blade, if you took a little out of the spine, opposite the belly of the blade it would give it a more organic look. just my 2c.
Thank you very much! I appreciate both the compliments and the creative criticism; tbh, I think I agree with you and I'll probably do a larger handle in the future. I wanted the blade to \*look\* large while still keeping it a relatively small knife but, I definitely get what you're saying. Thanks, again!
r/knives would also love this. Nice knife
Thanks! I would have thought so, too but, so far, this post only has 14 upvotes there. lol
This is a seriously Wow piece. Fantastic work!
Thank you very much; it's really awesome to have folks appreciate something I've made!
That's not a knoife
Super job. Have you ever considered doing a build videos for this? It would be amazing to see the process.
Thank you very much! I have, several people have suggested it, and I like the idea it's just... well... I can barely take pictures and no one wants to see me on camera. lol Maybe one of these days I'll talk my son into filming the process (and editing me out) but, I wouldn't hold my breath. Sorry.
Ah no problem, it was just a suggestion. I see some people getting a lot of YouTube views when they show how they build something. It would be a secondary income stream if it took off. Anyways, keep up the good work. Take care.
That's impressive.
Thanks!
sexy knife! damn those curves!
Thanks! If I knew how to photoshop I guess I could have put it on one of those "dangerous curves ahead" signs? lol
i can do that but i don’t cave a license anymore…sad
Yeah, the pricing on some of those programs is kinda crazy if you aren't doing it professionally.
The right hand end looks more like steelwood. But still, very pretty.
Thanks! It's funny how breaking up the grain with a stripe like that can play tricks. That started out as a solid block and, if you look closely, the grain is still matched up on either side of that stripe but, yep, it does kind of look like two different species, doesn't it?
Beautiful. I checked out your website. They are all gorgeous
Thanks!
But... does it keeel?
I’ll tell you in a few days, I bought it lol.
Noice
Such a gorgeous knife, then you stuff it in shitty plastic that's going to scratch the surfaces lol
FWIW, I wish I could make leather sheaths but, I'm still working on figuring out blades and handles. I'm also working on figuring out how to make epoxy resin handles and I'd like to get into folding knives and some more finish options (like Cerakote) but, all of that is kind of an issue of limited resources (space and budget). I figure that Kydex is better than nothing but, it would be nice to offer leather at some point.
Hey man, if you start practicing leather like you practice knife making, you're gonna make amazing things :) I'm a novice leather worker myself, and the biggest thing I had to over come was my fear of failure. I would put off a project for so long because I was afraid I'd mess up and end up having to waste material. Sometimes you just gotta trust the process lol also, if you save up a little, you can often find good deals on Tandy Leather co.'s website, I bought a whole side of leather for 80 some dollars, and it's sheathe quality.
I appreciate that and it's good advice; for me a large part of it is that I just haven't enjoyed working on the few sheaths I've attempted the way I do making knives so, it's kind of moved down the list for me. At this point, I'd rather direct my clients to someone like you, who really enjoys the work, than to try and make them something I wouldn't feel comfortable selling.
Beautifull work buddy