Had a set of very old really Premium Ram's horn scales and a customer request for a very special knife. I needed to finish this one in a very big hurry, so here's the result. Literally started yesterday and haven't stopped other than waiting on Cryo. Heat Treated, Triple drawn double Cryo'ed. 8 hours in Cryo first pass, 6 hours second pass. This baby is very sharp. Let me know what ya think.

Dale

8 1/4" OAL
4 1/4" blade
Elmax Stainless Steel.
Ram's Horn Scales/Red Liners
Stainless Hardware
Leather Sheath (still need to finish that one)

Stunning.

Wow!

You are the man Dale, that's awesome.

mtnman1,

I have been watching your knife posts, and you are sure getting better all the time.

This knife is by far your best! Very nice lines indeed!

Perhaps you should try the "marathon method" of knife making more often!

I have heard that sheep horn scales get a bit "tacky" when wet with blood -- sounds very practical! Send that knife to me and I would do my best to test it on the next moose that cooperates!

John

Awesome knife. I have a couple bars of Elmax Stainless Steel And haven't used it .

dale that is similar to the old pattern called the cascade skinner but yours looks much better with rams & we know how great elmax is--good job---cranky72

Looks awesome Dale.

Thanks Art. Run Bohler's recipe with the higher temp. heat treat and a really thin grind for the good stuff with Elmax. Shoot for 61 to 62Rc. It makes for an incredible cutter and edge holding is amazing.

I agree. It's been cool to watch.

Thanks guys.

All Credit to Rick and Vince, can't tell ya how much good advice and assistance I've gotten. Pays to have friends.

Very cool.
I think sheep horn is one of the best looking handle materials. It has a lot of grip due to texture, a tackiness when wet and is quite tough.
I was given a set of ram horn from the Brooks range, plus some other, but haven't cut into them. Understand it is quite a process to flaten scales. They have curve, bow and twist in them.

Anyhow, nice knife Dale.
Tim

Wow! That is a beautiful knife. I love the blade profile and size. I also tend to like 60+ hardness on blades. I didn't know you could take a stainless up that high.

kinda like a modern day 'Nessmuk' with a better grind.

I like it

I'm a big fan of rams horn on both revolver and knife grips/scales. Awesome knife, I just wish I was the guy taking delivery on it!!!

Gorgeous.

Looks very good!

Looks real good.

Very nice piece of work.

Damn, Rick Menefee, Brett Dowell and now Larry Parsons. Boys, we are in good damned company. Welcome aboard Larry.

WOW,,What a beauty!!

my hats off to you,you are very talented!!

I am just curious. What did all of that extra time and energy doing the cyro get you in terms of performance that you wouldn't have had if you wouldn't have done it.

The austenite to martensite transformation never happens completely in heat treating, so a portion of austenite is always retained. Cryo increases the transformation of austenite to martensite, as well as causing a denser more uniform particle structure to the steel. That in turn allows more wear resistance, toughness and more uniform grinding. All of that means you'll get better edge retention as well as durability/toughness of the knife. As an additional note all steel manufacturers call for it for the best quality result and I tend to trust their metallurgists.

Thanks for the interest.

Dale

If you ever feel the urge to build another, I'd be mighty interested.

Do you have a Rockwell tester?

If so, do you pick up one or two points on the C scale after cyro quenching? I have read that steel like 154 CM and ATS 34, and possibly 440 C will gain a small amount of hardness after being cyro quenched.

Ii have a very good friend who has a tester and He tests samples out of my batches for me.

Dale the Ram Horn is wonderfull. Hell i guess I'm going to get a set or two. I test Dale's stuff. Its already treated when I get it. what you are saying has been the results. d-2 you will gain a point also. S30v I have had mixed results. All material is Rc with the same finish because this make a diff. 154cm has been the most constant steel I have ever missed with. Believe it or not but 440c is a lot better than most people think. The key to 440c is get American made. I think it got bad rap. Dale's oven temp are in line almost perfect with mine.

Just for people to know most stainless will have secondary hardening after a year or so and will go up another point. Theyre is no doubt cryo knifes sharpen and grind easyer.

I have never used it, but I have heard the same thing about 440C, that is makes a very good blade.

I have also read that cyro quenching 440C makes it even better.

Can't comment on whether or not cyro grinds and sharpens better, because I have never used 154CM or ATS34 that was not cyro quenched.

I've never built a knife without cryo. My personal perspective, but I won't deliver anything that isn't as optimal as I can make it, so I refuse to deliver a blade that doesn't get my full treatment. I've done a little grinding on bits and pieces that I use around the shop that I didn't cryo, and I can say that it doesn't seem to grind as well, so I cryo everything nowadays, even the crappy little stuff that is just a shop tool or some such.

Looks very nice!