Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Winter project S35VN

I have started laying the ground work to do a batch of blades from S35VN.
Still working on the patterns that I will water jet out of a sheet.

There are several here who expressed interest in this/the next run. I will address those
I have notes on directly when I get to the point of posting overview of blade patterns I plan
on doing. We can go from there.

This will be a bit yet in the making.
Tim

Tim, do you remember this one you made for me back in 2012? S30V, I think 5/32 thick. This knife has a 3 3/8 inch blade with the handle 3 7/8 long. I am thinking the same blade style, but 4 inches long, maybe 4 and 1/4, with the handle extended to 4 and 1/2 inches. I believe you said that dyed camel bone is gone, so maybe green Micarta? What do you think?

Been playing with S35VN a bit this summer/fall. Make sure you cryo between ht and temper.

Make sure you cryo between ht and temper.

The difference is............?

Sam
I have some camel bone, just no more green. When the time comes, I can send a pic
of what I have on hand. Of course green micarta always looks and performs well.

I usually save some of the sheet of steel to hand cut out specials, so s/b no problem.
Tim

Then we are on. Whatever camel bone you have, and those specs. Thanks

I made a few knives as of late with this steel. It really takes a nice toothy edge.

Well, I ordered two thicknesses of S35VN.
One @ .140/.156" thick for .125" finish.
Other @ .103/.113" thick for about .090" finish.

Still ciphering on water jet patterns to cut.
There will be some extra for custom patterns.

Tim

I could go for one in .090”.

Count me in when it's time!

ya!

GWB

.125 finish for me, Tim

The thickness will be pretty specific to the pattern cut out of that thickness sheet of steel.
We will see how this develops.

I might be interested in a .090" knife. Tim, what kind of patterns are you considering?

Same here

I will show the patterns here when I actually take the sheets to the water jet guy.
At least a couple weeks or more for this step.

I can always surface grind down (one at a time) thicker stock to thinner stock, or hand cut a thin stock
pattern out of some extra thicker stock per customer requests. I keep some bulk pieces aside for "specials".

I use .125" stock with applied guards due to cutting the guard slot with a mill blade that thickness.

Thanks for the interest for now.
More info later.
Tim

Drop points.
Skinners.
Boners.

Yes

Cant wait to see what you come up with!

That little spear point of yours that I got from MMC in 154CM is a cuttin' mundar - I really like that pattern. What hardness are you going to be spec-ing in your blades? I'll post a review of the M4 Loveless field report soon as I get a chance. One deer, three turkeys.

The target for S35VN is 61Rc. I will have Bos HT do them.

Again, I will have some extra strips of steel for customs or something different than
what I have water jet cut out. I prefer to do mostly blades that have been WJ cut but.....

Do you do anything similar to Phil Wilson/spyderco Southfork? 4.5ish blade. Cliff Stamp has a good description of the dimensions and pics to look at

If customers send me a cut out hard copy (poster board, or..) I usually do my best to make that knife.

I do not normally search around to find a pattern.
I am not against making a copy of some other products, but if you want an exact copy why not buy that?????
Just asking here.

I also have to learn when to say no, or to dwell a little longer on "special" projects.
Some of those projects end up with a pattern to hang on to and make more.
One I was ashamed of my results.

Tim

A custom Phil Wilson runs about $500 or more. Spyderco version is discontinued and sold for $400. Between scarcity and cost I'm looking at other options.
I like the Southfork pattern for a BnT blade more than most others out there. Something in the 4 to 4.5 inch slicer vs the thicker knives I have.
I get it's hard to reproduce a knife when you don't have a pattern. It's no big deal if you don't have a pattern. Just seeing if you had something similiar or a pattern tucked away.

I have received the S35VN steel and in a week or so should be showing the patterns
I plan to have water jet cut out.

There will be some steel strips left over to make other custom patterns out of.
We can review you desires from then and if you can get a pic of what you want I can
be looking into that.

Pretty sure I can make what you want, but not sure what that is right now.
I will have a 5" Boner in the mix. That might be the ticket.

Tim

Here is a picture off spyderco website. Well a link since posting a pic is a pain in the butt and I haven't figured out how to do it well.
It does look like a shorter boning knife.

https://spyderco.com/catalog/details/FB30G/Spyderco-Phil-Wilson-South-Fork/763

And a review with dimensions listed. Doesn't need to be an exact copy. But maybe give you a better idea.

The South Fork is ground from 0.110" thick S30V stainless steel, uniformly hardened to 60 HRC (HRC tested) with a full cryogenic quench. The overall length is 10.1 inches, with a sharpened edge of 4.6 inches on a blade which is 1.1 inches wide at maximum. The primary grind is full flat with an extreme distal taper. The edge is very thin, from 0.006-0.008" thick, and ground at 14-16 degrees per side. The blade was tested for edge retention and durability by Phil by whittling redwood, oak and making over 200 slices on half inch manilla.

That pattern is reminiscent of a Jerry Fisk "Sendero"......

I will have a 5" Boner somewhat similar pattern and a trailing point.
But can hand cut and shape any pattern.

Will you be posting the patterns?

Yes, as I said above, I will post the regular patterns when I actually take the steel to the
water jet operation and spec the patterns.

This will probably be in a week to a month out from now. Covid issues, deer opener, etc
will have an influence on timing. WJ guy is now under quarantine and I am still looking at
patterns and optimal use of the sheets of steel.

There will be plenty to go around and I am sure no finished product yet this year.
If you have a special pattern you want, get that pattern on some poster board type material
for me to use. I will have some strips of steel set aside for this purpose.

Thanks
Tim

Took approx 10 sq ft of S35VN to water jet guy yesterday. Will be a couple
weeks getting blanks back.
Then clean up profiles, surface grind, drill, bevel grind, heat treat, finish grind, assemble, sheath.
An applied guard will add a couple steps.
Still got to get a pic of the options. May wait till the blanks are done for that. The patterns are at
the water jet place now any how.

OK, I have approximately 90 blade blanks cut out and surface ground.
I will be getting some pics and get some help posting those.
Info will be added.
I kept some steel strips for the 'specials' outside of the standard patterns.
Thanks
Tim

Looking forward for it.

I’ll be glad to help post pics., lemme know