Bear "Fun", "Jungle" Tools, Ideas and Special / Member Projects

Started to get a better feel for how to use the chisel grind.



Curls are slowly getting tighter. Hopefully it means I am better learning to control the blade.

 

Having a good knife handy is part of what it takes to work out in the bush.

A Trail Cam NEEDS to go here and I left My Chainsaw at home.


Bear's Blade made easy work of this job.

Now the Trail Cam is in place.

But brush still covers the line off sight.

A few seconds is a good start

A few more cuts and sight line is complete.

This is from thorns. Not a knife Cut, cold weather and thorns and pretty soon you're bleeding but do not feel it yet.

 

Glad she is still working for you @HK_User Ouch! looks nasty ... cold and sharps are a bad combination.... that's specifically why I like some sort of guard or blade stop on my knives and blades... get hung up in the cold or in a river and try to cut yourself, the boat or someone else free and next thing you know... without a guard... your cutting deep into your fingers and not even knowing it....
Thanks for sharing and for the report on the Bear blade

For all you other Monkeys... I'm proud to have @HK_User as the very first formal Bear Test Team Member... Member #1

Take Care Buddy,

Bear

 

Aloha Monkeys,

Quick update...

Sorry I haven't been around much... been a bit out of sorts and under the weather and got hit bad with it this weekend....
In true Monkey fashion... I'm trying to shake it off and get back to fun...

Here's a project that I have been working on... want to finish it up to get to another I need to finish up as well...
Remember that piece of leaf spring????
Well got her cut and shaped...

Then needed to anneal her... then tried to straighten her out....
Nope... a stubbord piece of "Monkey Repurposed Steel" she is.... just like my buddy @Hanzo
3 tries and anneals and finally she stays straight.... (I know that secretly inside she is still wanting to bend)

Then off to grinding.... saber grind.... 17.5 degrees...

Long handle... way long handle... absurdly long handle... but that's what this crazy Monkey likes

Then heat treating....
I remember what a stubborn piece of *#@%$^!!!! she is so she get's the Bear special treatment...
Normalize... 2 times
Thermal cycle .... 3 times
Quench.... 3 times
Temper... 2 times
and she stays straight!!!!! maybe the stubborn *#@%$^!!!!! is finally tamed?????

Then off to torture test her...
7 drops from 7 feet... hey 7 is lucky number... but 11 is better.... so yeah 4 more.... she's a hefty heifer so got some big dings in the concrete shop floor....
She doesn't crack, chip or deform... Nice....

Time to finish grind, drill some holes to lighter her butt up (all women like that )

Then some polishing because I won't be able to get to some areas when the handles are on (women like polish too and yes it's hard to get to some areas on them too )

Wait... what's that?????? A clear heat affected zone???? (that's a temper line for some folks and a hamon for others)
Yup... there it is... this Lady has some class and refinement....

Well what do you do when you find your woman has some class and refinement?????....
You just gotta do all you can to accentuate and highlight it and oooohhhh and aaaahhhh over it!!!! ( women secretly like that too)
So .... it's off to etch...

I use distilled white vinegar ... no so white anymore.... neutralize with window cleaner that has ammonia...
1 short bath.... check and polish...
2nd longer bath... check and polish
last longest bath... check and final polish....
HAZ, Temper Line or Hamon... clear as day and beautiful.... she is blushing now.... inner beauty uncovered... (naked as a jaybird )

Then... handles rough cut, drilled counterbored for brass corby rivets... epoxy... clean a bit... and a final sneak peak of this special Lady's Haz...

More later... but that's it for now...

By the way... this will be one of very few blades I mark with "Bear"....

I lovingly refer to it as "TKIWFY" the member was going to make me a drawing of their perfect knife but I decided I knew better
This is not the knife "they" wanted.... this is as I told them "The Knife I Wanted For You" Tough sh*&%$t! Yup hammer wielding, tool and knife making Bear Iron Monkey ... with an attitude!

Sorry for long narrative... been meaning to get this up.... and didn't want to lose the pics in my camera... already deleted some by accident... duh... sucks to grow old!

Hope you all enjoy a simple repurposed leaf spring knife !

Have a great week!

Take Care and God Bless,
Bear

 

That's beautiful! ALOWFSLAM too. What, you know women, @Bear, but don't know ALOWFSLAM? That stands for "A Lot of Work for Some Lucky Ass Monkey!" I hope it's worth it to you. I know SLAM would appreciate it greatly.

 

Good looking and balanced I bet!

 

Aloha Monkeys,

Yup @HK_User going for a balance point right around the first corby bolt... right where your index finger would be if you were holding this.... blade is heavy but at that point... it will hopefully feel neutral and quick.... hold back on the handle near the end and it will be very blade heavy and great for chopping... heat treated this with a bit harder edge but the back is nice and soft so it should be great at hacking.... at least that's the theory

LOL @ghrit ... I've often thought about getting a new camera.... this one is a Fuji Finepix F10 with a whopping 6.3 mega pixels... got it way back in 2004 when that was a lot... nowadays... I think your phone has more pixels .... didn't think much of my photos but this is a nice camera and it's working fine.... didn't realize how nice the pics were until I looked at the HAZ, temper line, Hamon on my tablet and zoomed in... wow... it really looks nice frankly in my old age... fuzziness is a function of shaky hands and poor eyesight... so I figured oh well.....

You crack me up @Hanzo .... great acronym!... I like it....

Well had some time this afternoon and the handle had well over 24 hours to cure... so did some 36 and 80 grit sanding.... palm swell like the member prefers..... full protective gear and p100 gas respirator... dust and gas given off is nasty stuff... right now she looks more like a "Tigger" than a "Pooh" (Bear that is ) ... but that's just for now... still need to get through 120, 220, 400 and 600 and finesse that linen micarta pattern.... and some wax to top her off (women like that too) .... but thought I would share the WIP... Blade protector not so much to protect the blade (well that too) but to protect my fingers... already lost a little chunk of skin just handling her... sheesh! Wicked Woman she is

Thanks for all the kind comments... off to clean up ....

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Aloha Monkeys,

Happy Friday the 13th!!!!!!

Well took a chance on this very unlucky day and finished this to 600 and some wax....

Nice palm swell... linen micarta reads like a topo map so you can see the contours pretty well

I really like the way this feels... choke up feels right and pull back is secure... so too bad ... so sad ... if the member doesn't like it... after all... this is "TKIWFY" not the knife they wanted!!!!... right @Hanzo ?!?!???

Darn blade is still trying to get me... lost some more skin on this one! didn't even feel it.... probably want's a new "dress"....

So before final touch ups... a kydex sheath is in order I suppose

Maybe leather... not sure yet... although I think it will be kydex... decisions... decisions....

Thanks for looking.... as always... comments, thoughts, observations are welcome...

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

Yup @Bear. Sure is a sweet, sexy lady!

 

@Bear, the micarta maestro as well master blacksmith.

 

looking good..

 

Aloha Monkeys,

Thanks @Yard Dart @Hanzo and @Witch Doctor 01 ....

LOL... not necessarily a "micarta maestro"... still learning

Had some time to press some kydex today.... new and better approach to the drain hole I've been thinking about... finally figured it out on this one

The work on "TKIWFY" continues.... need to figure out the hollow rivet holes and finish them up (yes there will be two sheaths... just in case) the other is pressing in the pic...

I use a hot plate to heat the kydex evenly... way way better than an oven... faster and easier....

Hope y'all enjoy the WIP....

Had visitor to the shop yesterday.... they like it and thought it felt great and balanced well... they've got similar sized hands as the recipient of this... so hopefully it will pass their inspection too

Have a great Sunday all!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

All I can say is SLAM!

 

Lol... @Hanzo

Little bit of time in the shop... holes laid out with the Tekloc... drilled... test riveted to see if she fits... a few minor tweaks with my little heat gun...

Yay! she fits with that long lost "snap"... (sheesh... I thought I forgot how to do that )

Finish this new "dress" up for her ... now that I have the hole pattern.... finish up the other one... and then it's final details on this "Lady"....

Thanks for all the comments and following along... from dirty, grimey, rusty, curvey dump leaf spring... to well... almost done

Have a great evening all...

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

@Bear had spilled the beans about TKIWFY a couple of weeks ago during his birthday lunch. It was the last in his series of "mahalo" blades. But you know how you give a coin when you are gifted a blade so as not to cut your friendship? The bastard wouldn't take TFCIWFY. I knew my buddy likes silver, so since the beans were previously spilled, I planned ahead and had a silver coin ready for him.

By the way, I learned a new swear word refereeing two weeks ago. One of the coaches is a really nice guy. When his team didn't do what he wanted, he would cuss, "Piles of money!" I like that.

So anyway, Bear, the stinking pile of money wouldn't take my honestly given coin. Instead, he chose to steal a coin from the change holder in my truck. What a guy!

Anyway, as expected, TKIWFY, is awesome. I have to name it something easier. So henceforth, she shall be Slammi, sister to Bear's Sammie. And also because I AM SLAM.

Slammi's first chore is to open monkey's coconut. She made short work out of slicing the husk. And Slammi is the sharpest Bear blade ever, or at least so far. So once the edge touched the nut, she squirted. Still got three cups of water. And can you see the sweet hamon? Seems to flow with the water.



Monkeys love coconut water.



A most awesome gift, Slammi is. I can think of only two, make that three, very minor criticisms. First, the palm swell could have been a little bit thicker. Second, the spine near the bottom could have been squared off sharper. And third, piles of money could have taken TFCIWFY.

Actually, my hand goes up and down the handle to where it needs to be easily. I almost always carry a striker for my ferro rod. So no biggie.

But piles of money! I will make @Bear take something some day. It will be the somethingIWFY.

MAHALO BUDDY!

Incredible attention to detail! Slight distal taper and drilled out full tang make it super strong, yet not too heavy. Rounded hump makes it more comfortable to handle and better for pounding and batoning. Long comfortable handle makes various grips possible. Choke up for fine work and hold the larger end for chopping and pounding. Mirror polish shows off hamon. Really well made!

Oh, and two sheaths. Camo for every day and dress black, to go with my black dress slippers.

@Bear said I would feel the pull to throw her. Not yet.

Slammi's computer curls and a close up of her hamon. As Bear says, girls like to flaunt.

 

Aloha Monkeys,

LOL... @Hanzo

First thanks for the feedback... I shall take that to heart...
And...
Second.... regarding the silver and piles of money.... Ha Ha... I got my penny from your coin holder ... sooooooo.....
You can go jump in a starving piranha filled lake wearing bloody raw ribeye steak underwear !!!!!!!

Glad she is working for you... and thanks... again for the kind words.....

Here is a few more pics of "Slammi" for the rest of the Monkeys...

Gotta love a "Lady" who is sharp in both "Formal Black" and "Naughty Camo"!
Also tried to get some good pics of the HAZ, Hamon or Temper line (as some folks mistakenly call it) that I etched and polished out so it would show better....

Thanks for following this build everyone... and for all the kind comments....
(don't mind the high pitched girly screams in the background... that's just @Hanzo enjoying his dip in the lake )

Now on to the next project...

Have a great week everyone!

Take Care and God Bless,

Bear

 

You are an amazing craftsman!

 

Now now @Bear, you know that will not happen. Ribeye is for eating! I'd go in naked with Slammi and come back with dinner.

Speaking of which, when you coming out my way next? Ribeye calling your name. And I seasoned it for you!