Knucklehead Polymathy

They call me the "Steel-Shaman" because I let the metal tell me about what it wants to be...then I ask Kirby Forge to tell me how to make that happen. This one wanted to be a brute-de-forge machete out of railway thermite, so Scott learned me on forging out to thickness, finger choil, handle shape, tip, heel, and bevels.

Not much to report on this one. It's quartz (battery powered), but still needed battery replacement and cleaning. The cover release was a little loose, so I bent the tab over a little so it opens and closes properly now. It gave me something to do, and to see what cleaning solutions work best on materials. Apparently it belonged to great grandfather as just a cheap knock around. It will be sent to my brother.

This vintage Locust 7 jewel pocket watch from Switzerland came to me not working and missing the seconds hand.

I think I've determined the main spring isn't grabbing the center arbor in the barrel. Everything else is working now after cleaning and oiling. If I blow air on the balance, it spins.

I've learned what happens alot is when they gunk up after not being used, people overdo the winding and it makes the main spring end not grab the side of the inside of the barrel to spin it. So the spring just spins when you wind it.

I've tried to put a main spring back in by hand, and it's a hassle, so I'll get a tool for that next week hopefully. Then I think this one will just need a new dial and hands.

This weekend, I finished my first ever mechanical wristwatch with movement on this Oris 7 jewel from the 80's.

My director boss in CT sent me this as a practice piece, and alot was learned. It came with the crystal off and all scratched up, out of tune, and hard to wind. It only has one adjustment so I had to find happy medium between mitigating losing seconds/day versus a tight tolerance beat error. But I figured it out after cleaning and oiling. The graph looks as good as I think I can get it for now, so the watch may only need time reset once a week.

After all that, he told me to keep it as my first one. I'm pretty proud, it'll add some class.

Here's a sneak peek at this in-progress restoration on a 50 year old Oris wristwatch that was sent to me for practice.

Before and after cleaning dial, crystal, bezel and case. Got it with crystal held on by tape. 1500gr, 2000gr, then toothpaste. Worked great. Surfaced bottom edge and used GS Hypocement to replace. A couple deep scratches that I couldn't remove without taking too much material away.

Waiting on timegrapher to come in to work on movement.

Spent some time yesterday taking 2 different kinds of pocket watches apart. Did more cleaning than anything, and learned what solutions can be used on different surfaces.

I was able to clean the Westclox mechanical movement pieces enough with mini swabs to get it ticking and see how the power gets from the main spring to the balance wheel. So that was a big confidence booster.

My timegrapher and watch hand removing tools will be here soon, then the mechanical one will be serviced and tuned.

Almost ready to start on watches. Got some broken pocket watches on the way, and a 60's Oris 15 jewel mechanical wind-up that my director said "Here, practice on this one." It needs serviced and the crystal cover re-installed, so that will be fun learning.

I've been on the phone with watchmakers, asking questions in forums, and spending every spare moment on YouTube.

So we're in it now.

Forge design presentation for tomorrow. Already documented with the school, so we can legally claim it. We also got funding to build for senior project.

Last day of CAM class today. CNC final project program ran great. Idk what the part is supposed to be, but I learned alot.

Finished my part of the Thermal Systems Design class project. All theoretical for now, but I've gotten approval to explicitly design for senior project 1 next semester, and build in senior project 2 for my last class.

$8 steal at Urban Timbers.
Stabilized sycamore scales.

Look at this good little skinner! If I could only ever have 1 knife, this is it.

My design "Flick" with Carnivora Tools has officially been prototyped, it will be on display at their booth at Blade Show 2024. It has been a pleasure to work with Don Kramer, Brock Woodson, and the rest of the team.

If you're interested in ordering one, the link is below.

https://carnivora.tools/collections/all-products/products/flick

After some good input from people smarter than me, rough design of class project and future gas forge.

Trapper knives: clip blade for work and spey blade for lunch.

Arkansas Knife Shop has them.

I made my first custom molded cowboy hostler, heavily supervised by Jesse Mohon.

Family members using one of the first knives I ever made to process a deer harvest.

Zero knifemaking in the past month, purely work and school.

My Flick design for Carnivora Tools is officially on the website as a model! Go ahead, order one.

FLICK Bryce designed the FLICK after a leaf flew into his car at school one day. It seemed like the perfect shape and size for skinning, EDC, or even small food prep applications. The short/wide pointed blade is perfectly balanced with the ergonomic handle, allowing for quick work of any daily tasks. DESI...

Hamons and heat treating with the Arkansas Knife Guild.

Happy National Knife Day!
What is your favorite knife you own or that you carry?

I've been carrying my carbon steel sawcut amber Case Trapperlock with custom engraving by this summer. It's been put through alot of use, been everywhere with me, and still sharp after one edge touch up.

Update: These are going fast.

Fall semester school book fundraiser.

7x 1095 full tangs will be available in the next few weeks to start the kitchen knife journey.

Pick one now if you'd like to choose handle scales. Each of these will have a hamon and hand sanded to 600grit.

Hidden tangs next batch.