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General Category => Brag Forum => Topic started by: ToverT on April 25, 2013, 04:25:04 pm

Title: Levi Knife
Post by: ToverT on April 25, 2013, 04:25:04 pm
I thought I needed one more thing to make for my craft show this coming weekend so I made this Hunting knife made with an old pair of Levi Jeans from my cloths closet.
I used 40 layers of levi material (20 on each side) to make the handel.

My scroll saw and a #5 UR blade to profile the handle.  The scroll saw comes in really handy for my knife making projects.

Thanks for Lookin

Tommy T
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: DWSudekum on April 25, 2013, 04:42:55 pm
That is a sharp looking knife Tommy ( pun not intended ).  Thanks for sharing this with us.


DW
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: EIEIO on April 25, 2013, 08:06:49 pm
Slick. How do you laminate the denim?
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: jrpeteo on April 25, 2013, 08:33:38 pm
Now there's something I've not seen before. Very nice!
Pete
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: ToverT on April 25, 2013, 08:59:23 pm
Slick. How do you laminate the denim?

I cut the Levi's into about 10" X 4 1/2" (depending on the size of the knife) to make apprx 40 layer's.  Yes thats a lot of cutting!  Then I soak each layer in resin (yes that's a lot of resin) and lay them on top of each other.  Then clamped very tightly between two piece of wood with wax paper beteen the material and the wood.  Tight tight tight until you hear the wood creek!  Leave sit for 24 to 48 hours.  I'm left with a block of denim.  I treat the denim like any piece of wood.  Start the handle making process, then shaping on the vertical sander and hand sanding to shape.

Thanks for your kind words!

Tommy T
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: EIEIO on April 25, 2013, 10:11:10 pm
That's clever. I think that's similar to how Micarta was made by Westinghouse in the 1970's, but using linen rather than denim. It sure makes a nice looking handle. Thanks for the details.
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: wombatie on April 26, 2013, 02:19:52 am
How very unusual.  Where did you get the idea from Tommy?

Marg
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: newfie on April 26, 2013, 06:35:46 am
beautiful knife Tommy.do you make the blades yourself or purchase them already done if so do you have a good supplier? i was interested in knife making myself but can't seem to find any suppliers online.
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: Russ C on April 26, 2013, 07:12:32 am
Awesome job, I like it. Thanks for posting.  :)
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: frankorona on April 26, 2013, 07:25:49 am
Awesome job, looks great and wonderful idea, thanks for sharing
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: ToverT on April 26, 2013, 08:45:14 am
beautiful knife Tommy.do you make the blades yourself or purchase them already done if so do you have a good supplier? i was interested in knife making myself but can't seem to find any suppliers online.
  I buy the blades on line here:    http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php

Marge, as EIEIO said Micarta has been around for a long time.  I've made many knives using this process, even one from a pine cone, deer antler medallions, dried moss, linen, burlap, on and on.  They always sell pretty quickly.
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: Tomsunnu on April 26, 2013, 08:47:46 am
Tommy,thanks for sharing the procedure,a lot of hardwork goes into this one of a kind knife in the world :) beautifully done.

Mahendra
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: newfie on April 26, 2013, 09:11:34 am
beautiful knife Tommy.do you make the blades yourself or purchase them already done if so do you have a good supplier? i was interested in knife making myself but can't seem to find any suppliers online.
  I buy the blades on line here:    http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php

Marge, as EIEIO said Micarta has been around for a long time.  I've made many knives using this process, even one from a pine cone, deer antler medallions, dried moss, linen, burlap, on and on.  They always sell pretty quickly.
ok thanks Tommy
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: chelcass on April 26, 2013, 10:25:00 am
Wow! Awesome looking knife.  Interesting process you go thru for making the handle.  Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: Keefie on April 26, 2013, 02:24:03 pm
that looks fantastic.
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: hippi on April 29, 2013, 09:11:29 am
thats a nice knive some knive collector is going to like this one of a kind
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: ToverT on April 29, 2013, 09:33:08 am
thats a nice knive some knive collector is going to like this one of a kind
  You are right!  It was the very first thing that sold at my craft show this weekend and was gone within 10 min of the show opening to the public.
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: Al W on May 01, 2013, 04:39:10 pm
Nice work Tommy.   Thanks for sharing the photo and the ideas.

Al
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: Marcellarius on May 03, 2013, 05:15:12 am
the knife looks awesome.
learned a lot, never heard about micarta.
bet you can make nice scrolling project with that also, or picture frames.
thanks for the new ideas!
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: IBMer on May 06, 2013, 06:07:26 pm
That's VERY Clever!    Have you considered leaving the Jeans tag on the top exterior layer?   For example the little red tag on Levis Jeans?    I bet that would be an attraction for many people, to see that it was actually made from a pair of Levis.   Just a thought.

John
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: BigPete on May 08, 2013, 08:09:19 am
Very clever , i like that ! ...Pete
Title: Re: Levi Knife
Post by: chelcass on May 09, 2013, 06:57:39 pm
Thats an awesome Idea John!!