# Alabama Damascus "sharpfinger" knife



## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

Finished up my take on the classic "sharpfinger" style knife

7 1/4" total
3 1/2" blade
Alabama Damascus
Afzelia burl with brass bolster stacked with blue spacers and two mosaic pins and matching lanyard tube layout on handle.


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## rand_98201 (Sep 24, 2008)

that came out great


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

here is the first bonus knife completed, I'm going to have a hard time getting rid of this one I really like it.

6" overall length
2 3/8" blade
handle: nickel silver bolster 9 1/16" nickel silver pin and lanyard tube, emerald green California buckeye and buffalo horn


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## NoDeerInIowa (Mar 5, 2012)

Love the sharpfinger! Was that made for someone specific?


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## 1roper (Mar 28, 2011)

Saaweet times 2 !!


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

NoDeerInIowa said:


> Love the sharpfinger! Was that made for someone specific?


Yes the sharpfinger was part of a custom order, thanks for looking.


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## iluvgear1 (May 9, 2011)

Beautiful as always.

I thought the pattern on Damascus steel was from hammering and that it ran through the full depth of the steel, but it looks like the pattern is gone from the edge and the tang.

Also the black material that fills the voids in the file work on the back of the tang...is that an epoxy?


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## Rhody Hunter (Jul 14, 2008)

Very nice. How did you get that swirl look on the blade ? That looks cool


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

iluvgear1 said:


> Beautiful as always.
> 
> I thought the pattern on Damascus steel was from hammering and that it ran through the full depth of the steel, but it looks like the pattern is gone from the edge and the tang.
> 
> Also the black material that fills the voids in the file work on the back of the tang...is that an epoxy?


it is a interesting steel, the pattern does go all the way through the blade and tang. The Damascus I use is made of 5 different steels forge welded together, each steel reacts to the etching acid in a different way. I have yet mail one of these out that I get a reply "the pic did not do this knife justice" you just cant capture it in a photo or I cant anyway. After I heat treat the blade then sand it down smooth it looks like any other knife with a near mirror finish, I then get the bolster 90 percent shaped and drilled, Etch the blade in acid which brings out the pattern. I attach the bolster and handle then I polish the tang portions by sanding again and buffing to make them shine. I could go back with a q-tip and acid and re-etch the tang but you do not see much in the narrow space, to me it looks better shinned up. And yes it is just dyed epoxy around file work to keep whatever out of the cracks and to make it look cool.


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

Rhody Hunter said:


> Very nice. How did you get that swirl look on the blade ? That looks cool


The Damascus gets it "swirls" by forge welding the following steels together "We use 5160 (spring steel) 203E (low carbon high impact High nickel mild steel alloy) 15N20 (band saw blade material), 52100 (ball bearing steel), nickel 200 is added at times also." They take 13 layers of the above steel and fold them 5 times by forge welding this produces a steel made up of 416 layers, you then etch the steel with acid and the different steels react to the acid in different ways and the patters appear. This Is a labour intensive process for someone, you can make you're own or purchase it already made, but it is expensive compared to other steels.


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## canse (Sep 9, 2008)

Man that´s beautiful. Love the filework in the tang.


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

canse said:


> Man that´s beautiful. Love the filework in the tang.


Thanks.


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## Rhody Hunter (Jul 14, 2008)

randallss7 said:


> The Damascus gets it "swirls" by forge welding the following steels together "We use 5160 (spring steel) 203E (low carbon high impact High nickel mild steel alloy) 15N20 (band saw blade material), 52100 (ball bearing steel), nickel 200 is added at times also." They take 13 layers of the above steel and fold them 5 times by forge welding this produces a steel made up of 416 layers, you then etch the steel with acid and the different steels react to the acid in different ways and the patters appear. This Is a labour intensive process for someone, you can make you're own or purchase it already made, but it is expensive compared to other steels.


Wow sounds like an expensive process .


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

Rhody Hunter said:


> Wow sounds like an expensive process .


compared to regular milled knife grade steel, yes it is, I would say it's 4x the price of the same amount of 1095 maybe more just guessing. You can make it very cheap materials wise, I purchased the materials to make my own a few months back it was not expensive at all, but the time it is going to take to do it myself when I get around to it will be significant, I figure a couple days and one tired arm.


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## Rhody Hunter (Jul 14, 2008)

Ok sounds like a labor of love. You must have a lot of patience and tools to make a knife like that.

I would love to have a broad head with steal like that. But would probably be way over budget.
Is taht the same type of process that they use to make a samuri sword ?


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

Rhody Hunter said:


> Ok sounds like a labor of love. You must have a lot of patience and tools to make a knife like that.
> 
> I would love to have a broad head with steal like that. But would probably be way over budget.
> Is taht the same type of process that they use to make a samuri sword ?


I have not really researched swords much but some of the old ones were made that way and some guys still make swords that way, there are some interesting videos on youtube where guys make swords starting from basic steel. 

I actually do not have that many tools, I have two drill presses, one is set up for sanding finger grooves and such, one for drilling, I just purchased a metal cutting band saw...sweet, I have a table saw, wood working band saw, two buffers now, a couple vices, forge, Colman stove, toaster oven, two belt sanders. I'm looking to add Heat treat oven and metal working mill, and then I will be fairly happy.


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## #1 Hogger (Aug 17, 2005)

I actually do not have that many tools, I have two drill presses, one is set up for sanding finger grooves and such, one for drilling, I just purchased a metal cutting band saw...sweet, I have a table saw, wood working band saw, two buffers now, a couple vices, forge, Colman stove, toaster oven, two belt sanders. I'm looking to add Heat treat oven and metal working mill, and then I will be fairly happy.[/QUOTE]

You forgot the little elves that come into your shop to help you sometimes :wink: That pig sticker is a sweet design something different the owners should be glad to get it. And I e-mailed you about how I like that second design Great work you should be proud


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## Sveeger (May 8, 2012)

Looks awesome!


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## planebow (Dec 9, 2008)

You sure do build some nice knifes!


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## BUDDYBAGS (Dec 13, 2009)

been watching you build and design and also buying from you ,it just amazes me on how you just keep pumpimg out beautiful works of art
!!!


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

BUDDYBAGS said:


> been watching you build and design and also buying from you ,it just amazes me on how you just keep pumpimg out beautiful works of art
> !!!


Thank you, its been a ride, I would have never guessed. 

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300 using Tapatalk


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

those look GREAT!


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## reckless (Jul 8, 2006)

Just to be a little pedantic.
Damascus forged steel is no longer available as the art of forging it has been lost.
what is produced today is pattern forged steal and though it can be of good quality it does not rival
in strength and edge retention what was achieved in the past.


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

reckless said:


> Just to be a little pedantic.
> Damascus forged steel is no longer available as the art of forging it has been lost.
> what is produced today is pattern forged steal and though it can be of good quality it does not rival
> in strength and edge retention what was achieved in the past.


The Art/craft of the original damascus blades have been lost. The exact proccess of how the original blades were made is a mistery and has been lost over time, I do not own a blade made between 300bc - 1700ce so I can only speak from research. With that said, ther are several manufacturesr of high preformance Damascus and in the hands of a few people in the world it is probably still some of the best blades made. The damascus I use is layers of high carbon steel and is a very tough steel that will hold an edge very well, just as the steels it is made of. One debate is that the layers work as laminated wood or bows it makes the steel stronger, and several others. But basically This steel is a balance of good edge retention and a neet look, I'n my opinion it dosn't preform any better than say 52100, 5160 or 1095, but as well. Now back to high preformance Damascus, this guy is one of a couple hundred known people in the world that is a true expert in the field, check out the preformance of his Damascus blades, I think you will be impressed.

http://youtu.be/-OCoS81G2CY


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## Sandilands (Aug 31, 2006)

The sharpfinger is my favorite style knife. You just made it look much better. Nice work!!!


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

Sandilands said:


> The sharpfinger is my favorite style knife. You just made it look much better. Nice work!!!


Thank you, I like it too, one of the first knives I made was a sharpfinger, but it was not as good looking as this one, it was made from an old saw blade and walnut scales, the scales were glued on with JB weld and it had no pins in the handle at all, I was just a kid, but I still have that knife. I tried to improve on the parts of the knife I didn't like, which was the square plastic feeling handle, this one has a rounded handle and feels a lot better in the hand.


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