# Boxcutter for 2feathers Creative Making



## RJBud1 (Apr 3, 2022)

Here's a rough cut of the boxcutter I'm making for @2feathers Creative Making

L6 steel, will grind the bevels when I get off from work.

Handles will be walnut, milled from a juvenile walnut tree that fell down in my woods some time ago.

There will be a lanyard as well as Pins + lanyard hole

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 1


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## T. Ben (Apr 3, 2022)



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## ripjack13 (Apr 3, 2022)



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## Nature Man (Apr 3, 2022)

Progress reports are appreciated! Chuck

Reactions: Sincere 1


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 3, 2022)



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## 2feathers Creative Making (Apr 3, 2022)



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## Wildthings (Apr 3, 2022)




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## Bigg081 (Apr 4, 2022)




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## RJBud1 (Apr 5, 2022)

I ground bevels in two boxcutters last night - one for myself & one for 2feathers. Forgot to take pictures though. When I get back from school I will snap some pics.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## Tony (Apr 5, 2022)




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## T. Ben (Apr 5, 2022)




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## RJBud1 (Apr 5, 2022)

Still some more profiling to do on the one for 2feathers.

I'll take the spine down a bit and give the end tang a better look.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 1


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## RJBud1 (Apr 5, 2022)

Mo progress

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## SubVet10 (Apr 14, 2022)




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## RJBud1 (Apr 15, 2022)

Annealed the knife. Holes drilled, and surface ground. Now it will be hardened when I get the chance.

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## ripjack13 (Apr 15, 2022)

Looking good....real good.

Reactions: Agree 3 | Sincere 1


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## Lou Currier (Apr 17, 2022)



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## RJBud1 (Apr 18, 2022)

Haven't had much time. Yesterday we had an Easter party, today it was downpouring rain. 

Hopefully sometime this week I'll get it hardened and have handles on it + ship it off.


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Apr 18, 2022)

No problems here. I wasn't using it last week either... I carry a two blade pocket knife and a quick change boxcutter type knife in my pocket most all the time and another box cutter type with storage in the tool belt. This one will stay 'round the house.
I am.usually at home about 1 day a week. So When you are satisfied with it, send it. Til then, hang on to it.

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## RJBud1 (Apr 19, 2022)

I had some things going on in the shop today, including finishing my first complete machete as well as hardening Mr. 2feathers' blade. I heated it up with a MAP GAS torch inside a very quick austere DIY mini forge. I heat cycled it twice and then quenched in mouse tainted used peanut oil. (Yes, I guess a mouse sniffed out my oil stash, investigated the scent, fell in and died...see pic).
(I did the unenviable task of fishing it out and giving him an improper burial in the woods).

Anyway. I did an edge quench, so no tempering needed.

Pictures of the machete to come in another thread.

Now a question; I did my first successful knife pin peening today. It's the first time I only used pins, without epoxy. Should I do the same for this blade? It has several advantages: For one, it cuts my handle time down by at least 23 hours. Usually I have to epoxy everything together, pin it, then clamp it, let it dry & cure for the next 24 hours. With peening I just drill the holes, countersink them slightly, put the rod in then hammer them flat. A second advantage is that there's hardly any clean up. Literally just sand down the mushroomed pins so they are completely flat, and then shape the handles. There's not an hour of annoying sanding of excess epoxy, there's no trimming of pins, and no acetone to clean up the epoxy between Ricasso & handle. 

Then again, the epoxy I use, (G-Flex) is thought by many to be the world's best, as far as knifemaking goes. Once cured it is extremely strong. The only way to get it off, if you make a mistake, is by burning it off.

Let me know you're thoughts.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Apr 20, 2022)

If you are happy with the way the peened handle came out, go for it. 99% of commercial knives have been peened for the last 200 years or so. Doesn't seem like a faulty system to me.


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Apr 20, 2022)

Looks like your mouse got his fill...


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## Bigg081 (Apr 20, 2022)

I am not a knife maker but without the epoxy is there ever a concern that the handles will start to loosen over time? I know after the handle is peened it will be very tight, but can the wood start to wear around the pins?


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Apr 20, 2022)

Bigg081 said:


> I am not a knife maker but without the epoxy is there ever a concern that the handles will start to loosen over time? I know after the handle is peened it will be very tight, but can the wood start to wear around the pins?


The peened handles on my cleaver didn't get loose until the wood deteriorated. That was about 60 years in.

Reactions: Useful 1


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## Bigg081 (Apr 20, 2022)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> The peened handles on my cleaver didn't get loose until the wood deteriorated. That was about 60 years in.


Well then! Learned something new


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## RJBud1 (Apr 27, 2022)

Bigg081 said:


> I am not a knife maker but without the epoxy is there ever a concern that the handles will start to loosen over time? I know after the handle is peened it will be very tight, but can the wood start to wear around the pins?


Yes! If the holes in the handle are drilled larger than the peened pins, they can definitely shift over time.

But, if you get you're holes drilled to the right size, there's no need to worry about the handles moving.

Though I can say on this boxcutter I've decided the epoxy route as I don't feel like drilling holes into hardened steel (I drilled the holes at 3/16"...too big for peening pinstock".

Unfortunately my belt sander table broke so I need to make a new one. It shouldn't affect anything too much, but it will mean I will have to use more primitive means for handle shaping.

For handles I'm thinking of going with a section of either a scrap of my bradford pear wood, or just maple. It depends on how big the scrap piece is.

I've also started a big project - more of a pet project than anything. But I set out to make one of every type of the 13 or 14 main machetes.

I have made 2 so far, a Latin type, which I posted the other day, and a hawkbill. 

I'll post the hawkbill once I get the boxcutter's handles on, that way I can post everything at once.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 2


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## RJBud1 (May 5, 2022)

I must not have posted the fact that I am out of epoxy. I use a specific type know for its sheer strength, called G-Flex Epoxy by West Systems.

Anyway, I have more of that coming by the 9th. Sorry for the hold up. I've decided that I'm going to roll with osage orange for the handles.

Reactions: Like 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 5, 2022)

I still expect to see it when it gets here...

Reactions: Funny 3


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## RJBud1 (Jun 21, 2022)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> I still expect to see it when it gets here...


Hey, 

So right now I'm just not happy with the current product.

I'm thinking of putting what I call a "super harden" on it, basically I heat it hotter thsn usual, quench it, and do a very mild temper cycle. Usually knives should never go in hardness over 62 HRC, but since this is a boxcutter it's going to DULL quick. The only problem is, you can't really use it as a multi tool, it'll be prone to chipping, and don't even try to pry anything open with it.

Basically you'll get a super hard, long lasting blade with basically zero durability and resistance.

Pros: 
Extremely Hard
Great Edge Retention
Not Prone to Wearing

Cons: 
Not Durable 
No Resistance to Snapping


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jun 21, 2022)

RJBud1 said:


> Hey,
> 
> So right now I'm just not happy with the current product.
> 
> ...


You are the knife maker. I am not going to need to pry anything with it...

I got a few prying things at hand. This is the truck I work out of. My home storage area gots more stuffs...

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## SubVet10 (Jul 5, 2022)

Nice shape so far. Looking forward to the scales.


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## RJBud1 (Jul 15, 2022)

I just am not happy with the other blade.

So I am going to start fresh.

Here's some new progress. Instead of a satin finish, I will tumble this instead!

Don't mind the multiple holes, those will be covered up later.

(Might have misplaced my center punch)

Reactions: Like 2


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jul 16, 2022)

RJBud1 said:


> I just am not happy with the other blade.
> 
> So I am going to start fresh.
> 
> ...


I am happy with the finish you have in this picture. It shows off the fact that it isn't a factory blade. I am a rustic kind of guy. My froe is an old horse shoeing rasp with the teeth showing. And I like that. 
You are the maker here, so ultimately, make it yours. I am just putting my $ .02 in.

Reactions: Agree 1


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