No Respect for Stilettos

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Jeffinn
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No Respect for Stilettos

Post by Jeffinn »

So I've been looking at knife patterns online. Out of all of the custom knife makers who provide thousands of online patterns for knifemakers online, not one of them provides a single pattern for a stiletto blade profile.
I'll disassemble the three autos I received recently and create my own patterns.
I'm seriously considering moving on to other styles of blades based on the lack of support for stiletto knives.
Just seems a little ridiculous.
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by Bill DeShivs »

Very few knifemakers are even capable of making a classic stiletto.
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DavidSnell
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by DavidSnell »

Respect is a vintage stiletto with flush scales and bolsters made of good quality materials with a spring that has survived all abuse over the years.
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natcherly
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by natcherly »

Jeffinn wrote:So I've been looking at knife patterns online. Out of all of the custom knife makers who provide thousands of online patterns for knifemakers online, not one of them provides a single pattern for a stiletto blade profile.
I'll disassemble the three autos I received recently and create my own patterns.
I'm seriously considering moving on to other styles of blades based on the lack of support for stiletto knives.
Just seems a little ridiculous.
I am confused by this post. Are you unable to find stiletto blades (what you are calling "patterns") for sale from parts vendors & custom craftsmen? Or do you mean something else?

Pictured is a stiletto as they are known to us in this hobby. It was made by one of the most respected custom knife makers in the USA, and he thoroughly respects the stiletto.

Please clarify.
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METALGOD
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by METALGOD »

wow Natch what the hell is that lol that looks badd ass who is maker if you dont mind ? Pat ?
Jeffinn
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by Jeffinn »

I was looking to cut out my own knife blades from steel stock so I would most likely use a pattern of some sort to tell me where to cut the metal. There are thousands of patterns online (here's one example: http://dcknives.blogspot.com/p/knife-profiles.html) that aspiring knife makers can use to assist them in creating their own blade profiles.
Additionally, I have not seen any place online to buy quality stiletto blade blanks for use in knifemaking.
I'm currently looking at another option to see if its economically feasible to have some blade blanks cut at one of the water jet facilities that caters to knifemaker's and craftsmen. (It's either that or I'll have to consider laying out the cash for a new band saw so I can cut my own).
Hope this clarifies my comments for you.
Thanks for the response!
Jeff
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natcherly
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by natcherly »

METALGOD wrote:wow Natch what the hell is that lol that looks badd ass who is maker if you dont mind ? Pat ?
Thanks, Bernie. Yes that is one of Pat's customs. A true 18" dagger stiletto with pre-ban ivory scales. Opens with plenty of authority....
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natcherly
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by natcherly »

OK, Jeffinn, I get it now. Because the US is not a major manufacturer of stilettos, you are more or less on your own. I used to be able to get some parts from SKM for their AB knives, but not sure that avenue is open anymore. Goog luck!
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redeye
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by redeye »

METALGOD wrote:wow Natch what the hell is that lol that looks badd ass who is maker if you dont mind ? Pat ?

Bernie the stamp appears to be HAVLIN
I am the KING of LATAMA collectors HAHAHAHAHAHAHA {EVIL LAUGH}
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Bill DeShivs
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by Bill DeShivs »

A $250 bandsaw is cheaper than having a small run of blades waterjetted, and you can use it for other knives and projects. If your stiletto project doesn't work out-you'll have a bunch of useless parts.
As I said-there are very few knifemakers who can successfully build an Italian stiletto. They are particularly difficult to get right. Even if you have patterns, minute differences in dimensions can ruin the knife.
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Latama, Mauro Mario, LePre, Colonial, Kabar, Flylock, Schrade Cut Co., Presto, Press Button, Hubertus, Grafrath, Kuno Ritter knives, Puma, Burrell Cutlery.
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tr4252
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by tr4252 »

Bill is right; the band saw is a wiser investment. Also, you might not realize it yet, but fitting up the parts so that the blade locks tight, at the right angle, is a touchy job at best. Remove .001" in the wrong place and you will end up with a floppy blade or a banana, not much fun to ruin a knife that way after many hours just getting to that point. In addition, you will want to become fairly good at heat treating. Sure you really want to go this way? I used to make "stilettos", though hardly in a traditional pattern (top photo). The working parts are the same, regardless.

I really got sick of all the fine tuning after a while, and came up with a new torsion spring design (bottom 2 photos);

Much easier, and more like the type of knife I wanted to build anyway. If you're thinking of building classic stilettos, I thought I should warn you about some of the downside. Be prepared to spend countless hours just learning what you are doing, let alone building servicable knives.

Don't ask how I know.

Tom
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Jeffinn
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by Jeffinn »

Nice looking knives Tom!
Thank you for your input.I'll take some time to consider which direction to go. (Maybe just buying pre-made stilettos is wiser choice). Are the manual stilettos a pain in the rear to make too?
Torsion springs are showing up more and more in automatic knives. I own a rather inexpensive Bokor auto. It's not a bad knife for the money and the spring is easily replaceable.
Thanks for the insight!
Jeff
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tr4252
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by tr4252 »

You're welcome Jeff, and thank you for the compliment.

I guess I'm trying to spare a newcomer some of the heartache and frustration I went through when I started doing this. I'm a journeyman machinist (among other things), and thought building switchblades would be a snap. It was a humbling experience; my first few knives were crap. But of course, I became a bit obsessed with meeting the challenge. If I had to do it over again, who knows? I learned a valuable lesson (I so hate valuable lessons). I was such a dumbass that I really believed I could build knives with just a handful of files and a hacksaw, in the beginning. Oh, and I had a drill press, too.

You may turn out to be one of the one out of 4 million guys who can actually put a decent knife together, and I don't want to discourage you. Just be aware of the commitment. I actually ended up buying a 3 axis CNC mill, learning to program G code, and ultimately, building a CNC grinder just to hollow grind my blades.

When the Girlfriend from Hell arrived, about 7 years ago, she seemed to resent my house being mostly dedicated to being a knife factory, for some reason. Also the hours and noise upset her a little.

The guys who build the beautiful knives have been doing it for a million years, and in the process became cranky old men like Bill and I.

Having said all that, should you choose to come over to the dark side (it's kind of cool, actually), we'll be more than willing to help (misery loves company?)

Tom

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sammy the blade
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by sammy the blade »

Tom, those knives are incredible!
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tr4252
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Re: No Respect for Stilettos

Post by tr4252 »

Thanks Sammy. I built picklocks for a few years, and thought I was doing OK. Then I bought a Godfather, and knew what I had to do.

Tom
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