The ideal patch knife.

[BS]

I like deer antler and 0-1 steel. I just filed it into shape, nothing fancy.

 

[Swampman]

I cut my patches square. It's cheaper and they are better than store boughten patches. Better, cheaper, and historically accurate. Cutting patching with a knife just waste patching material.

 

[bnail]

Since I carry a Bess, I don't really have a need for a patch knife; consequently, I'm unfimiliar with the "to cut at the muzzle or pre cut" debate. I almost hate to use the "D" word, but is there documentation for cutting at the muzzle? I carry scissors and cut squares of ticking when I start running low on patches. about the only time I could see patches needing cutting with a knife is if one were stocking up a loading block.

 

[tg]

I am skeptical of cutting at the muzzel as being the most common practice, square pre cut patches work fine, are quicker to load from a bag of loose balls and patches and more can be cut off a strip of material if needed, I do like to carry a small knife for the many chores that the large butcher is not so well suited for.

 

[musketman]

Wether you cut at the muzzle or not, it's nice to know you can do this in case you ever find a length of silk while out in the field and need that extra 40 yards...

 

[Stumpkiller]

Cutting patching with a knife just wastes patching material.

Whether the excess material is blown downrange or left hanging on a strip it's still wasted. :winking:

90% of my shooting is from pre-patched ball blocks and I cut only enough to cover the ball. Not much goes to waste. Last time I was st Joanne's Fabrics I bought six yards and I have enough to get crazy and use it wildly.

I agree square patching is an authentic choice. One of the slick little ideas from Madison Grant's "K-R-H Pouch" book shows a bag with square patches threaded on a string hanging from the strap. Just pull one off as needed. I've done this in the past for wiping patches. I slide one off, pop it on my tongue while I fish out the jag and then wipe with it.

 

[Nifeman]

Here's the one I'll be using for the upcoming season. Just finished, it has a forged finger pad, deer leg bone haft and pewter pommel. It'll make a ood bag/patch knife. Hope y'all like it...Bud

 

[Joe Yanta]

I like it alot Nifeman. Nice job. What kind of steel did you use and what kind of leather did you sew around it? :thumbsup:

Joe

 

[Nifeman]

Hey Joe, thanks. I used 1095 and wrapped it with elk rawhide (it's thinner than deer)...Bud

 

[thomas]

That is a good looking knife!

Thomas

 

[RiverRat]

The top knife I got from ML Knives.
The bottom knife is my first attempt at knife building. I used a small American made file and added a cherry wood handle from a cherry log that I have laying around.

 

[paulvallandigham]

nice work, RiverRat. Did you soften the file before working it? have any trouble hardening it? Most of the current file steels are too hard to work, and crack during heat treatment. If you find an old file- antique shops, farm auctions, etc. - they can make very good knives. Get a copy of the Razor Edge Book of Knife Sharpening, about $20.00, from the Razor Edge System, Ely, Minn, or at your bookstore. It is the best book on sharpening knives in print. A fine edge on that knife, that is kept keen by stropping it daily after it is used should give you an edge that will cut patches effortlessly.

 

[paulvallandigham]

To drill holes in those stainless steel tangs, heat the tang red hot, and then drill. You can hold the blade in in the jaws of a vise for a heat sink, and have a friend hold the propane torch to the tang while you stand ready to drill with an electric hand drill. My way, you can drill this with an ordinary, High carbon steel drill bit( cheap) , and the steel cuts like soft wood when its red hot. Just douse the tang in water to cool it, and your are ready to assemble the knife.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Tg: I think your comment has merit, if you are considering rifles that are 50 caliber and larger. I do think that if you are shooting a 45 caliber or smaller gun, then the extra patch material of a square patch may adversely affect accuracy. I am using a patch knife to cut patches on a .62 cal. smoothbore, and my .50 cal. rifle. I think like you that whether I use pre-cut patches, or cut them on the muzzle does not much matter for these two caliber guns. I do find centering the pre-cut .50 cal patches a nuisence, and when I get the patch way off center, I get a flier on the target.

Personal experience is going to affect how we view things like this. I would not want to shoot a .36 or .32 caliber rifle using large, pre-cut patches and expect the same kind of accuracy I would get cutting the patches on the muzzle.

 

[RiverRat]

Thanks Paul! I have a outdoor wood boiler that heats my house and shop. I put the file in the hot coals until it was cherry red, then I let it air cool. The file was very workable after that. When I was done fileing and drilling, I put the file back into the coals until glowed red, then I quenched it in motor oil. I took out some of the hardness by heating it again until it turned that rainbow color, then I quenched it again in motor oil. It is hard now and when I drop on concrete, it rings. The picture dosen't show the sharpened edge. Any suggestions?

 

[paulvallandigham]

You may want to put a bevel only on the right side of the blade's edge, if you are right handed. That way, the left side rides flat across the muzzle, or loading block as you trim the patches. Take your time and put a fine approach bevel on the edge using medium stones, and then use a fine Arkansas stone to put a slightly steeper edge on the very edge of the blade. Then strop the blade to remove the fine feather that is left by the stonework. If any fabric catches on the edge, you have a rough spot, and need to work more with the fine stone, and strop.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Riverrat: YOu may have a blade that is now too hard, and is brittle. . If the blade has a high pitched " Tink " to it, when you hit it on concrete or a stone, it is probably hardened but not tempered, and is too hard. A tempered blade will have a slight ring to the sound when you tap it. It will be tougher, and will have some Give to the back of the blade. You need to temper the blade by drawing the heat back some. Polish the edge of the blade and then heat the blade with a flame on the back of the knife( if edge is down, back of knife is up!) Watch your colors until the edge turns a razor blade blue. Remove the heat and let it cool. You may be able to do this by placing the blade in your oven at 450 degrees for a couple of hours, but without knowing the nature of the steel used in the file, It is hard to advise you on this. It will be tougher, and will have some Give to the back of the blade.

 

[hornetk4]

I'm with skagun I got a little knife from more knife co , it cost 10 bucks . It has a laminated blade all shiny and razor sharp with a little red wood handle . I took a hammer and smashed the wood handle and it fell off leaving a nice bare tapered tang , I took about a 4 inch length of antler tine and drilled a 3/16 hole about 3 inches deep . Then put it in boiling water for a few minuites then pushed it onto the tang . Now I've got a great little patch knife that looks real nice , also it came with a plastic sheath . I took the sheath and covered it with buckskin and tied a leather strap on it to hang around my neck , it's handy and sharp and cost me about 12 bucks how can ya beat that ?

 

[Slamfire]

I picked up an ivory handle razor at the world's longest flea market a couple of years back. Somebody scratched 1842 on the handle, probably an attempt to date it for PC. It has the name of some Italian King on the tang, and it ain't safe, the handle has no stop, and the blade will sneak out and whack you one if it is in the possible sack. Therefore, I use a bullet board and the razor stays at home. :snore:

 

[RobF]

I normally use precut patches but heres a knife I carry with me. Its been used for a little bit of everything. The blade came from my grandfathers favorite hunting knife, and the handle is from the first deer I took. Alot of memories in this knife. Rob