Thursday, February 7, 2019

HOW TO MAKE A KNIFE FROM A FARRIER OR HOOF RASP




What does Boswell, Oklahoma haymaker Garrett Lemmons do when the sun don't shine? He  makes custom knives out of hoof rasps under the Corriente Knife Company brand which he founded.

Now owning a good knife is a cool and necessary tool for many people for many reasons. Owning a custom made knife by CKC or one made by yourself is what youtube gun guru and firearms reviewer Nut n Fancy calls 1st cool. If you don't understand I'll try to explain.  If it looks good, feels good, and works good, your on the right track to being 1st cool.





If that doesn't explain it, just hold one of these knives in your hand and I am sure you will understand.  If you are curious how he makes his knives or are thinking of making your own here's how he does it.  ( For demonstration purposes only )


1.    Source a hoof rasp, there are a few ways to do this. Go straight to Amazon and buy new or visit your local feed or hardware store, contact a local farrier to buy their used rasp, (they only use the best) or take a walk through your local swap meet.  One more source and probably the best, is to ask your Grandpa if he's got one laying around no longer in use. Keywords - ask and no longer in use, don't just take it , ask first.  Grandpa knows a lot but he understands very little, and he won't understand this at all, ask first.

2.    Pick a design, the choices are unlimited pick one that suits your needs and skill level. You can make a template from paper or cardboard, use an existing knife to trace around, or draw free hand on your rasp.



  • Clamps 
  • Files 
  • Vice
  • Drill
  • Belt grinder



3.    Annealing (softening metal or tempering to make it workable). Heat it until it glows or it is non-metallic, check it with a magnet.  Allow it to cool on it's own. (sticking the rasp in sand will slow cool it).
4.    Take a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder with a 40 grit flap disk to remove some of the rough off your rasp this is purely cosmetic so suit yourself.


5.    Trace out your knife design.

6.    Remove excess material as shown in photo. Use the cutoff wheel on an angle grinder. You should now have the basic shape cut out.

7.    Use a  flap disk on the grinder to clean up rough edges.

8.    Grind primary bevel to a 12 degree angle, use another knife for visual reference.

9.    Dull the edge slightly with 200 grit sandpaper prior to further heat treating to minimize fractures of the edge.

10.    Heat the blade, only the blade, to a red color, then quench 1/2 inch of the cutting edge of the blade.  Use a  metal drywall pan to contain oil for cooling the blade.

11.    Use 150 grit sandpaper and  sand until it is no longer black, at this point your knife is hard but brittle. Place it in an oven to temper the metal, making it more durable( less brittle ). Heat to 425 degree for 30 min. Let it cool to the touch on it's own, do this 3 times.

12.    Sand with 150 grit increasing in grit to 3000 grit until you get the desired finish.

Now this is how Garrett does his. I am sure there are many other ways and remember this is for demonstration purposes only. Knife making is hot, dirty, time consuming work and is not without its hazards.  Make sure you wear the appropriate PPE ( Personal Protective Equipment ) Gloves, Face Shields and/or goggles and Apron.  Don't overlook potential fire hazards and take the necessary precautions.

 When you are all done, gift that knife back to Grandpa.  He may not understand but you will and that my friend is 1st Cool.

 This is  part one, Blade Making,  Watch for Part 2 - Handle Making and Part 3 - Sheath Making.

So to wrap it up, if you have any questions about knife making or would like to purchase a custom knife from CKC, contact Garrett at 1-580-257-0068.



Please comment and share.

This is Papa Randy and I am
Koolerbythelake.blogspot.com

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Is Bigfoot Real or Imagined

Like many of you I have noticed while traveling through southeast Oklahoma, Broken Bow, Hochatown and surrounding area. There are many references at local businesses to Bigfoot. Not to mention hosting our very own Bigfoot conference up Honobia Creek way.

Where I suspect there were many unique and unusual characters in attendance none of them being Bigfoot. I confess I regret having missed this event. I have often wondered if the stories and legends where fact or fiction, or a little of both.

You can't deny that Bigfoot lore is a cottage industry, spawning movies, books, newspaper articles, documentaries, wearing apparel, and all forms of memorabilia. Is there any truth to the legends? You'll have to admit he enjoys a cult like following. If we use history as our guide we see that most cults are full of sincere people, sincerely wrong people.

I decided to look at a few facts as reported. First I was going to need a big net, a big big net, a world wide net, the internet. Be honest you didn't really think I was going to get a big net and go running around the woods while taking dark grainy videos did you? (A little known fact). There is a logical scientific reason for this phenomena, Bigfoot is dark and grainy.
No serious journalist would do this, nor would I. Of course not, that's for later on my youtube channel.

WHAT IS BIGFOOT / SASQUATCH
According to the all knowing Wikipedia, Bigfoot is a hairy, upright walking, ape like being who reportedly dwells in the wilderness and leaves behind large foot prints.( Hence the name Bigfoot). Over the years the creature has inspired numerous commercial ventures and hoaxes. Not to mention selling corn chips and beef sticks on national T.V. if my memory serves me correctly.

My search begins on the internet were I quickly move to the very official sounding Bigfoot Research Organization. aka. BFRO.net . Founded in 1995 as the only scientific research organization exploring the Bigfoot / Sasquatch mystery. My quest was over I had unearthed the Rosetta Stone of all Bigfoot knowledge. I need look no farther, thank you GOOGLE.

Placed as if they meant for me to find it I stumble upon an inter active map . Surveying the map I find McCurtian county had 5 Bigfoot sightings. Most counties had 1,2 or none. Nearby LeFlore county had 23 sightings.
Reports can be split into two camps. For and against. BFRO website has hundreds of articles from newspapers of Bigfoot sightings. ( see for yourself ). For example in a March 21, 2004 article in the Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation denies  all evidence of Bigfoot sightings. Claiming they are unfounded rumors based on lack of said evidence.

Even though there are many reported  sightings in southeast Oklahoma each year. One official  stated if there was one they would have seen it by now. " There is no evidence of a Bigfoot " he said. " There never has been; There never will be ".

So there you have it folks, there is no big foot, he hadn't seen it so it could not exist. Case CLOSED. What if we applied that logic to everything else in our world. That reminds me of a tee shirt It said " Bigfoot doesn't believe in you either ".

BUT THERE IS MORE!
Back to the BFRO website, Fri. Dec. 5, 2003 in the McCurtain Daily Gazette. BIG PRINTS CAUSING BIG STIR ON BLACKFORK TRAIL AND BEYOND. A father and son found  a series of tracks. 17 3/4 in. long and 6 in. wide. There were 100 inches from footprint to footprint. Which is over 8 ft. An average man's stride is about 3 ft. They reportedly have photos and video of prints.
The extraordinary thing about this sighting  was the fact that the father and son agreed  on the measurements. Agreement on this or anything else for that matter between these two entities is not only amazing but based on my vast personnel experience, this is indeed a rare find.

The only thing the two newspapers agreed on was that BIGFOOT sells newspapers. If you are coming to this part of the country to hike, bike, camp, kayak or fly fish as many of you are, I wouldn't spend too much time looking for Bigfoot. If you're reading this article you've probably spent too much time already, as I have writing it.

Back to the question is BIGFOOT REAL OR IMAGINED? Hamlet said in Shakespeare's Hamlet "There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio than are dreamt of in your philosophy". Hamlet implies that mans knowledge is limited. Maybe limited only by our own imagination.
Shakespeare was no stranger to using his imagination.( I might add it served him well ). Writing no less than 39 plays and 154 sonnets, whatever they are,

IS BIGFOOT REAL?

I'am going to have to side with Shakespeare and say
I imagine so.

This is Papa Randy and I am
Koolerbythelake.blogspot.com