American Farmers: Facing a Cutoff at the Start

"So beautiful..." Leila murmured.

Fett shaped the cut-off piece of the fine tree burl into a cuboid and then cut it in two along the center line.

The two pieces of wood split like this have symmetrical grain patterns, like mirror images. That's how you make a knife handle – that's what you call sophisticated.

I glanced at my watch; the oven's two-hour setting had long since expired.

He went into the kitchen, put on oven mitts, and opened the oven door.

A wave of heat, accompanied by a very faint metallic smell, hit me.

The blade blanks on the shelf have cooled down considerably.

The original gray-black surface of the knife blank now had a uniform, light wheat-yellow hue.

This proves that the tempering of the knife blank was just right.

Fett carried the warm knife blank back to the garage.

"Buzz—"

The belt sander is started.

At this time, the belt sander is equipped with a 36-mesh ceramic cutting belt.

These abrasive belts have coarse particles, like gravel, making them perfect for grinding away the oxide layer on the surface of blade blanks.

Fett put on a dust mask, held the blade blank firmly with both hands, and pressed the side against the spinning sand belt.

"Sizzle—!!!"

A burst of dazzling sparks erupted instantly.

[Remember the fastest online novel website: 121999.com]

Amidst the harsh scraping sounds, the oxide layer on the surface of the blade blank was quickly peeled off, revealing its original silvery color underneath.

Fett stood with his feet planted firmly, using his elbows as fulcrums against his hips, and controlled the angle of the blade by swinging his body.

He carefully pushed the blade blank, sliding it at a constant speed from the base to the tip on the flat grinding plate.

The originally slightly rough forging lines were straightened and made sharp, and the chamfer of the blade spine was also polished to be round and smooth.

Ten minutes later, the general shape was finalized.

The knife has smooth lines and appears to be a natural masterpiece.

The blade was covered with deep scratches from the 36-grit abrasive.

Fett turned the switch, waited for the belt sander to stop, and then reached down to press the tension rod on top of the machine.

The spring contracts, and the loosened coarse sand belt is removed.

He took a blue 120-grit sandpaper from a hook and put it on, then loosened the handle to let the strap tighten automatically.

Then I turned the side correction knob half a turn to ensure the sanding belt was running in the center.

"Buzz—"

The machine restarted, and Fett placed the knife back on.

This time, the sparks were smaller, and the sound wasn't as violent.

He patiently polished the blade, removing all the scratches from its surface.

They stopped working on it until a uniform, fine, silver-gray matte texture was achieved.

Fett didn't rush to get the two pieces of cut stem.

If you rush to install the handle now, it will be difficult to sharpen the area near the handle later. If you're not careful, the sanding belt can easily rub the beautiful burl bare.

He stopped the machine again and replaced it with a 220-mesh fine sand belt.

This time, in addition to the blade, he deliberately placed the side of the tang handle flat on the grinding wheel and rubbed it back and forth several times until the surface was as smooth as a mirror before stopping.

This step cannot be skipped. If the handle is uneven, there will be gaps when the wood is attached, which will not only affect the appearance, but also allow hand sweat to seep in and corrode the handle.

Finally, switch to 400 mesh.

As the abrasive belt spins rapidly, the original frosted texture on the blade gradually disappears, replaced by a delicate, continuous vertical brushed texture.

When the light shines on it, the blade gleams with a warm, sophisticated metallic luster, like silk.

Fett set the blade blank aside, took two pieces of cut burl wood, and gently rubbed the inside of them a few times on the flat grinding plate of the belt sander to remove the uneven marks left by the band saw.

The belt sander was turned off only when the surface was completely smooth without any gaps.

Next, he sandwiched the two pieces of wood between the two sides of the knife handle like a sandwich, adjusted their position, and then gripped them tightly with two red-handled C-shaped pliers.

When he got to the bench drill, he deliberately placed a piece of scrap wood underneath to prevent it from chipping.

"Sizzle—"

The drill bit rotates.

Fett held the clamp with his left hand and slowly pressed down the control lever with his right hand.

Drilling through the first layer of wood was easy; it was as if the drill bit hadn't hit anything.

But when the drill tip touched the hardened steel plate in the middle, the sound became sharp.

Fett raised the control lever and pulled the drill bit back.

I dripped two drops of cutting oil into the drilled hole, put more force into my hand, and pressed the drill bit down again.

"Ziga—"

The sound of the drill bit striking the handle was teeth-grinding, and wisps of white smoke rose from the hole.

As a few spiraling strands of metal shavings emerged, the drill bit successfully penetrated the hole.

Once he confirmed that the drill bit had pierced through the wooden board below the handle, Fett released the control lever and raised the drill bit.

Following the same procedure, a hole of the same size was drilled at the front of the handle, and then a slightly larger drill bit was used to drill a hole for a leather cord at the end of the handle. Only then was the drilling step complete.

Fetter loosened the C-pliers, separated the wood chip and the knife blank, and wiped the oil and dust off with an alcohol-soaked cloth.

He then pulled out a set of Scotch-Weld dual-tube AB glue from the tool rack, which was still unopened.

This thing can be used on anything, and it's extremely strong. In a distant Eastern country, it's also called "Two Brothers".

He squeezed out two colors of glue, transparent and pale yellow, onto a piece of cardboard and quickly stirred it evenly with a small wooden stick.

The colloid emitted a pungent, acidic smell.

This glue dries quickly, so you have to be quick and efficient.

Fett applied a thick layer of glue to the handle and the inside of the wooden piece, making sure that every hole was filled with glue.

With a "snap," the patch snaps shut, aligning with the hole.

Then they found a brass rod of suitable diameter, cut it into two pieces, dipped them in glue, and hammered them into the holes they had just drilled to serve as fixing pins.

Then relock it with three C-clamps.

The transparent adhesive sizzled out from the crack under pressure. Fett didn't rush to wipe it off; it would be easier to sand it off all at once once it dried.

Once this step is complete, simply wait for the adhesive to cure.

Fett took off his glue-covered gloves and looked at Leila, who was watching with great interest.

"Layla, go to the kitchen."

"There's a bottle of flaxseed oil in the cupboard. Pour half a bowl into a saucepan and heat it slightly on the stove over low heat."

He specifically instructed, "Three to five minutes will suffice!"

"Okay, I'll get it done."

Leila readily agreed and turned to run towards the main house.

During this break, Fett didn't sit idle either.

He picked up a brush and swept the metal powder accumulated on the belt sander's worktable into the trash can. Then he found a rag and wiped the sawdust off the surface of the old machine again.

The glue hardened after half an hour.

Fett removed the clamps; at this point, the handle was just a square block of wood clamped with steel bars, the exposed copper head and the overflowing dried glue looking rather unsightly.

"Buzz—"

The belt sander roared to life again, and Fett put on a mask and guided the handle to the rotating belt.

"Sizzle—"

The moment you make contact, a scent that carries a hint of citrus mixed with the smell of burnt wood fills the air.

The bright yellow powder unique to Osage orange wood rose up like mist, instantly turning the back of Fett's hand golden.

The overflowing glue was smoothed out, and the protruding brass pins were trimmed to blend seamlessly with the wood.

With a deft twist of his wrist, Fet gradually rounded off the sharp, angular edges.

He would close his eyes from time to time, grip the knife handle with his hand, and feel the fit of the handle in his palm.

Where he has the strength, where he's weak, it all depends on his feel for the game.

Gradually, the shape of a knife handle that is full in the middle and narrows at both ends emerges.

With the final high-grit sanding, the handle becomes as smooth and lustrous as jade.

Fett turned off the machine, found a clean cotton cloth, dipped it in the flaxseed oil that Leila had brought, and vigorously rubbed it on the handle of the knife.

The miracle occurred the moment the oil seeped into the wood.

The originally matte wooden handle seemed to have been illuminated.

The deep brown swirls, the golden base color, and the twisted patterns emerge layer upon layer under the nourishment of the oil.

The brass pins gleamed and added a touch of elegance.

No matter who comes, they have to admit that this is a luxurious work of art!

"alright?"

Lyra looked at the Bowie knife in Fett's hand, which shimmered under the light, and her eyes revealed a desire to play with it.

"No, it's just a nice-looking piece of metal now."

Fett loosened the tension bar of the belt sander: "It's easy to cut your hand if you sharpen the blade before installing the tool holder, so I haven't sharpened it yet."

He took a 600-mesh fine sandpaper off the hook and replaced it, then turned the knob to reduce the motor speed.

"Sizzle—"

The machine began to turn gently.

With focused expression, Fett stood firmly on his feet and gently placed the blade against the sand belt at a 20-degree angle.

This time, there were no violent sparks flying, only extremely fine metallic dust falling like smoke.

Fett's hand was steady, his wrist locked, and he pulled the blade from the base to the tip at a steady speed.

After every two sharpenings, he quickly inserted the blade into the cooling water bucket next to him.

"Tsk."

A wisp of white smoke rose up.

The blade is very thin to prevent it from overheating and annealing. Once the blade turns blue and softens, all the previous heat treatment of the knife will be wasted, and the handle will also be useless.

When his fingertip touched the other side of the blade and felt extremely fine burrs curling up, Fett stopped the machine.

Replace it with a leather polishing belt coated with green abrasive paste.

Turn it on again.

The blade was lightly swept across the belt for final honing.

The tiny burrs were removed, and the blade emitted a chilling gleam.

The belt sander was turned off, and the world became quiet.

Fett casually pulled a yellowed old newspaper from under the worktable.

He held the newspaper by the corner with his left hand, and the knife in his right, then flicked his wrist slightly.

"hiss--"

A soft sound.

Without the slightest hindrance, the newspaper was instantly and neatly cut in half as if it had been swept by a laser, with the cut so smooth that there wasn't even a frayed edge.

The falling paper was still in mid-air when Fett flicked his wrist and swept it away with a backhand flick.

The blade swept past silently once more.

The piece of paper was split in two in mid-air!

He flipped his wrist, pinched the thick back of the blade with his fingers, and handed the hilt to Layla.

The golden burl patterns were breathtakingly beautiful under the light.

Who would have thought that this knife was originally just a piece of rusty spring steel and a piece of wood intended to be used as firewood?

Mission accomplished.

Fett looked at the somewhat stunned Lyra and raised his chin:

"Want to try it out?"