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Sowbelly Whittlers
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:37 pm
by Hukk
Here is some pictures of USA made Bulldog Brand Knives, made in 1995. I have not seen one listed on eBay in quite some time. I always thought these were somewhat funny looking, having 3 long blades. There is one other Bulldog Brand knife made in the United States, in 1996 I believe. These are 1995, the end of the third generation. I don't remember who made them for Bulldog. They have oil quenced on the back of the tang.
These are not very common, only about 1,000 were made in 5 different models.
What I have listed as yellow bone is actually greenbone.
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:04 pm
by upnorth
Didn't I see that pattern in a Mooremaker catalog a while back?? If so, then I would suspect Queen, or maybe Camillus, made them

!
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:07 pm
by upnorth
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:09 pm
by olderdogs1
Graet looking knives, Hukk. I believe they were made by queen. The other USA knife had a standing dog instead of the fighting dogs. I have often wondered what is meant by "oil hardened blades"?

Both of mine have that on the tang stamp.
Tom
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:37 pm
by Hukk
You're right, Queen made them! The other was a Muskrat looking knife that I'm looking for. Had a 1996 standing dog on the tang.
Oil Hardened in a nutshell an very generic:
Common method of hardening carbon steel was to bring them to 1500 degrees F (+/- depending on type of steel used) and have them soak at 1500 F for 15 minutes at least (could be 30 min or more, again depends on carbon steel type). After soaking they would be put (right out of the kiln) in an oil bath preheated at 130 F to 150 F, put directly into the oil, often with a small flame until they are at the oil temperature or can be held by hand.

After hardening the steel could be over 60Rc and will be brittle. First they clean up the blades. They then would go into an oven to temper down the steel to a predetermend temperature that was calculated by both steel type and desired hardness.
Stainless steel in general is an air hardening steel and uses a much higher temperature.
This is fairly generic, but oil hardened or quenched is done in a manner similar to this. Custom guys may triple temper or add a cryo temper before the last oven temper.