ASH II knife handmade by studio master Pavlo Honcharenko, order to buy in Ukraine (K110™ steel in a laminate of n690 steel, 61 HRC)

SPECIFICATIONS:

The name of the knife is ASH II knife handmade by studio master Pavlo Honcharenko, order to buy in Ukraine (K110™ steel in a laminate of n690 steel, 61 HRC)
Knife type: Fixed blade
Brand: Pavlo Honcharenko's Handmade Knives Studio

Blade material: Steel blade - Austrian high-carbon k110 Bohler-Uddeholm AG in a multi-layer laminate of stainless steel n690
Steel sheet: One-piece, for the entire length of the knife
Steel sheet: One-piece cast, through-mounting on screed and resin
Blade Sharpening Angle: 35 Degree Pointed
Descents: Straight
Blade hardness: Hardness of the central layer is 61 HRC
Total length: 280 mm
Blade length: 145mm
Blade width: 32 mm
Blade thickness: 4.9 mm
Reduction: 0.2 mm
Handle length: 135mm
Handle thickness: 33mm
Grinding of the blade: Finish - manual satin 600 grit
Bolster material: Bronze
Handle: Bronze, g10, stabilized mammoth tooth, stabilized ash souville, mosaic tube and foam. Strap made of leather cord 3 mm
Handle color: Brown
Impregnation of the handle: Yes
Handle cover: Yes
Hole for a shoelace (for a lanyard): Yes
Scabbards: Ash grain, chamois calf leather. Italian genuine chamois calf leather, vegetable tanned and tanned 4.0 mm, treated with water-repellent finish and impregnated with protective solutions, hand-stitched with waxed thread. Manual embossing of the invoice. The pendant is removable, free, hybrid insert, bronze bead.
The knife was made to order

Model: ASH II knife handmade by studio master Pavlo Honcharenko, order to buy in Ukraine (K110™ steel in a laminate of n690 steel, 61 HRC)
Model number: 104
Country of birth: Ukraine
Craftsman: Master Pavlo Honcharenko, Ivankiv, Ukraine ("Knives handmade by Pavlo Honcharenko")
Best use: Hunting, cutting, cutting
Knife condition: new
The price is indicated together with the scabbard.

A sharpened knife is not a cold weapon.

Our knives are very sharp, so open and use very carefully. We are not responsible for injuries related to the use of our knives.
Our products are intended for legal use only by responsible buyers. We will not sell our products to anyone under the age of 18.

Availability changes regularly, upon confirmation of your order, we will inform you about the availability or when the product will be ready. The product may differ slightly from the one shown in the photo.

K110 steel for knives - features, pros and cons

At the moment, there are many possible materials for the production of knives. Depending on the purpose of production, different materials are used. Moreover, the content of the main substances of different grades of steel can differ significantly. The most typical grades of steel are high-carbon types of steel. Among them, you can find many types of materials that differ among themselves in the number of additional elements. One of the best grades of steel for hunting knives is K1100 from the Austrian company Böhler.

Composition and features
Böhler K110 steel is a high-carbon composition with a high chromium content. The metal is stamped by the method of cold stamping. Metal is produced by one of the largest metallurgical concerns in the world. Factories are located in Europe, North and South America.

In the production of K110, the technology of electroslag remelting is used. Due to this, the quality of the material increases significantly. Due to the presence of various undesirable impurities, serious defects may appear during mechanical forging. To avoid this, the method of electroslag remelting is used. During electroslag remelting, before the start of hardening, the melt is passed through a layer of special slag, which removes foreign elements from the molten metal, such as phosphorus, sulfur, and much more.

The method of electroslag remelting provides the final result with low levels of segregation, purity and homogeneity of the structure. In Böhler K110, the percentage of harmful impurities is significantly reduced and the compounds of metals and non-metals with carbon are evenly distributed.

Therefore, such a metal has a complex composition and is able to withstand even very thin corners during forging. One of the main advantages is extremely high strength and viscosity. It is preferable to harden such material in the air. If necessary, the nitriding method is used. Böhler K100 is used for forging knife products of the medium and high price segment.
Metal composition:

• It contains 1.5% carbon, which provides higher strength and hardness.
• Chromium content is 12%. This metal provides an increased ability of steel to be hardened, resistance to rusting and wear.
• Molybdenum 0.8% is used for the production of high-speed steel. It significantly increases the rigidity of the blade, makes it resistant to high temperatures.
• The percentage share of vanadium is 1%. This chemical element has high strength. Strengthens the elasticity characteristics of the material and makes it resistant to various aggressive environments.
• Manganese - 0.35%. Manganese is used during smelting. It significantly increases the hardness of the material. A characteristic feature of manganese is that various objects requiring high strength are made from steel with a high content of the chemical element. For example, safes, rails and much more.
• Boehler K110

Main advantages
Any steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, but their ratio in the substance will directly affect the characteristics of the finished product. This type of material is produced by electroslag remelting. And due to the high content of impurities, the increased strength of the material is formed.

The main advantages of K110 steel from Böhler include:

The main requirement that applies to all knives is sharpening. However, the sharper you sharpen the knife, the faster it will dull. However, this rule does not apply to K110 knives. Due to the high concentration of chromium in this steel, the resistance to wear is significantly increased. Therefore, the cutting edge will always be sharp. However, the use of such impurities reduces corrosion resistance. Although the knife will not rust very quickly.
The presence of a high percentage of molybdenum in the composition provides the material with the uniformity and homogeneity of steel. This is very important for a knife. A small amount of vanadium increases the strength and durability of the material, and manganese in contact with chromium significantly increases strength.
After a lot of tests, it was found that even after a lot of processing bones and opening cans, practically no serrations appear on the blade. The blade continues to be able to cut the newspaper under its own weight.
Due to the combination of various impurities in the composition of the substance and the method of manufacturing steel, knives made of this material are distinguished by an extremely long service life.
Increased resistance of the blade to various aggressive environments, which include some internal organs of animals. Therefore, the knife will not darken and rust for a long time.

The main disadvantages
The disadvantages include:

It does not have high breaking strength. Therefore, it is undesirable to throw products, check for the ability to bend.
Blades from this material are usually made with a small size and a narrow focus. These are hunting knives specially prepared for processing carcasses. They are usually used by the inhabitants of Siberia and the North. However, the sword will be able to show its excellent properties only with competent preparation and sharpening. Otherwise, it is very easy to spoil the cutting edge. However, if such care is provided, knives with K110 will be equal to and the characteristics of blades made of higher quality steel.
Conclusion
K110 from Böhler from the Austrian manufacturer is one of the highest quality products for forging knives. Despite the demanding care of the blade and the mandatory condition to dry thoroughly after contact with water, a knife made of such metal will serve for a very long time in the right hands. Therefore, it is definitely worth buying K110 knives and tools from the Austrian manufacturer. They can last a long time.

*It should be remembered that if the knife is used for its intended purpose and with careful handling, the knife will serve you for a very, very long time.

Well, you can buy a Damascus steel knife on the порталі https://knife.net.ua/on our website or by contacting us by phone +380961711010.

Happy shopping! We will be glad to see you among our customers!

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Suvel ash. Stabilization of wood

Suvel ash. Stabilization of wood  is a method of processing, as a result of which wood is given higher strength and its decorative qualities are improved, while preserving the natural pattern. That is, Stabilized wood combines the advantages of synthetic materials with natural beauty. In the course of stabilization, the wooden blank seeps through, forming a polymer monolith that securely binds the wooden components and minimizes harmful factors affecting the human body (with a list of harmful factors encountered during the manufacture and operation of wooden products, you can get acquainted  HERE). Stabilized wood has excellent mechanical properties during processing - there are no differences in density along the body of the workpiece (which allows more accurate drilling and sawing), it is polished without clogging the skin, it is polished to a mirror. At the same time, the appearance and tactile sensations remain inherent to ordinary wood.

In addition to the intricate pattern on the surface of the product, stabilized wood provides a number of undeniable advantages over traditional materials:
• High density;
• Hardness;
• Resistance to changes in temperature and humidity of the environment;
• Immunity to ultraviolet radiation;
• Ability to withstand short-term heating by an open flame, without losing its quality characteristics and without being deformed;
• Impermeable to various liquids, including oils;
• Resistance to solvents of organic origin;
• Excellent decorative properties – stabilized wood lends itself well to manual and mechanical processing (does not clog sandpaper).

Kap and souvel are growths on the trunks of trees in the form of characteristic rounded swellings. Getting such a blank is a dream for everyone who works with wood, and here's why. The fibers in such growths have a special deformed structure: their tortuous and disordered growth creates a unique texture called swill. But this is not the flexibility characteristic of, for example, maple. It is very tangled in growth and has a number of features, thanks to which an incomparable wooden texture is obtained. With its pattern and characteristic ebb, it resembles marble, mother-of-pearl or moire pattern. Such material is a real treasure for everyone who works with wood.

Cap and souvel are similar in nature, but they are not the same. They differ in structure, textured pattern, features of formation and a number of other points that we have collected in this table.

Now about all this in more detail.

1

cap

People call the cap a "witch's broom". It really has something repulsive, but only if you don't know what miracle nature has hidden under a thick layer of bark.

What does Capt

Location of the tree
Unlike the souvel, kapa are rare. They usually appear on the trunks of trees or in the basal part. They are much less often formed on branches. Basal growths (caproot) have a flattened shape, while trunk or bud growths are more like a ball, often asymmetrical in appearance. As a rule, mouthpieces are located on one side of the trunk as a characteristic influx; growths that cover the tree all the way around are less common. There are both single specimens and whole cap colonies covering the trunk of the tree in small groups.

Formation and structure
The fundamental difference between a cap and a souvel is in structure. If you look at the cap in section, it will be filled with small wooden knots - these are called kidneys. Whereas souvel is simply deformed and chaotically intertwined annual rings. Thus, the cap growth represents a kind of reserve bundle of kidneys that have not opened, created by nature as a reserve. Why? Dendrologists do not agree on this.

Under a thick layer of bark, cap and souvel practically do not differ from each other. The only thing that can give off a cap is small green twigs growing on its surface. This is a part of the same sleeping kidneys that have only been activated for some reason. Without the bark, the difference between cap and souvel becomes obvious. The surface of the cap is covered with cone-shaped convexities, while the souvel is completely smooth.

The sizes
of the drops vary greatly: from growths of walnuts to truly gigantic formations. The largest of the documented kapa on the territory of the former USSR was found on the bank of a flat-leaved tree that grew on Sakhalin. Its height was 1.4 m, and the length of the circle was 10.8 m. The size of the tips depend on the location on the trunk and the type of tree. The largest are traditionally considered the basal kapa, but their extraction turns into a difficult task and is impossible without cutting down the tree. Large mouths, weighing 300 kg or more, can often be found on walnut, downy river, Mongolian oak. They grow 3-4 times slower than the souvel and are very rare.

Texture
Kapova wood has a characteristic texture, thanks to which it is quite easy to distinguish it from suvel. On the cut, the dormant buds seem to be wrapped in numerous layers of wood fibers. Such nodules are somewhat similar to the "bird's eye" texture, but they are not so evenly distributed in the cap. Here everything is chaotic: the kidneys merge with each other, penetrate into each other, are absent in some areas, and in others they accumulate very densely. All this creates complex lacy abstractions that somehow resemble a malachite pattern.

Bird's eye (maple sapwood) and cap texture

The more dormant buds, the more complex and rich the pattern of the wood. In large kapa there are fewer kidneys, so their texture is closer to suvels.

The biological role of mouth sores
Both mouth sores and souvel are often called a disease. Such a position is not completely scientific, but it cannot be called unequivocally wrong either, at least because the biological role of growths is still not understood. There are different hypotheses about this. For example, the cap is considered as a reserve supply of kidneys from which the tree can regenerate, for example, in case of drought or partial loss of the crown. There is also an opinion that the growths increase the mechanical strength of the trunk, protect it from damage or prevent disease-causing agents from getting inside. There are many assumptions, and all of them are convincing to varying degrees. However, most dendrologists agree that the ability of trees to form crowns has no clear function — it is a kind of side effect of evolution that was once more important than it is now.

2

Suvel

Suvel is growths without dormant buds. Sometimes such formations are called "suvelval" or simply "svil". Unlike the kapa, the structure of the souvel has no wooden knots, and all the beauty of the texture here is created by chaotically intertwined vessels. From such deformed fibers, an influx in the form of a ball or a drop is formed on the barrel. It grows three to four times faster than kapa and is found on trees much more often.

What does the souvel look like?

It is quite easy to distinguish a souvel from a cap. Neither small twigs nor buds break through it. Under a thick layer of bark, the surface is completely smooth without conical bulges, like a cap. All the beauty of the texture here is formed by the chaotic release of interwoven fibers. It does not just go in light waves, as in some species of trees, but is lost in dense folds, bundles, bundles. All the beauty of the pattern is enhanced by a special ebb that resembles marble, mother-of-pearl or a moiré pattern. There are no such pronounced overflows in the cap.

Suvel changes its appearance more strongly after decoration. For example, with deep impregnation with colorless oils and careful polishing, the wood acquires a special "bone" texture. Because of this, souvel is sometimes even called a wooden bone. In some rocks, after processing, the veins are literally visible through the structure of the material. This effect is highly appreciated by knife makers: most often they make knife handles from birch, walnut, and ash sapwood.

The density of the souvel is lower than that of the cap. In this, it significantly exceeds the hardness of the trunk wood. Processing birch sapwood and other species requires certain skills, since, like sapwood, it is not the most pliable material. But despite all the difficulties, working with him is an incomparable pleasure. Souvel is always a mystery: it is impossible to predict what amazing beauty the drawing will reveal after another pass of the cutter.

3

Where to find valuable growths

Kapas and souvelis are found on all species, but deciduous trees are more prone to their formation. In our latitudes, such growths are most often found on the shore, and of all its types. Maple, rowan, walnut, ash, hornbeam, oak, elm are also considered to be prone to cap formation. But, let's repeat, this does not mean that they do not occur on other deciduous trees.

In conifers, the ability to form growths is much lower. They are more likely to be found on European spruce, Siberian larch and some other conifers. Pine sapwood is inferior in beauty to growths of deciduous trees, but the troubles with harvesting and processing are much greater here, due to the high content of resins and the tendency to crack.

It is better to go in search of capes from April to May. First of all, at this time the forest has not yet been covered with greenery and the growths are clearly visible. Secondly, it is during this period that the active movement of sap begins in the trees, thanks to which the bark is removed from the sawed growth much more easily. This is relevant, first of all, for caps, which, as we have already found out, are characterized by conical bulges, which make it difficult to remove the powerful bark.

But harvesting caps in the spring involves some difficulties. First of all, at this time, the wood is highly saturated with moisture and it is more difficult to saw it. Secondly, kap or souvel with excessive moisture can present many "surprises" during the drying process: from strong mold to complex through cracks that will hopelessly spoil the valuable material. For this reason, many craftsmen prefer to go in search of saplings in September-October, when the intensity of the movement of sap in the trees decreases.

Kapas and suvels are more often found in deciduous forests. Moreover, foresters note a certain regularity: it is more possible to find tree growths in areas with sparse undergrowth, and especially those that are flooded in early spring.

For those who are serious, it is better to get to know the foresters and agree on the supply of material. The following should be understood here. By the standards of industrial woodworking, capa and suveli are considered a marriage. They are not made into imitations, and not all enterprises have a line for the production of, for example, the same veneer. Also, caps are not used as firewood - they are not malleable in processing and smolder more than they burn. Of course, most likely the forester understands what he is dealing with. But if a person does not engage in carving or sharpening himself, he is unlikely to prepare and store large workpieces. As a result, in the course of logging, kapa and suveli often receive a share of ordinary waste, so it is usually not difficult to agree on the supply on mutually beneficial terms.

Another working scheme is the search for growths in the waste of sanitary logging. Crowning trees in yards, parks, along roads is a systematic procedure in most large cities. This can be used. Moreover, it is often much easier to get along with utility workers than with the same foresters. After inspecting the waste and finding a valuable growth, most likely you will have no problems agreeing to have it sawed off right on the spot.

4

Provision

Everything is relatively simple with growths on fallen trees: they are cut down together with a section of the trunk, and already the houses in a calm environment decide what the blanks will be used for and how to more rationally cut a massive log. But finding a fallen tree with valuable growth is like winning the lottery.

Much more often, you have to saw off the sap and saplings from a growing tree. Doing it with a chainsaw is a very barbaric method. And walking through the forest with such an accessory can cause a lot of misunderstandings during a meeting with a forester.

How to cut souvel and cap?

The most delicate and at the same time effective method is the use of a bow saw. Separately, we note the importance of a high-quality canvas with the correct separation of the teeth. Otherwise, the saw will wedge and bind in the "cap wood", which will turn the already difficult sawing on a scale into this test.

The second tool, which will not be superfluous, is a small ax: they carefully chop the bark around the growth. On thick trunks, it is better to saw strictly tangentially. This reduces the useful size of the workpiece, but avoids hopeless jamming of the blade during the sawing process. On relatively thin trees, the cutting line can be slightly deepened towards the trunk. Of course, it is better to lay an arc within reasonable limits, especially if you did take up the chainsaw.

Seven sweats went down, and the desired cap was finally sawed off. Now the most important thing! It is necessary to close the wound on the tree to prevent it from dying. For smearing, it is often recommended to use garden var or ordinary clay. These are working methods, but not reliable enough (especially clay). It is better to cover the burning place with oil paint.

5

How to dry a cap without cracks. Two ways

Those who work with coppice wood know very well that the most difficult thing when working with this material is not to find or even cut the desired growth, but to dry it properly. So that the workpiece does not turn out to be hopelessly spoiled by mold, warping or through cracks.

Just in case, we remind you: you can work with wood only when it is dry. The moisture content of the workpiece should reach at least 15%, even better — 10-12%. This is important for any type of processing: turning, carving, carpentry. Raw wood is poorly processed and is almost guaranteed to present "surprises" in the form of cracking, warping and even mold. In general, the tree needs to be dried, and the sapwood is no exception.

It is not difficult to guess that due to the abnormal structure of the fibers, drying of wood growth is significantly different from ordinary lumber. The internal tension here is much stronger, and the nature of their manifestation is completely unpredictable. Due to this, the workpieces often have deep cracks, or even completely split into parts.

Let's say right away that there is no 100% working scheme that will help avoid the unpleasant consequences of drying. Every drop or drop is unpredictable. Plus, a lot depends on the size of the growth, the type of tree, and the time of sawing. Nevertheless, we will focus on the two most effective ways to dry birch and any other sapwood without cracks.

Seasoning

Here we are talking about standard atmospheric drying, but with its own minor features. The general algorithm of actions is approximately as follows.

1. The place of the cut (the back side of the cap or souvel) is covered with an improvised sealant. It can be oil paint or, for example, PVA glue. This is necessary in order to slow down the accelerated exit of moisture through the end. Rapid drying leads to a sharp imbalance of internal stress and increases the risk of cracks. Thus, in the case of atmospheric drying, time is sacrificed in favor of wood stability.
2. The place where the workpiece dries must be well ventilated. At the same time, it is necessary to provide protection from direct sunlight and moisture. Plus there should be no moisture. From spring to autumn, it is easiest to ensure such conditions outside by making an improvised drying rack with protective flooring. This is especially true if there are many blanks.
3. It is better to put two square spacer rails under each workpiece so that air currents can blow it from all sides. But for the winter period, it is still better to move kapa and suveli indoors.

Atmospheric drying is a slow process. And this is its main drawback. It takes about a year for a medium-sized harvest to dry to 15-17%. At the same time, during the entire drying period, it is necessary to carefully monitor that no centers of biological activity appear on the wood. Preventing this problem helps with timely antisepsis, which we talked about in detail in a separate article. But after such processing, for obvious reasons, it is better not to use caps for making spoons, dishes, boards and other dishes.

Accelerated drying

Here we came to the question, why cook souvel. Boiling in a salt solution is one of the methods that helps to quickly remove moisture from a wooden workpiece, minimizing the likelihood of its cracking. That is, it is a kind of stabilization technology. Now about how to cook cap and souvel. But let's start a little further. Back in 2005, a user of one of the weapons forums under the nickname Serjant shared his method of accelerated drying of the souvelle. The method itself turned out to be so successful that it is still being retold all over the Internet in various variations, and the old-timers call it "drying by the Sergeant's method." Let us summarize its essence as briefly as possible:

1. The entire workpiece is placed in a container and filled with water so that it covers the wood by 2-3 cm. It is desirable to first clean the growth from the bark for better penetration of the salt solution.
2. Salt is added to the water at the rate of 2 tablespoons (with a slide) per liter.
3. In the classic version, the author also suggests adding sawdust of resinous species to the water. This can not be done. Decoction with sawdust really gives the workpiece a pleasant ocher shade, but only on top. Inside, the texture remains normal.
4. The container is put on fire and boiled over low heat for  6-8 hours , periodically adding water and adding salt.
5. After cooking, the workpiece is dried for one or two days. No need to use any newspaper wrappers. Follow the standard atmospheric drying rules mentioned above: use spacer bars, hide the workpiece from the sun, ensure natural ventilation.
6. The cooking-drying cycle is repeated  2-4 times  , depending on the size of the workpiece. Total cooking should take at least 12 hours.
7. After the last cooking, the workpiece is dried for one to two weeks.

It cannot be said that this method is already fast. And it requires a lot of trouble. But such stabilization is not a year and a half of atmospheric drying. Also, with cooking, you can worry less about cracks. Salt effectively displaces not only free, but also bound moisture, which is in the cells of the tree. In this way, deep, fast and, most importantly, uniform drying of the workpiece is ensured. The wood is stabilized with minimal internal stress imbalance, so the risk of cracking is significantly lower.

6

Why do you need a birch cap and souvel. Processing features

Carving on the souvel and kapu is very different from working with ordinary wood. This requires special skills and understanding of this non-standard material. The usual Bogorod knife or carving knife will not help much. The high density and chaotic arrangement of the fibers make it difficult to handle with hand tools. Even sharp chisels fit in front of this material. Therefore, the processing of wooden growths is more often carried out today with the use of an electric tool. Processing of small details in products and other decorative products is done with a dremel, with various crowns, small discs, burrs.

What can be done with kapa and souveli

Wood growths are widely used in decorative and applied arts. There is even a separate direction of artistic craft - root plastic surgery. Elegant boxes, cigarette cases, jewelry, and much more are made from kapa and souvel. The same kapokorin is usually considered the best material for making smoking pipes.

In industrial woodworking, mouthpieces are mainly used for veneer production. Furniture is also inlaid with them: headboards, tables, sideboards and other items. Gunsmiths especially appreciate this material: cap and souvel are the best material for knife covers and gun stocks.

The hotel direction of cap finishing is the creation of tableware and turning products. Turning in a special way reveals the beauty of the already unique structure of this material.

Bowls, plates, dishes and other turned products look like full-fledged works of art, the designer of which was nature, and the sculptor - man.

Traditional dishes are also made from wooden growths. For example, the famous stump - the Finnish bowl, which accompanies the inhabitants of the north all their lives and is a kind of amulet - is cut from the cap of a birch tree.

Cutting boards deserve a special mention: they are so unique in their beauty that while they are not used as utensils, they serve as self-sufficient designer decor.

Source: https://woodschool.com.ua/kap-i-suvel.html

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