# Sheep Shear Debas (?)



## cotedupy (Oct 19, 2020)

This post I warn is going to be slightly random. It was meant to be a project for tomorrow, but I started this evening, so not finished yet...

I was talking to a friend's father last weekend, and apparently back in the day he used to make knives out of old sheep shears (can you see where this is going?)

This is what they look like:







There's a lot of sheep farming near where we are and our local seconds/antique shop furnished me with this set for the princely sum of $12 Aus (and a beaten up old mallet for a fiver). Bonus being they were Sheffield made, by the aforementioned Ward & Payne. It wasn't until then that I had clocked the etymology of 'Shear Steel'.






Bit of hacksaw-ing and they look quite like small-ish Debas. Tho the tang / handle looks like it's going to be the problem.






After some vinegar and bicarb they're looking alright, and ready for trying to figure out what to do tomorrow:


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## cotedupy (Oct 19, 2020)

Oh and (of course!) the choil shot you never knew you needed*. This is what the grind on old Sheffield sheep shears looks like. It's not unlike... a Deba!

A left-handed Deba.

Or rather _two_ left-handed Debas. As far as I can see - all old sheep shears are made out of two left-handed Debas.







TBC...


* I make no apologies for the quality of this photograph. It was bloody difficult to take.


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## Marek07 (Oct 19, 2020)

Love it! Looking forward to the next installment.


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## cotedupy (Oct 20, 2020)

[I am working on the blade that is lying on the table in the third picture in the first post, the bottom blade in the fourth. It had a blunter tip and more overuse in what would be the belly of a knife. I figured I would learn on the less good one.]

This afternoon's progress started slowly, to say the least. I wanted to make a hidden tang, and I was hoping I could hammer or vice the two sides of the handle together to make it. That proved something of a fool's errand. After quite some effort I decided I would be able to hammer it all into shape after removing half of it, so sawed down parallel to the blade, thus:






There was unfortunately still no hammering to be had, so I sawed down parallel again. I'd never hacksawed anything before yesterday but was surprised that metal gets pretty warm even sawing it by hand, so was using a wet cloth to cool it every so often. Anyhow, after all this exertion I had developed a terrible thirst, so went inside for a beer and to think about the next plan of attack. I did at least have the beginnings of a working tang:






I feared that with quite a lot of metal removal still to do on the tang/around the heel that I'd be in for a long struggle with my cheap 240 grit stone, so went down to one of the sheds on the farm that I knew had some old and dusty power tools in it, untouched for more than a decade. I chose this one on the basis that I had at least used a handheld belt sander before, if not a table mounted one or disc sander:






After quite some coaxing of it (to remove all the Redbacks in the system ) it did seem to get going. And TBH it rather surprised me. I had no idea what'd happen or whether it'd work, but it proved pretty good at removing material, both parts of it, but the disc part better.

So good in fact that I decided to do some of the profile work on it too, evening out the belly, giving a bit of a pointy tip, and just generally making it more like a kitchen knife. I was applying quite light pressure and dunking the blade in a bucket of water every few seconds so hopefully didn't f up the HT.

This is where I'm at now. I'm thinking of doing some more of the grinding of the bevel / edge on that disc sander, anyone know a reason I shouldn't? Or any particular tips if I do?


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## birdsfan (Oct 20, 2020)

Quite a lot of work so far, my friend! It is already looking more like a deba. Pity it is a left handed grind. (Perhaps @juice can use one!) While working with the grinder, definitely have a bucket of water close by to keep it cool. It will heat up very quickly! Hopefully some bladesmiths will chime in. I was thinking about the starting hardness of this metal. I know it is often tested by running a file over it. The file should skate rather than cutting the metal. Again...take my advice with a grain of salt. I am not a smith, I just watch a lot of "Forged in Fire"


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## cotedupy (Oct 20, 2020)

birdsfan said:


> Quite a lot of work so far, my friend! It is already looking more like a deba. Pity it is a left handed grind. (Perhaps @juice can use one!) While working with the grinder, definitely have a bucket of water close by to keep it cool. It will heat up very quickly! Hopefully some bladesmiths will chime in. I was thinking about the starting hardness of this metal. I know it is often tested by running a file over it. The file should skate rather than cutting the metal. Again...take my advice with a grain of salt. I am not a smith, I just watch a lot of "Forged in Fire"



Ah, didn't know that about the file, will give it a go.

Unfortunately this very lefty/concave grind I don't think is going to be particularly easy to redress, so yeah they might have to be gifts for sinister friends


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## juice (Oct 21, 2020)

birdsfan said:


> Perhaps @juice can use one!


Correct-handed people FTW!

Thank you for your support, @cotedupy


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## Marek07 (Oct 21, 2020)

juice said:


> Correct-handed people FTW!


Correct you say? To some 90% of the world you're simply sinister.


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## cotedupy (Oct 21, 2020)

Finishing up this afternoon... First up making a handle. I didn't have most the wood that I normally use for handles with me, so this is an experiment with Norfolk Island Pine. With (as ever) plastic spacer, and wine oak.






Quite pleased with that. Looks nice! 

Then finishing off a bit of grinding on the disc sander (until it broke), some hand sanding of the blade, and ready for the install:


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## cotedupy (Oct 21, 2020)

And here we are... It needs some edge thinning and sharpening, and I may give it another round of sanding on the blade too, but basically done:


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## juice (Oct 21, 2020)

Marek07 said:


> Correct you say? To some 90% of the world you're simply sinister.


The majority is rarely right 



cotedupy said:


> Quite pleased with that. Looks nice!


Indeed it does!


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## cotedupy (Oct 22, 2020)

A couple of final pics in daylight, and after a bit more sanding up to 2000. I'm pretty happy with it now, and as @birdsfan pointed out, I don't want to sand away our Shepherd friend!


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## Marek07 (Oct 22, 2020)

Rather handsome - well done! Now some final grinding & sharpening and it's ready to go to a lefty for testing.


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## cotedupy (Oct 22, 2020)

Marek07 said:


> Rather handsome - well done! Now some final grinding & sharpening and it's ready to go to a lefty for testing.



Yeah it goes need some more grinding / edge work for sure. I've just done 15 mins and got a little way, but probably need to clean up my coarse stones to have a proper crack. I have put an edge on the other side to see if I can make it a multipurpose small knife. I did post a while back asking for recommendations for a double-bevelled Deba, so fingers crossed I might be able to make it an approximation!


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## Bert2368 (Oct 28, 2020)

If you go the hacksaw route again, use some oil on the cut. Reduces friction, makes your cutting tool last a lot longer & cut better. Bit of a mess, they do make water soluble cutting fluids too which are easier to clean after. I have used "Rigid" pipe threading oil (sulphured animal fat!) for smaller jobs and hand tool work, also a water soluble concentrate to mix my own for metal cutting bandsaw with a coolant/lubricant pump system.


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## kbright (Oct 28, 2020)

"Windex" glass cleaner can also be used as a cutting and sanding fluid.


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## Bert2368 (Oct 28, 2020)

Sinister debas one must brave vicious spiders and neighbors who own velcro gloves to obtain!


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