Claire Redfield's knife
january 2011
Claire Redfield is a character in the Resident Evil horror video game series.
Claire Redfield is a character in the Resident Evil horror video game series.
I was commissioned to make Claire Redfield’s knife from the video game Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. The final knife will be shipped to my friend Fevereon in Atlanta so she can make a sheath and shoulder holster for it.
Because of the engraved logo on the blade, I decided to have the parts laser cut out of a compressed wood (very much like MDF) by friends at Scorpion Ridge Engraving.
Here is a detail of the laser engraved logo. There’s just no way I could’ve done this by hand! Plus it’s identical on both sides of the blade.
The guard was also laser cut as a separate element. It fits perfectly.
The final component is the grip texture. I had the checkered pattern laser cut deeply out of the surface. I then used fine files to bevel each edge of the little squares so I wound up with a texture of fine, raised diamonds.
I then made a silicone mold of the grip segment so it could be duplicated in resin.
Here are all the pieces for one half of the grip.
For the insets between grip panels, I glued on 1/8” balsa strips. I also used the balsa to frame out the pommel.
I shaped the insets before I added the grip panels….much easier that way.
The panels are a bit wide so I had to trim off a sliver on each side.
A quick test fit…everything works so far!
I beveled the back side of the grip, glued them in place and then shaped the curved bevel of the other side.
I glopped Bondo into the pommel until it filled the framed area.
The smooth sanded pommel half.
I used the laser-scribed line as a guide to carve an edge on the blades.
A test fit of two blade halves together.
A coat of primer to clean up any small defects.
I thinned a coat of Smooth-On Stroke to capture the fine detail.
A thick coat of Stroke to build the mold walls.
After I made a support mold with Plasti-Paste, I pulled my masters out. The mold turned out super clean!
I poured a small amount of resin into the mold and then added a thin steel rod for additional support. The guard also got a small steel bar.
The two halves glued together!
I filled the seam and gave it a coat of primer.
The final painted knife!
Detail shot of the grip
It’s a very comfortable knife to hold. Time to find a zombie to stab!