Xmas blade blank

[rcmodel]

DIL told me last week my xmas present had cleared customs and would just barely make it in time for Christmas.

O.K.!
I figured it was a FRA-GI-LE lamp from Italy. :banghead:

But, it turned out to be a litle 3 1/2" damascus blade blank from Germany!!

Woo Hoo!
I doubt its very good Damascus steel, but I gotta do something with it to keep the DIL happy!

Tang was bent UP, not straight or down as it should be.
And the Damascus pattern wasn't showing up very good.



So, I heated the tang red hot and bent it down.
Then hand rubbed the blade and etched it in white vinegar & salt for two hours tonight.
Looking decent now!

I have a 3/8" x 1 3/4" x 7 1/4" piece of real Elephant Ivory I have been saving for 30 years for a "Special Project".

The Ivory is too short for traditional knife scales long enough.
So, I'm thinking Damascus & Ivory Push Dagger neck knife??

Playing with patterns tonight.

Comments and suggestions welcome!!



rc

 

[JohnKSa]

It does look a lot better.

 

[ants]

I have short handles on my skinners. I don't have a picture but I'd like to show you my latest Damascus skinner (this one I didn't make, it's from Mike's Place in Oklahoma).

Anyway I wouldn't use real ivory on a push knife or neck knife, I'd work up a unique design for the valuable scales I got, match the design to the resource.

Whatever you do it will be good. Because that DIL is a sweetie. Treasure her. What a sweetheart to think of a gift like that! A true doll.

 

[bikerdoc]

The push knife would be a unique legacy heirloam.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

That look's good rc. I like that blade shape and the pattern shows up real well after your treatment. If you maybe added a bolster/guard and a buttcap the ivory might could work..?
Either way we'll be looking forward to the progress reports.

 

[rcmodel]

Well, I finally got a Round Tuit today.

Ground tang down square, then round, and threaded it 10/24.
Made brass nut for it.
Drilled & milled deer antler for tang bolt.
Inletted & fitted it tonight.

Next up is doing some decorative file work on the blade and tang,
Then epoxy it together.
Then blend and polish the brass nut & tang on the back.

May do another shallow finger groove for my little finger on the bottom of the grip first though.
Or, I may cut it off just above my little finger so it rides under it??
That might make the handle more proportional to the blade size, and feel better too??







rc

 

[kBob]

rc,

Looking good, real good.

-kBob

 

[hso]

Nice use of the antler!

 

[rcmodel]

Well, starting to come together tonight.

Should be able to finish it tomorrow, if I can find some real copper rivets.

The ones I have turned out to be copper plated Steel!!
Way too hard to use with the brass spring mount.









rc

 

[hso]

Neat detail on the sheath!

 

[kBob]

I have not seen that sort of retention on a sheath before. I really like it and must show it to someone.

This is a fantastic project. I generally dislike finger grooves, but on this antler they look good and useful. I am impressed.

Wish I had had that knife and sheath during the attempted mugging in New Orleans many years past.

-kBob

 

[rcmodel]

Want to thank Shanghai McCoy for bringing by his copper rivet collection this afternoon.
I found exactly what I needed, and picked out 2.

BUT NO!!!!
Shanghai insisted I Take 4, just in case I messed one up.

Who ME?
Mess one UP just turning the heads & burrs down to size???
Surely you jest!!

So, I chucked the first one up in the lathe tonight, and promptly bent it double!!

Good thing Shanghai didn't trust me to do it right the first time!!



Balance came out just right!!

Thanks again Paul!!




rc

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

You're Welcome rc. glad they worked for you.
And it wasn't a matter of not trusting your abilities that prompted my suggestion of taking 4 .
It's just my typical operating engineer's belief in the laws of that optimistic fellow "Murphy"...

 

[rcmodel]

I know!

Just teasing you!!

Beleive me, Mr. Murphy is alive & well in my household!!!

More so then he used to be it seems!!!!

rc

 

[rcmodel]

Finished it tonight.
Carries high & out of the way.
You don't even know its there!!

Comes out of the sheath without needing to think about it, like scratching an itch.

Sharpened it 30 minutes ago.
And already cut myself, and took 10 minutes to stop the bleeding!!

IT WEEEL CUT!!







Guess I'm done on that one now!

rc

 

[bannockburn]

rc

Sweet knife and sheath all the way around!

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Sure looks good, both the knife and the sheath turned out nice.
That spring retention idea works well and has a neat look. Decorative as well as functional.

 

[lobo9er]

Nice work. How well does the tang stay put? Is it epoxied or pinned?

 

[rcmodel]

See the photo in post #6.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=10131126&postcount=6

The tang was shortened and threaded 10-24.
Then the front of the antler was drilled through and inletted to fit the square section of the tang.

Then a brass nut was counter-sunk into the rear of the handle and assembled with epoxy.



rc

 

[lobo9er]

very cool. I guess I over looked that. Nice work.

 

[rcmodel]

Update
Too Bee, or Not To Bee?

My last name starts with B.
This push dagger packs a sting!

So, can I make a brass & Copper Bee the size of a penny to inlet in the handle?
Should I even try?

Well, I did try.

Not real proud of the inletting job I did, but it is what it is.
So I gotta Bee Happy with it!

(Should have made it about the size if a dime, and flatter!)

Still more cleanup & polishing to do tomorrow after the epoxy cures.









rc

 

[horsemen61]

I think it looks good

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Yep, looks good.
I'd even go so far as to say it's "the bee's knees"...

 

[tiamat]

'Bee' nice, or it'll sting you!