1st Knife Rebuild

[50cal.cliff]

To Wick, Paul, Twice Boom and all the rest that helped with the advice on this project, Thanks! :bow: :bow:
This knife is one that I origonally built probably ten years ago and has beeen used to skin more than one deer!

Since I have not been able to find original photo of completed knife. I staged this photo, as that is the origional handle laying on a photo of the knife. That's why it doesn't look quite proportionate!

This is the photo I posted when I first asked what to do to prepare this knife for an antler handle. Thanks to the great advice this what I ended up doing to get ready for antler.

this next pic is one of completed knife on the antler that the handle was cut from.

This is the sheath I made to go with the knife. I an still warming up to the sheath. I like it but wish I hadn't done the engraving on top. Just got carried away!

Did the engraving with a broken round file I ground to an edge. Ididn't know better at time! :rotf: :rotf:
This next pic is the antlers, I was a origonally worried about! I bought of Ebay for $23.50! Not too bad a deal I guess!

I started a thread on the Moutain Man Forum looking for a symbol for the 1822 Rocky Moutain Fur Company. I was going to use this symbol on the knife handle. Change directions and this is what I ended up with!

Finally here is few more pics of the finished knife! :yakyak: :yakyak:

I am real pleased with how it turned out. This knife is for my own use. However in the future I hope to get a forge up and running! Planning my next knife already, its going to be a Bowie style knife. My Dad built one years ago and I don't know what happened to it. After his death no one new anything about the knife. I remember it well though.He used on several deer hunting trips we took together before I went in the Army, many years ago.
Anyway thanks again everyone that had a hand in the birth or rebirth of this knife! :thumbsup:

 

That is one beautiful knife.
The sheath is just as beautiful.
Excellent work. :hatsoff: :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[PitchyPine]

Wow, nice knife, nice pics, great job. :thumbsup:

 

[rabjr]

Pretty darn nice 50 cal. :thumbsup:

 

[davy]

Nice job amigo! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[50cal.cliff]

Aw, shucks guys!!!!!!!!!!!! :haha:
Appreciate the good feedback! I hope I have learned from mistakes on this one so the next one will be better and go easier! :rotf: :rotf:

 

[wildeagle]

WOW , great looking skinner!! did a good job , you should be proud! I hope you get to skin a few more deer with it. Wild Eagle

 

[50cal.cliff]

Thanks! Really worked well in the past and think the new handle should only be an improvement.

 

[Christiaan]

WOW!!! Cliff you did very well :thumbsup:
It seems like the beginning of great things. Looking forward to see the development of your plans and new projects. May you experience blessings on your craftmanship :hatsoff:

 

[50cal.cliff]

:thumbsup:

 

[Twice boom]

Chit Dude, that's one good looker of a knife..
I like it a lot,all kidding aside. :thumbsup:
Now do us all a favor and sew a keeper stap on that beautiful sheath,cause we wont like hearing how you lost it.....Good Job.! :hatsoff:

Twice B.

 

[50cal.cliff]

Yea I have kinda been thinking about that Two Bellys and thanks for the kind words. :thumbsup:
I was really pleased with the way the final product turned out! I think it was you that said to polish antler on cotton buffing wheel without compound.
:hmm: Well next time you want to dye one, try a wheel with jewelers roughe. That's how I achived that color. Kinda unintentional! I had coffee dyed the handle and it wasn't very dark at all. Took it to my buffing wheel and since the wheel had been previously loaded with jewelers roughe I didn't think about it till I had touched it to the antler to the wheel. The color transfered over. As I tried to buff it off it begin to spread and even it. There was not enough compound on wheel to do all the antler, so I reloaded and buffed out entire antler. In the roughest areas it took to much of the roughe, so I took a small brass brissel brush and buffed the excess of with a lilttle mineral spirits. Dried it down on a rag and rebuffed on wheel to even out color. The white areas were scraped clean and then lightly buffed out again with 400 wet/dry sand paper.
I then soaked entire antler with neatsfoot oil.
How do you like that Bear paw print in the end? :grin: Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

 

[Twice boom]

I like the Bear Paw print pleanty. :thumbsup:
The fellow that suggested to buff on an empty buffing wheel was Paul I believe and not I...

My suggestion was to slop Indian ink and to sand it down after it dried . I think the antler had lots of natural charactor you could have utilized :grin: to your advantage..

Maybe on the next one ,eh?

Good Job, be proud of it.
Greg.

 

[50cal.cliff]

:thumbsup: