Patch Knives

[M. De Land]

I think the next one I'm going to mill a slot starting at the front of the antler on the bottom side only leaving it one piece and epoxy and pin the blade haft to the antler leaving the full natural contours on the sides and top. The bottom will probably be ground flush with the blade haft.
The other one I did for a friend I think I split the antler in half and mortice out both sides like one does with a pistol grip and fit the haft to half the depth of each side and then pinned it together as I did the one in the picture. It turned out really nice and I didn't keep any pictures of it. I'll ask if he still has it and can take a picture. It's been ten years since I gave it to him and kind of forget some of the details. MD

 

[vcm3]

I think the next one I'm going to mill a slot starting at the front of the antler on the bottom side only leaving it one piece and epoxy and pin the blade haft to the antler leaving the full natural contours on the sides and top. The bottom will probably be ground flush with the blade haft.
The other one I did for a friend I think I split the antler in half and mortice out both sides like one does with a pistol grip and fit the haft to half the depth of each side and then pinned it together as I did the one in the picture. It turned out really nice and I didn't keep any pictures of it. I'll ask if he still has it and can take a picture. It's been ten years since I gave it to him and kind of forget some of the details. MD

MD Doing what you are talking about is pretty tricky. For me anyhow. I find the most difficult part is dealing with the non flush/square antler.
I have a blade,not a patch,but similar & I have been toying with it ,with no result in site. Once I get a method ,then it'll be easy I guess.

So I picture what you say,but it is hard to visualize the blade tang in the antler channel that you want to mill.The antler will have a curve,and the tang of the Russell patch is oval

 

[vcm3]

OK so I hear what you are saying too modern. So I fooled with bras pins& tried to get a "hammered" look/finish
What I ended up with looks like gold nuggets,lol
Look close,they are smooth to the hand though

This knife is a different Russell pattern but I tried to leave the hammered finish on these nickel pins. But I peened & rounded them first,like the first patch knife in this thread
not too bad but it's a work in progress as i try to get a technique down

 

[M. De Land]

I like em both and make what suits you Vince, forget about pleasing everyone else. Both of the rivet jobs look very good.
What I was talking about is using an 1/8th inch end mill cutting a slot that wide front to rear from the bottom without exiting the top or the back, leaving it one piece.
The tang will be overlaid on the out side, positioned and the tang holes marked and drilled.
Then final pin alignment check before epoxy is put in the cut and the knife tang pushed into it. The tang holes will be aligned through the drilled antler holes while in the wet epoxy with wood dowels to half the antler depth and including the tang and let set up.
When set, drill from the back side to clear the dowel pins and install the brass or nickle pins and peen.
Grind the bottom flush or to the tang profile and it should be done.
If you want a finger guard to spruce up the front than a section disk of antler can be band sawed and fit unto the tang before it is epoxied into the handle. I think that would look pretty cool as well. MD

 

[vcm3]

I did a couple more of these Russell Green River patch blades in two different handle materials I thought you might like to see

This one is a Mexican Ironwood burl from the Baja Region. It has a local name,"Una Del Gato" , wich translates I think to "cat's claw". Seems the tree this comes from had huge sharp thorns.
Anyhow lot's of fire and brass pins I put a hand rubbed finish on the blades

This one is India Sambar,but pressure dyed

 

[M. De Land]

Boy, I sure like the looks of that Mexican ironwood! Dandy job! Wonder what a piece of that would look like on my flint pistol grips or a nose cap on one of my single shot rifles? MD