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A friend recently gave me a mammoth tooth for handle material. I plan to make some full tang knives and use this material for the scales. I have contacted K&G and they have confirmed they can stabilize the tooth but mentioned that most mammoth tooth material is sawn to thickness before...

I'd like to make a couple of hidden tang knives using the leg bone of a deer. I'd like to use the bone cut to the appropriate length and not modified in any other way. I will be getting green bones so is there any special process required? Do they need to be stabilized? Also, are the bones...

This is my first try at etching Damascus. The knives are made from Alabama Damascus. I have tried to remove the dark gray residue that is left from oil quenching by sanding all surfaces. But the knives are still a light gray, kind of a patina. Does the steel need to be shiny silver in order for...

I plan on building a couple of full tang fillet knives that include .030 inch nickel silver or stainless steel spacers beween the Micarta bolster and Micarta handle material. One knife will have a dovetailed bolster while the other will not be dovetailed. Will super glue or epoxy hold the metal...

When I purchase steel from the usual knife supply businesses, the grain direction of the blank appears to be random. In other words, it can be perpendicular to the length or parallel. Does anyone specify the grain direction when they order steel?

I am building a full tang knife and my first one with domestic sheep horn scales. I have read some reports about sheep horn coming loose after a period of time. Is it necessary to use corby's or are round pins sufficient? Any warnings about the sheep horn? Thanks.

I can't seem to get the handle pins flush with the scales. For "pins" I use the medium stainless corby rivets which have a 1/4" head. Scales are usually wood but I sometimes use Micarta. Briefly, my process is to slack belt grind the handle with 220 grit, then follow with hand sanding using...

On full tang knives, how do you remove the Tru-Oil from the finger guard/bolster and tang without removing the gloss finish of the Tru-Oil on the scales? My only solution is to use 0000 steel wool on the entire handle, apply some wax and then buff with pink scratchless compound. I get a...

I have read Ed Mcaffery's comments on using JB weld in place of solder for finger guard. I would like to try this method but if the guard is loose enough to hold epoxy then it will show the gray JB weld at the joint, right? Is there clear JB weld? I like to make knives from CPM 3V and other non...

I have been doing some tooling, mostly basketweave, on my pouch style sheaths. I stamp in the flat, then fold it over to make the pouch. I dampen the leather before folding so it doesn't crack. A lot of the stamping detail on the folded portion is lost and it looks bad. How do you keep from...

I would like to make a small sharpening stone pocket/pouch and attach it to the side of a fixed blade, bowie style sheath. I have a couple of sheaths like this on my Randall knives and they are very useful. The pocket is located just below the keeper strap. The stone is 3/8" thick x 1" wide x 3"...

I make full tang knives, usually with a tapered tang and dovetail bolsters. When I sand the bolster and wooden handle, I often create a dip in the wood where it meets the steel bolster, especially on a dovetail bolster. I know this is because the wood is softer than the steel but I can't seem to...

One of my EDC knives is a small 3" drop point made from CPM S35VN and hardened to Rc 60. I use it for everything including opening boxes, gardening and preparing vegetables. After only a short time, the edge rolls over and it no longer cuts well. A steel will straighten the edge after a few...

I'm continually frustrated with my inability to profile grind a smooth and continuous, inside curve. An example of an inside curve is the spine of a swept back skinner or the bottom of a curved handle. There are two instances where this causes me grief. The first is the initial profile grind...

I'm getting ready to make my first bolster knife. I will use 416SS for the bolster and non-stainless steel such as A2, D2, or 3V for the blade. Do I need to apply some kind of sealer (glue) to keep moisture out of the bolster joint to prevent rusting? Also, I have several A2 knives with SS...

My son is interested in having some full tang knife blanks made by a company that can use their CNC equipment to machine the profile and main bevel from common knife steels, i.e., D2, ATS 34, etc. Does anyone know of a small CNC shop that has experience doing this? We live in Kansas but will...