First try with two wood scale handle

[opaul]

6-3/4" OAL with a 3" blade, curly Tasmanian blackwood and African blackwood, brass mosaic pins and lanyard tube. Dang, middle pin is a hair low . Just when I think I might hit a home run the knife gremlin is always smiling.

 

[Rick Otts]

Great work OP I really like the wood.

 

[Von Gruff]

The blackwood bolster really enhances the blackwood handle. I use a lot of blackwood although not a lot has the fiddleback of that one and have gone from using blackwood and ebony for the black bolsters to using buffalo horn as I find it a much better material with almost zero splitting potential.

 

[MacEntyre]

Dang, middle pin is a hair low .

Yer right, that kills it, was gonna offer $600, but you can send it to me anyway an' I'll give ya $80.

Seriously, folks, I am enjoyin' the stuff you fellers make a whole lot. I've never seen knives like this! Really beautiful work.

 

[AkWildman]

Looking good !

 

[Gene Kimmi]

That's a good looking knife and a great choice of woods.

 

[Kevin Zito]

I agree with everyone here... that’s a good looking combination of woods and the finish on the blade is on point!

 

[SumGai]

The blackwood bolster really enhances the blackwood handle. I use a lot of blackwood although not a lot has the fiddleback of that one and have gone from using blackwood and ebony for the black bolsters to using buffalo horn as I find it a much better material with almost zero splitting potential.

I'd love to hear any thoughts/tips you've got on working with the buffalo horn, as I'm just starting to use some for bolsters on a 210mm gyuto. Bought full scales just so I had nice big flat pieces to work with.

(I dabbled for 5-6 seconds with "raw" horn trying to flatten & extract pieces from it - what I learned was (a) sometimes it's just stupid to not just buy stuff, and (b) the stuff reeks when you saw or sand it - think burning hair. Which is pretty much what it is, biologically.)

 

[Von Gruff]

SumGai I find it a very forgiving material although it is best to sand lightly on the belt grinder for best results. It is easier than some woods to work and finishes very nicely through 120,240,360 and 600 grits. As a bolster there is much less chance of a split compared to some wood with a grain which is why I use it in preference to ebony or african blackwood and it fnishes easier.