Mammoth hunter and the death of a thousand taps

Travis Fry

Well-Known Member
I just finished this one up last week, and wanted to let y'all see it. What I've always called the Smithwick is my earliest and most worked over design - I frequently tweak the pattern, and this is probably version 15 or so (I haven't really tracked it). Anyway, this one is 440C with interior mammoth. The slightly dovetailed bolsters are 416 and the domed pins are nickel silver. I have a lot of respect for anyone who domes pins; pins on this one required a couple of hours in a 4x Optivisor and what seemed like a million light taps with a little bitty mirror polished hammer. I went a little outside my usual box on the sheath too.

Ivory-Smithwick-Forum.jpg
 
Travis I think you did a fantastic job! And I feel your pain on peening those pins.. I've peened them before but never that many in one knife.
I need to make a fixture of some sort to hold the blade I place while I peen. Right now I've taken a bolt 3/8 bolt , rounded off the cap head and shined it up really good , I put that in a vice while I kidnap my son to hold the knife while peen on the top end.

anyway , you did a great job. Do you have a fixture for this job ?
 
Travis:

I always love your product and particularly love your approach to this business. Good job.

Wallace
 
Travis - you did a GREAT job on those pins. The whole knife just came together and the sheath is good.

Ken H>
 
I need to make a fixture of some sort to hold the blade I place while I peen. Right now I've taken a bolt 3/8 bolt , rounded off the cap head and shined it up really good , I put that in a vice while I kidnap my son to hold the knife while peen on the top end.

anyway , you did a great job. Do you have a fixture for this job ?

I don't really. I have a mirror polished small ball peen that I clamp in my vise with the flat side up and use it as a small anvil. I hold the knife with my left hand and tap with my itty bitty hammer with my right. There's a lot of flipping back and forth. I know there are better ways, but I haven't taken the time to build any fixtures.

Thanks everyone for the kind words. This isn't my fanciest knife ever, but it is one of my favorites.
 
Travis, Very nice work, I always love plain handled bone, mammoth or ivory, anything cream colored. The knife is
Great and nice job on the sheath. Dan
 
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