Yet another one

[Doug Lester]

This is my latest attempt and the first knife that I put a guard on and the first one that I built the handle up from more than one material. The steel is 52100 that was austempered at 450 degrees and then oven tempered for 2, one hour cycles at the same temperature. The OAL is 10.5" with a five inch blade. It was the atler crown that made me go a little long on the handle which is built up of buffalo horn, recon stone, and moose antler with a mosaic pin. The guard was forged from a wrought iron bar. The blade is 5" long, 1 1/8" at the ricasso, and 1/8" thick.

Doug Lester

Due to the computer grimlins, the thumb nail picture where the blue font now appears (honestly it was there a while ago, I saw it) is not there. However, if you click on the blue letters the larger picture should appear ( at least it just did for me). I would sincerly appreciate any comments on the blade.

 

[VaughnT]

From my perspective, I think you did a great job. As you progress, you'll see more of the little things that you don't want. I look at a lot of pictures from master smiths and then try to emulate that look. If they don't have high spots, I don't want mine to have high spots.

Overall, I like the length and the antler crown. It's a serviceable blade length without being too much to work with. Personally, and a lot of knife making is personal, I would put a divot (I don't know the technical term) between the edge of the blade and the ricasso. That gives a more "finished" look, something of a strong transition from blade to not blade, if you get my drift.

Also, I'd watch the colors. This is just me, but I'm a stickler for color matching as close as I can. With a shiny blade, I want a shiny pin. Stainless blades go with stainless or nickel-silver fittings (guard, pommel, spacers, pins) and darker, patinated blades can get brass, bronze, copper, etc. That yellow epoxy in your mosaic really contrasts with the stronger shiny metal, as well as the black and red spacers.

How was that moose to work with? It looks good and I would expect it's a lot like deer. Does it have a thick wall around the pith, or....? Did you get it stabilized or work it natural?

I love antler handles on a knife.

 

[Doug Lester]

Thanks for the comments. If you are talking about a rounded indent on the edge side of the ricasso, it is refered to as a choil. I did give it some consideration but it didn't seem to me to fit that knife. Maybe it would have worked if the ricasso was a little longer. The moose atler I got from Moscow Hide and Fur. They deal with a lot of animal parts and their alter offerings are mainly sheds, which the atler I used was. They sell whole atlers and parts from all the "deer" species. If I remember right, what I ordered was a small side. For what it was like, it had a nice thick wall with the pith not much wider than the tang which made it very easy to drill and burn out. It also sanded down to a fine surface very well. I would have like to have kept the natural surface on the shaft but with sanding the horn and recon stone to shape, that just didn't work out. The altler that I used was in it's natural state. As far as the colors go, some of that is the camera. The shiny areas on the handle don't show up in person. I still have a little cleaning up to do on the blade. It and the guard are going to end up with a satin finish. I just can't see a mirror finish on something that I intend to be a user. If I could get a do over the section of buffalo horn under the guard would only ge half as wide. I think that that would have given the knife a better visual ballance.

Doug Lester