Knives

[Deleted]

Thanks brother.
Mule deer would be fine & as for the finish on the blade, lets go with the mirrored.

[JD]

On Point, I sent you a PM.

[Deleted]

Received & replied.

Thanks

[JD]

Well, almost done with acquiring tools/equipment. Hand saws, rasps, files, clamps, calipers, etc are hanging nicely on the pegboard. Got the new work bench built, and mounted the vise, and grinder. Added a couple fluorescent lights, and a couple work lights over the work bench and power tools. Band saw, belt sander, drill press, and drum sander are set up. Only thing left are a few small tools, and a buffer. Next big purchase won't be for a while. Belt grinders are really expensive. lol

Also got all epoxies, finish oil, and wood sealer inventoried. Need more sandpaper though, I am out of wet/dry.

Did manage to get a little work done Saturday night. Too bad it was just helping my dad with one of his knives, but it was still fun.

[Deleted]

Sounds like youre ready to get to work.
Thats a good thing because I have 3 or 4 more orders for you brother.
Ill get back to you later today after I have more details on the new orders.

Thanks for everything JD. Your customer service is top notch.

[Deleted]

Ok Jesse, this is what Im wanting.
I want 4 more knives, basicly duplicates of the same knife.
I want clip point style skinner knives with satin finish & antler handles & leather sheathes.

7 to 8 inches overall. 3 1/2 to 4" blade of 440 Stainless Steel.
3 to 4" antler handle w/ a brass guard. Lets use the same shed for a 5 knives if possible.

Id like to see all 5 knives matching in similarity & in working order. Lets call them working art. ;D

Heres a picture of the general idea.




We need to talk time frame & price for all 5 knives. Shoot me a PM after you crunch some numbers.

[Deleted]

What do you think about using a Red Stag shed?

[JD]

Red stag would be fine, it is up to you as working with antler is basically the same regardless of animal species.

Do you want these 4 knives to have a hidden tang with antler scales, or a hidden tang with antler handles? I am guessing you want hidden tang as that is what the Bowie is going to have.

I'll start doing some checking and shoot you a PM in a bit.

[Deleted]

I want handles, not scales & yes, completely hidden tang.

Also, as for using the crown of the antler on the Bowie. We may have to re-think that one.
Ive been pricing sheds & its seemingly impossible to find one for a reasonable price.
So lets go with a nice Red Stag shed for all 5 knives & not worry about the crown being used on the Bowie.

[JD]

Heading over to the shop possibly tomorrow, but definitely on Thursday and Friday. Starting on a new knife, and am ready to get cranking!

It has a 3" upswept clip point blade that has a thumb rest and a nice false edge. I am going to make the scales out of Bolivian Rosewood and use brass pins. No bolsters, or guards on this one. I am leaning towards a nice hand rubbed oil finish on the scales. But I might use a sealer instead, I haven't decided yet.

[Deleted]

I really like the look & feel of the upswept clip points.
I want to see some pics when your done.
Have fun.

[JD]

I think this one will be a good combo of steel and wood. Here is a pic of the blade.







Unfortunately, we have some more sickness moving through the house. Our daughter is down on the couch with an upset stomach, sore throat, and a fever of 101.3*. I definitely will not be at the shop today, and tomorrow is up in the air.


I did spend an hour or so working on the blade yesterday. I also spent some time and laid out the scales to see what grain direction I wanted. I got them marked so once I get to the shop I can start right in.

Sunday night I sliced my foot up, and had to get some staples put in. I had my wife stop at the farm store yesterday to get some horse wrap for keeping the bandage in place. While she was back in the ag department I had her pick up some neatsfoot oil so I can finish the sheath. lol Hey honey, since you are going to be back there anyways...lol She agreed, but told me not to even bother giving her the rest of my shopping list. lol

Maybe I will take a pic of the scales later and post them up as well.

[JD]

So far, so good. I spent yesterday and today over at the shop. I got the scales cut out, and got the fronts done. I have them pinned and epoxied, and just need to wait 24 hours for that to cure. I don't know if I will go over tomorrow or not as we are already planning on going over Saturday.

These scales, in my not so humble opinion, are looking great. They are Bolivian Rosewood and really are quite pretty. I went back and forth on the finish, but I have settled on a hand buffed oil finish.

I need to get some more blanks ordered, along with the scales. This one will be finished very soon, and I need to keep cranking. I'll post up some pics when it is done.

[JD]

Coming along very nicely, if I do say so myself. I still have an hour or so of sanding left and then an hour or two of hand buffing with oil. Here are some pics of it right now. I'll post some more when it is all done.
















Not the best pics, but I didn't feel like breaking out the light box right now. I will when I take the finished pics though.

[Deleted]

Brother, that is one good looking knife right there!
Are you making a sheath for it?
What are the specs on this one?
And what are you pricing these at?

[JD]

Thanks for the kind words. I think it looks pretty good myself, even if I am a bit biased. lol

This one is 6A stainless. The blade length is 3" and the overall length is 7 1/2". The blade is .135" thick. The handles are Bolivian Rosewood, and I used brass pins.

I am doing a sheath for this one. It is a horizontal sheath with a belt loop. I have to wet fit the sheath, and then I am going to finish it with mink oil. I was going to use neatsfoot, but opted to go with the mink instead.

This knife is already spoken for. I have another on the way though, actually two different ones. One exactly like this one, and another that is similar. One of them will get Mesquite scales, and the other will get Cocobolo scales. I would price this one two ways. Knife with a soft zippered padded case would be $60. Knife with the same soft case and a fitted/finished sheath would be $85. I decided to offer them that way, with a case or with a case and sheath. I got to thinking, I always keep my knives in sheaths, but I always keep them in my backpack. So, for that a sheath isn't needed. If the customer decides they want one, then they can certainly have one and I adjust the price accordingly. Seemed the easiest way to make the most people happy.

[JD]

I got the final sanding done on the scales today. I also got the satin finish on the tang cleaned up. Buffed in the first coat of oil as well. Really starting to look good! lol I am going to try and fit the sheath tomorrow, then I can start finishing it on Monday.

My next shipment better get here quick, I'm getting anxious! lol