My blade, Snakewood's handle

This blade was commissioned by a fellow who posts on the PaleoPlanet froum under the name Snakewood. He wanted a knife blade patterned after the knife I made for the airman to take to SERE training, but with a hidden tang that he could put his own handle on. He's making the knife and a sheath for a customer.

Here's what it looked like before being shipped:





Note the plentifully-stout tang. It's approximately 1/4" thick at the blade/tang transition, tapering slightly to the end of the tang and tapering distally to the point of the blade. The blade is around 7" long, forged from 3/4" round 5160 and given my typical triple normalization, triple hardening in canola oil, triple tempering heat treatment.

And here's how it looks now:





The handle is osage orange (bodark, as we Texans pronounce it) mortised to fit the tang, the guard is copper, the pins are 1/4" brass with bronze flange bushings, and the butt of the handle is Montana big horn sheep held with brass pins.







And for a sense of size-in-hand:



Looking forward to seeing what he does with the sheath and with the other blades I'm finishing up for him.

Nice collaboration. Really like'n that knife. I see that it gets to party with Spuds McCenzie.

Very solid bush knife for sure! Any suggestions on finishing the Osage Orange? I have several pieces to use on handles, but not sure on finish. Plenty of this wood here in central MO. Your butt cap is well done and good use of materials.

Thank y'all!

Gaelic Forge - Read through again; I didn't do the handle. I'd say a good soaking of tung or Danish oil after final sanding, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it clean is a good way to go, though. I've worked with bodark before and like it. Kind of smells like rice cakes if you work it on a grinder.

I like it. Nice work and nice Bull Terrier.

Love the copper! Great looking knife.

Compliments meant for both blade smith and handle maker. Thanks for the tip on the Danish oil. I am thinking several coats of linseed oil and mineral spirits, then follow with a hard finish of some sort. Looking into some old school turpentine mixtures as well.....if I can just remember the formula.....old timers disease. I also like various nut oils for penetration when heated.

Snakewood made a rather nice sheath to go with the knife. I particularly like how it acknowledges the blade's choil and follows the curve of the inside of the handle so well.







As before, the photos come from Snakewood. Not my handle, sheath, dog, Jeep, hand, or...um.... tattoos.

Oh, I get it now. There's a knife hidden somewhere in that picture, right?

Nice work

Nice Model too

Nice. The knife handle matches the straight razor handle. I am sure everyone else noticed that too.

I am, er, speechless.