A brother's First custom knife...

Hey Wolf I think you enjoyed yourself on this one too. It came out well.
Here's a tip for doing "flats". mark the area with an ink marker. When the colour is is all gone it will be flat or should be unless you rock it. With thin parts you can make a "T" oot of maslking tape with the top part of the "T" sticky side out to place on the item to be sanded. Frank
 
Thanks Frank,yeah,I really,really enjoyed this knife!
More so than usual,because Shawn's never had a hand-made knife before,and the idea of a beautiful functional tool
made from recycled materials (in this case the old file blade,and reclaimed brass for bolsters) appeals to him the same way it appeals to me:
old tools that have served us until they are spent,being given new life as new tools that happen to be beautiful...
This one of the many bonds he and I share,so yeah,this lil' knife was very rewarding for me.
And,his face was tired from grinning all night: he played a 3 hour set last night,and couldn't stop smiling!!!:D
(oh,and I've been using that tip for a long time (marking steel with a felt marker)
and the way I hold really thin pieces is to 'tack' them to a small block of wood with a couple drops of loctite crazy-glue)
 
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Can I talk you out of the "transport case" after you deliver the knife? :D

GREAT looking knife and the SEXIEST crate I have ever seen!

Charlie
 
Ya know the really cool thing about that crate?
I used curly maple for the slats and lid,and the bottom is red cedar (highly figured quilted maple burl for the ends):
Shawn has a hand-made,one-of-a-kind custom acoustic guitar that one of his friends made him,
and it has a curly maple and red cedar body (2 of Shawn's favorite woods,which I didn't know!)!
I've had a huge response to that crate from a few folks on a couple forums,and the friends and family
who were at the gig last night:
I now have 7 orders for crates like that!
I might add that as an option to knives I build:
a crate that uses the same wood as the handle material...
yeah...
dang,and you guys just thought I was just another pretty face!
;)
 
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Wow!! That is an awesome looking knife . Filework looks great. THe whole thing looks great. I've said it a thousand times but you just can't beat the look of an "old file" knife
 
Larry,coming from a man who makes the knives,sculpted handles,and incredible sheaths like you do,
I am humbled and appreciative of your words!!!
Thank you.
 
Great job Ironwolf. I'm sure your buddy is going to love the whole package.
You obviously put alot of thought and effort into it. It's going to be a very
short hop for you going from builder to maker. Fine job sir..

David
 
Thank you Gentlemen,
he does love it,and has worn it every waking moment since I presented it to him.
Art,I looked at your knives,and am blown away by how powerfully timeless your classic style is...
do you engrave your own knives?
That's one of the next skills I'm hungry to learn.
And your sheaths are the embodiment of what I'm trying to achieve!
When I picture my sheath in my mind,it looks just like yours!
(lol,but I haven't learned how to get them to look quite like that yet ;) )
 
When I bought the 2 Mike Morris blades,made from old files,
I bought one with my bro Shawn in mind,and a lil' boot knife for myself.
I've been putting a couple hours here and there into the wee hide-away,
but over the weekend finished it off.
Reworked the handle shape a little (bit more streamlined than original).
I kind of threw it together: not up to my personal standards,but I NEEDED a lil' fixed/edc!!
I lost my Blind Horse Knives small Workcliff a couple weeks ago, and couldn't go another day without a "polite carry" fixed-blade.
The pins didn't line up right,the wood isn't highly polished,the file-work isn't spot-on,
and the inlay didn't turn out well (first time I did it from the back:bevelled the abalone and the hole so it fits like a cork).
But,it's sharper than me,and holds a good edge,feels REALLY good in the hand,and I'm happy to have a lil' fixed carry again.
 
oops...double post,
but this one has the pics!
(cut cardboard all day with it today,and it only needed a slight lick on a DMT hone halfway through the day)
shown beside a gift that arrived today from my friend Wade
(thanks Wade!! It'll get a work-out tomorrow!)

DSCN0172.jpg

DSCN0175.jpg

DSCN0177.jpg
 
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Great work on the knife and the box is a nice finishing touch for a gifted item. Much better than a cardboard box or a bag. It seems it could be built with a minimum of wood working tools.
 
Wow, Wolf! You got skills! That knife for Shawn is impressive and I really like the way your sheath turned out. That "box" is something else too. Keep up the good work and I agree with the other poster: I have no doubt your transition from builder to maker can't be too far away and the results should be excellent.
 
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