Finished My First Custom Knife

[Vance Goodson]

Just finished my first custom knife last night. The blade is an old Nicholson file, the scales were made from a whitetail shed I found about 2 years ago. Copper pins and a brass lanyard sleeve. Blade polished to 200o grit. It's far from perfect, but this one was basically a test run to see if I was capable of making one. All in all I have about 20 hours of work into this one. I am beyond thrilled with how it turned out so I now have a pile of rasps and am planning to get into custom knife making.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Looks really nice Vance! Great job!

 

[Vance Goodson]

Thank you sir

 

[EGarza04]

Looks very good!

 

[Hogdaddy]

I like it! How would you have kept the shed whole and drilled it to put the blade butt into it?

 

[FrankT]

I like that, a whole new set of skinning knives coming I can see!

 

[Vance Goodson]

I like it! How would you have kept the shed whole and drilled it to put the blade butt into it?

I'm not sure. I am not a fan of knives that are done that way. I like a full tang knife with slabs or scales on each side of the tang. The way I see it is I never want to be without my tool and if the handle ever came off of one of those types of knives then you basically just have a blade, whereas if one or both of the scales were to break or come off of my knife then I still have a metal handle to hold onto. Not to mention the fact that a full tang knife is much stronger and in a pinch could be used as a prybar or wedge.

 

[Ratdog68]

I like it! How would you have kept the shed whole and drilled it to put the blade butt into it?

You use a really fine scroll saw blade and a fence, split the antler... and painstakingly carve out for the full tang.... make a jig to hold each half such that you drill through the tang first (through each half separately). Mix epoxy, stir in some of the antler dust for color, glue/clamp. Redrill by hand (pin holes) and pin. If you do it right, your seam is nearly invisible.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

I sometimes buy a good knife(Gerber/Kershaw) at a flea market then cut the rubber handles off and make a new handle out of elk antler. I have done a couple and just give them away because they aren't perfect. If you do it a lot you could get good at it pretty easily though.

 

[customcutter]

Looks good, but be careful. It is addictive and sounds like you've already been bitten by the bug.

 

[Oso Grande]

Well done!!

I've not made my own blade yet, but I've hand some fun making handles.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Those are awesome! Great job.
I have never made another since because I have little patience for small things. You have taken your time and crafted beautiful handles!

 

[Ratdog68]

Looking good there boys. I've got two ivory tusks that I haven't had the nerve to cut yet.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

Looking good there boys. I've got two ivory tusks that I haven't had the nerve to cut yet.

Like to see those. I have a box of bald eagle beaks I was thinking of........ I mean ahhh.... squirrel skulls, yea squirrel skulls.

 

[Ratdog68]

I'm Alaskan Native, legal for me to have the raw materials. Also have a polar bear tooth.

 

[Oso Grande]

It's been a couple years since I made those. But I just found out yesterday I have an inside connection to http://www.twofingerknife.net/TFK/PRODUCTS.html.

I smell a damascus blade with a mammoth bone handle in my future....

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

I'm Alaskan Native, legal for me to have the raw materials. Also have a polar bear tooth.

I'm a native of Wisconsin, I am allowed to have cow pies, that's about all though. Oh...and cheese.

 

[RattlesnakeDan]

It's been a couple years since I made those. But I just found out yesterday I have an inside connection to http://www.twofingerknife.net/TFK/PRODUCTS.html.

I smell a damascus blade with a mammoth bone handle in my future....

Damascus blades are the nicest looking blades in my opinion. Always tempted to buy some blades to build on!

 

[FrankT]

You guys are talented, good job!

 

[rgilbert]

A gunsmith friend of mine built a 1911 with a Damascus slide and mastodon ivory grips. We called it dragon slayer. One of the best looking 1911's I have ever seen.