Well folks, here's the first blade that I actually thought deserved a handle. And, it's my first sheath too. Too bad I stitch better than I forge. :oops:


It's an old Nicholson file. I forged it probably to about 70% and did the rest on the grinder. Still looking for that elusive 90% forged mark. Normalized, annealed, ground, then oil quenched. The heat treating is by Whirlpool. :wink: I etched with vinegar to give it a gunmetal grey color. The handle needs rewrapped - my rawhide didn't shrink like I'd hoped. The sheath is a double loop design that really resembles an "Askins" style pistol holster. Rides close and solid.

Both knife and sheath are really nice,,,,keep it up!

ELKDOC--Well pard-- You have a commmentable first knife and sheath. Keep them coming. Your blade/sheath would fit right in at the Ronny Voo.

Congrats

Chuck

Nice blade Elkdoc, You still working without a beltgrinder ? The sheath is a masterpeice , nice composition with the bone beads. Whats the handle material ?

Thanks a ton, folks!

Yeah, I am working without a belt grinder. I bought ABS Mastersmith, Burt Foster's grinder off of him at a hammer in last weekend. It's a Bader BIII. Don't have it set up yet, though. I finished this one before buying the grinder, so all I had was my angle grinder set in my vise. And LOTS of filing. Went through 2 cans of elbow grease. :wink: Can't wait to get some belts and real blade steel and give that "new-to-me" Bader a go!

The handle is 2 oz. leather epoxied around the tang. I then wrapped it with soaked rawhide lacing. I apparently cooked the rawhide thinking that heat would make it soften faster. Its texture changed and it refuses to shrink. :oops: .

I've been drooling over Daniel Winkler's blades alot recently. I love them period pieces!

WOW! Great looking knife and sheath.

Hey thats a great job!!! 8)

gone

Thanks folks! :D

ELKDOC-- Rawhide needs to be stretched, while wet and as it drys it will draw back up..

When I was trying to braid. I would take an old screen door spring and fix it to a pull on the rawhide while it was wet. I would use a sponge to re-wet the rawhide and get a good stretch on it. You don't need a whole lot of stretch for it to draw up and look like you want. Don't rewet the thinnest parts.

Chuck

Following Henry Winkler's Examples Is a tough road to walk good to see you got a map, can I follow you? sfDuck

I'll pass on following Henry Winkler, even though the Fonz was way-cool. :wink:

As for Dan Winkler, all I can do is drool over the man's masterpieces.

Isn't that the way try and say somethin good or nice and the beak gets things twisted up. My appologies to both gents, the great knife maker and the actor. I enjoy both thier crafts, and enoyed viewing your knife and case. Epoxied leather handle hummm ....it looks so good I gonna try that.

The leather handle just kind of "came to me" as I was thinking about how I could do a simple handle for it. It's actually kind of comfortable, although it is less so with the rawhide wraps.