The Last Frontier Hunter and a contemporary ulu

**Mark Knapp** · 07-04-2012, 12:22 PM

Hi everyone, happy forth of July to all of you.

Here are a couple I recently delivered. The first is one I call the Last Frontier Hunter, it has a handle of mammoth tooth, ancient walrus ivory, musk ox horn and blue mammoth ivory. The 5 1/2 inch blade is of 1095 and 15N20 and was forged to shape. The overall length is about 10 inches.

This one is a contemporary twist on an ancient design, an ulu with a blade of 1095 and 15N20 and a handle and stand of gimlet wood in-filled with lapis lazuli and gold leaf.

Thanks a lot for looking, please let me know what you think. Mark

**crazyengineer** · 07-04-2012, 12:32 PM

that ulu is awesome, I have always liked ulus. I love how you did the handle on it

**David Sharp** · 07-04-2012, 04:19 PM

Love the Ulu also; in my head that design seems more useful than traditional.

**Phil Dwyer** · 07-05-2012, 06:23 AM

Psychedelic man! You sure can mix up some materials and colors. Love the warmth and glow of all those ivories, teeth, fossils and bones together. And not a straight line joining any of the laminates. You're one crazy crafty guy! How do you get all those disparate materials to hold together without drift?

Love the lapis and gold on the stylized ulu. You do love exotic looks. I've always been fascinated with the "woman's knife," but have never been able to figure it out much, I mean it usability. I know its a dynamo in the right hands though!

Looks like you've put that engraver to good use!

**Mark Knapp** · 07-05-2012, 03:30 PM

Thanks a lot everyone.

Phil, the key to getting all those disimilar materials to stay together without too much drift is long curing times between each phase of construction. Many people understand that natural materials need time to cure before they are used. But what many makers don't realize is that materials need time to normalize after you change its shape. There are internal stresses in all natural materials so when you remove some of it, you are relieving stesses, you are also exposing new surfaces to the environment, where they will absorb moisture or dry more. Materials need time to adjust.
It's not good enough to just let material cure for a year in large block form, say a whole musk ox boss. It needs time to cure after it is roughed to handle size.
I build handles in sub-assemblies and allow them time to cure as well as allowing the assembled knife to cure before it is finished to shape. I also do not deliver a knife as soon as it is finished to allow it time to move in my shop if it is going to. I do final finishing sometimes a couple monthes after the knife is "done" The whole thing takes me about a year to build the knife even if I am not back-logged. The nice part about it is, I can rough in the handle materials and cure sub-assemblies while my customer is waiting for his name to come up.
Sometimes things still move after all these precautions, it's just the nature of the beast. I have learned some tricks to keep it to a minimum and have a return rate of way below 1%. I am always happy to make a knife look new again if anything should happen.

**McAhron** · 07-05-2012, 11:53 PM

Beautiful like gems!

**betzner** · 07-06-2012, 08:45 AM

Mark, that ulu is really remarkable. I've always thought of the ulu as a piece of native art. But this, well, it lights me up when I look at it, it's just beautiful!

Bob

**SBranson** · 07-06-2012, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Knapp

Thanks a lot everyone.

Phil, the key to getting all those disimilar materials to stay together without too much drift is long curing times between each phase of construction. Many people understand that natural materials need time to cure before they are used. But what many makers don't realize is that materials need time to normalize after you change its shape. There are internal stresses in all natural materials so when you remove some of it, you are relieving stesses, you are also exposing new surfaces to the environment, where they will absorb moisture or dry more. Materials need time to adjust.
It's not good enough to just let material cure for a year in large block form, say a whole musk ox boss. It needs time to cure after it is roughed to handle size.
I build handles in sub-assemblies and allow them time to cure as well as allowing the assembled knife to cure before it is finished to shape. I also do not deliver a knife as soon as it is finished to allow it time to move in my shop if it is going to. I do final finishing sometimes a couple monthes after the knife is "done" The whole thing takes me about a year to build the knife even if I am not back-logged. The nice part about it is, I can rough in the handle materials and cure sub-assemblies while my customer is waiting for his name to come up.
Sometimes things still move after all these precautions, it's just the nature of the beast. I have learned some tricks to keep it to a minimum and have a return rate of way below 1%. I am always happy to make a knife look new again if anything should happen.

A man who knows his materials... Well done!!

**jonnymac44** · 07-07-2012, 12:45 AM

Beautiful work, Mark! That Ulu is especially mesmerizing, I love it!

**Phil Dwyer** · 07-07-2012, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by SBranson

A man who knows his materials... Well done!!

Yup! Thanks for sharing that info Mark. That was worth the price of admission. That, and beholding those beauties!

**Mark Knapp** · 07-07-2012, 01:50 PM

Well, Thank you very much guys, I appreciate it.

**Gary Mulkey** · 07-07-2012, 04:37 PM

Mark,

Not many knife makers achieve a style all of there own and you are one. I always enjoy seeing your work & thanks for posting.

Well done!

Gary

Gary