#2 Wire inlaid with inlaid and tooled sheath

Chuck- Thanks for the stain recipe. I've got quite a bit of curly maple and plan on keeping at the wire work at least until I feel that I can take on any pattern at any time and get PROPER results. I'm very proud of how the wire came out but there's room for alot of improvement still. Two questions-
1. How much steel wool per quart of vinegar ?
2. How would I go about degreasing steel wool, or is it available ungreased ?

Ohh I'll definatly be paying a visit to Wick. We've got in touch by e-mail and I'm really excited to have the opertunity to meet him, see his shop, see some of his work etc. I wouldn't miss out on this invitation but thanks for the encouragement.


Mace- I guess from everyones comments I should've stuck to my plan and stained this sucker. Would I have to sand the Formbys completely off to get a good stain ? I put 4 coats on. I'd gladly give staining this knife a go with a little reassurance that I'll get a decent result without removing the existing finish.


Bruce- Wow what a great compliment. That makes me feel that every minute spent on this knife was worth it ! I am very proud of the results but I know that there is ALOT of room for improvement. I have many ideas for the future that are currently beyond my skill level but will try to keep challenging myself to attempt just a bit more than I feel comfortable with.


I did manage some time in the shop today so I've got 6 blades cut out and profiled. 3 paring knives that are the next evolution of my first knife, 1 skinner that'll be getting curly & wire, 1 general purpose field knife, and 1 small dagger. I plan to take on the dagger last so I'll have a bit more bevel grinding under my belt.

Thanks again for everyones compliments -Josh
 
Josh,
To be honest...I'm not sure. Never tried it. I would think if you gave it a good sanding you would get to some wood grain that would take some stain. Maybe try on some scrap wood first.
I always stain after the wire inlay, but before oil.
Mace

P.S. I have to say again that your wire looks great! Scroll work is very hard to get to look right and I think you are well on your way.
 
Mace,
I was testing a few different finishes on a piece of curly so I'll hit the Formby's area with some 220 to roughen things up a little then stain with Fiebings Pro Oil leather dye and see what I get. If I can manage an even stain I'll go for it otherwise I think I'll leave well enough alone and do better with finish treatment on the next one. If I manage to get it stained I'll post some new pics.

Thanks again for the compliment. I think just seeing Wick's methods will probably bump my execution up several levels. I've also got some modifications planned for my chisels and hammer that I think will help get a tighter fit where the wire meets the grain.

-Josh
 
1. How much steel wool per quart of vinegar ?
2. How would I go about degreasing steel wool, or is it available ungreased ?
Click to expand...
1) 2 pads should do it - I use 4/0 and tear it apart
3) Hot dish soap and water, dunk it in acetone, brake cleaner - all will work...For more reddish tones dunk in acetone - let air dry until most of the acetone has evaporated and then set it on fire - use an old pan with a lid to put out the flames and do it OUTSIDE ;).
Other sources for iron: old wire (barbed or hog) fencing, brake drum turnings, etc.

To get the darker color like the knife handle brew up some real strong BLACK tea and apply first, while still damp apply the FA - it's the reaction of the tannins with the FA that gives the color and the opalescence that the pictures just don't show....
 
I wasnt done typing and my message posted , josh its made in Canada but im sure you can find it its really good steel wool no grease in it and its good for anything sanding polishing and if you put it in viniger it will rust fast ferric acid is the best get it from radio shack. hope that helps. kellyw
 
Thanks again for the input fellas and Chuck for answering those questions. I think I'll clean up some steel wool and get started making this ferric acetate stain with white vinegar when my son takes his nap today.

All this assistance is greatly appreciated !! :D
 
Amazing work for a second knife Josh...you should be extremely proud. I agree with the others that a darker stain would bring out the inlay (and probably the curl) so that it's more prominent. I really like the blade shape.

The leather looks great too. I like how you tied in the scrollwork into the sheath to compliment the handle inlay, and I also think it's cool that you tooled the back of the sheath...that's a nice touch. Does the knife sit deep enough in the sheath for a secure hold?

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with next.
 
To all who've been watching this thread,

On the advice of everyone who's responded and especially Mace for encouraging the re-finish I did a small experiment and found that some fresh 220 and 10 minutes of hand sanding will remove all traces of Formby's tung oil finish. So I went ahead and sanded down to a clean slate and dyed with Fiebings Dark Brown pro oil dye. The difference is totally amazing !!! It does help bring out the grain but really makes the wire POP ! Also the dye soaking tightened up the grain considerably. She's on the kitchen table drying from the first coat of Formby's right now. Hoping for some new pics tonight if she's all dryed up. :D

This sheath has a CAM style welt that "snaps" over the tip of the bolster. I also slightly molded the top back corner of the sheath body into the finger groove of the bolster for some extra security. Turning upside down and violently shaking up and down has no affect so I'm figuring that I'm good on retention.

Thanks to everyone who voted yeah for staining the handle. I've gone from being proud of my effort to feeling I've created one whoop azz knife. Just wanted to let everyone know that their advice did NOT fall on deaf ears

-Josh
 
All great information about color and the work is really fantastic. Great for collector's pieces, but, if the knife is used the finish will wear away and the handle will take up blood and other fluid and will be so nasty you will want to re-handle the knife.

After the color is just like you want it, have the handle stabilized. and it will not fade or wear away.
 
Josh,
Send me a PM with your shipping address and I'll send you some silver inlay wire and round wire.
Stacy
 
Wow, it is your #2 ???? I'm amazed. Great knife even without any embelishments; with that sheath and wire inlay it is now an art piece. I cant imagine your #20 or #100. Surely you are a talented artist...
 
Galadduin,
Thanks for your comments ! Basically It probably could have been considered an "art" knife but now would be called a user. Wanting to see for myself how "typical" usage will affect my knives I've been using it in the kitchen for various tasks and I'll tell you one thing. Slicing Kielbasa (sp) hot off the grill will put an instant pretty blue patina on an O1 blade, LOL. I'm not considering any purposefull destructive tests with this particular knife but plan on using it normally without reguard for it's safety. Going camping for a week soon and it will be my companion for the duration.

Stacy PM sent

A.G. -Great point, and thank you for bringing this to my attension. I hadn't heard others mention this but it makes perfect sense.

Thanks guys -Josh
 
Josh:

You will NEVER find a better use for time than getting over to LRB's for a session. I'm fortunate to have a knifemaker in my hometown who has done some amazing things. My wife cuts his hair and she hooked us up. The first time I went over, I spent over two hours, and it felt like twenty minutes. You will not believe what you will learn. Take everything you've done and let LRB look it over. These knifemakers who have been around the block are a gold mine of information. BladeForums is only a silver mine compared to face to face, and BladeForums is absolutely amazing.
 
Tinker,
This is a fairly old thread and you are right ! Nothing like learning face to face with an experienced maker. I have a local mentor, Dave Cole (DCknives) who I visit pretty much weekly and we have a great time hanging out. It's generally a 4 to 6 hour event but we do alot of spitballing of ideas off each other but he is my first GoTo guy when I have questions.

Your also right that visiting LRB was a great use of time and we spent aroung 8 hours talking knives, making, guns, tools, techniques etc etc etc. He is an extremely talented and knowledgable man and I made a great friend the day I visited him. I wish he was a little closer so I could run over any time and hang out but I will be visiting him again hopefully soon.

An added benefit of meeting makers and friends is the connections to other makers you end up getting. I've ended up with 6 to 8 other makers who are now friends of mine due to Dave and LRB (Wick)

I'd never pass on the oppertunity to meet and or visit other makers shops or have them visit me for that matter if at all possible. Making new friends who have alot in common is half the fun of making knives ! :D

-Josh
 
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