Bill Burke fighter, progression thread

Kevin,

It's probably based on this style of Japanese mount.
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Howdy folks -
thanks to Keith for ordering this one, it is one of the most challenging (and complicated pieces I've ever made due to several factors - the enclosed double guard being one of the main challenges.

Jose that's the type of sheath I got my inspiration from.

The pictures aren't the best for showing this piece off - just too tired tonight to fight it anymore and they wound up a bit too pixelated - probably will try again tomorrow to get better pics. There's a lot of "texture" and color to this sheath that didn't get captured in these photos. The leather is actually an oxblood wash over a black ground and the rayskin is burgundy.

Now does anyone notice the "surprise"? hint it's an old leatherworking technique.......
 
I do realize that there is more east meets west in the sheath than the knife, but that's just fine with me. I think Chuck did a fantastic job on what was a very challenging sheath.
 
wow!
amazing knife and an amazing thread. these are the kind of things that will get somebody hooked on knife-making for life.
way to inspire! thanks so much
~Chris
 
Great looking knife. I wasn't sure I liked the sheath at first either, but once I read Chuck's explanation it made me realize the work involved to pull it off. Having a double guard with a pouch style sheath must have been a difficult task.

Congrats Keith.

Peter
 
Bill Burke said:
Very nice sheath Chuck. It makes that clunker knife i made look good
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I'm gonna say it, 'cause no one else will......the sheath is nice, but the carving-engraving on it detracts from the overall appearance. It is not pleasing to the eye, and disturbs the continuity. There are basic tooling punches that could have been employed for a much more unified appearance.

You are being very, very kind Bill Burke.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
....and that STeven that is why the adage "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is still true - or to put it another way your aesthetic is not mine and mine is not yours......

bottom line Keith - likes it very much and that's all I need to know.......
 
I think the composition of the engraving looks fine. It seems to be more of a western theme than Japanese but it is an "east meets west" piece. Steven has a very refined taste and appreciation of the Japanese style (he's a black belt) so that might be where he's coming from. Of course, he's also never been one to hold back on a critique, but he's shooting from the hip...
 
Wild Rose said:
....and that STeven that is why the adage "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is still true - or to put it another way your aesthetic is not mine and mine is not yours......

bottom line Keith - likes it very much and that's all I need to know.......
Click to expand...

Have a sempai that likes guacomole with chocolate chip cookies. Fine....but if he put a plate of them in front of me and asked me to dig in, I would try it, and tell him what I thought...which I did....not tasty...and not tasty to anyone else at the table.

Keith has gotten some off-the-wall knives over the years, and I have either PM'd him, or simply withheld comment.

As I have a very good relationship with Bill Burke, I felt comfortable making my comments...no personal insult to you intended.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
...no personal insult to you intended.
Best Regards, STeven Garsson
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None taken - my ego or lack of there of is in no danger of being bruised....;)
...but part your statement was "I'm gonna say it, 'cause no one else will" - my point perhaps they didn't because they don't feel the same way?

It seems to be more of a western theme than Japanese
Click to expand...
Jose the carving (engraving on metal carving on leather) was taken almost exactly as shown from a Japanese sword of IIRC the Edo period - the only changes were those necessary to fit the area and to match the material...

Steven has a very refined taste and appreciation of the Japanese style
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as do I, again my point is that tastes differ (thankfully!) and as to the seond part - FWIW: I was a Zen Buddhist monk (Japanese based) for a time and have continued to follow the Way since with a great appreciation of Japanese art and lifestyle.......
 
As I said in my earlier post, I like it. Probably because it's quite unique and I'm growing tired of seeing similar sheaths time and time again. I'm not doing back flips over it though, because I hurt my back doing one over the piece below. :D:D;)

wildgoo-17-09.jpg
 
Kohai999 said:
I'm gonna say it, 'cause no one else will......the sheath is nice, but the carving-engraving on it detracts from the overall appearance. It is not pleasing to the eye, and disturbs the continuity. There are basic tooling punches that could have been employed for a much more unified appearance.

You are being very, very kind Bill Burke.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
Click to expand...

I have no idea what that's supposed to mean or how to follow it,… but it's a very humorous post none the less... (coming from Steven.) :) LOL
 
Overall the sheath is outstanding though the carving doesn't do much for me. Then again, I'm more of a "skulls and flames" (or Rat Fink!) kind of guy when it comes to tooled leather. I guess I have too many motorcycle seats laying around. I can't imagine the time it must have taken to get the knife fitted to the sheath just right.

The knife looks great--would fit my big, manly ( ;) ) paws just fine. :thumbup:
 
Wild Rose said:
None taken - my ego or lack of there of is in no danger of being bruised....;)
...but part your statement was "I'm gonna say it, 'cause no one else will" - my point perhaps they didn't because they don't feel the same way?


Jose the carving (engraving on metal carving on leather) was taken almost exactly as shown from a Japanese sword of IIRC the Edo period - the only changes were those necessary to fit the area and to match the material...


as do I, again my point is that tastes differ (thankfully!) and as to the seond part - FWIW: I was a Zen Buddhist monk (Japanese based) for a time and have continued to follow the Way since with a great appreciation of Japanese art and lifestyle.......
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. I guess getting one out of two right is better than my usual average though so... :D Any chance you have a photo of the original work?

Interesting to hear about your spiritual journey. If we all just took a deep breath and focused on the Way once in a while we could probably all save each other some aggravation. Once again, nice work on the sheath. :thumbup:
 
Jose Reyes said:
Any chance you have a photo of the original work?
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Sorry to be slow getting back Jose - my flu turned into pneumonia and.......
Anyway here's the link to the blade that I based the carving on..........
http://www.samuraisword.com/nihonto/pricemenu/index.htm

Also I was remiss in not mentioning what a beautiful knife Bill built - definitely not a clunker! Very subtle in many ways, perfectly balanced for using, and the handle fit my somewhat over sized paw quite nicely.....:thumbup:
 
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