Buck 110 with Dinosaur Bone scales

[Redrummd]

First, the knife show is sold so this is not posted in any sort of attempt to sell the knife. I will note that it is the most expensive knife I have sold so far due to the rarity of the Dinosaur Bone used.

It has been a while since I have posted any pictures of one my Art In Stone Buck 110's so I think you will like this one.

The knife scales were cut from one of my three rarest slabs of fully agatized GEM grade dinosaur bone from a dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic period, 140 to 220 million years ago.

This hard agate gem bone is from a very rare slab from a dinosaur bone with a "rainbow" of bright colorful cells with some even having agate fortifications in them.

 

[T-Steel]

Wow, that dinosaur bone looks great!

 

[postfallsidaho]

Nice work! Fit and finish look awesome! I love those scales!

Thank you for sharing!

-Jim

 

[peterinct]

WOW! That is some exquisite stone Michael. It is the nicest dino bone i've seen!

Peter

 

[chickentrax]

I think you should include a disclaimer with this post, to keep PETA off your back -

No Dinosaurs were harmed in the production of this knife

 

[BG42EDGE]

Beautiful.

Thanks for taking the time to post such excellent photographs of that stunning knife.

One could almost imagine there would be a market for a coffee-table book of photos of such art......I know I get a lot of pleasure from looking at the pics.

:thumbup:

 

[woody d]

that might be THE most stunning Buck ive ever seen, and the fact that the scales are such a neat piece of earths history turned into art is amazing.

 

[110 Dave]

wow is a good word here!

 

[edbeau]

WOW, again!!!!!!

 

[GRIM 62]

Breathtaking!!

 

[wolfdog]

Very nice Redrummd. What's especially nice about your work is that you highlight the beauty of each stone. No fancy or showy design work, just simple and elegant beauty. AND - you work with the real thing, not man-made stone.

 

[imafritz]

Beautiful work as always Red. I saw someone selling I believe one of yours the other day on the bay, thought it was you selling it but knew it wasnt cause your display background wasnt there. They refered to you as a local Washington artist-thats accurate:thumbup:

 

[Redrummd]

All,

Thanks for the kind comments. I am the first to admit what I do is really difficult and takes huge amounts of time with so much possible to go wrong. I think that is why I look forward to getting out in the Lapidary Shop every chance I get as when a piece turns out to be truly exceptional I just stand in awe of natures' own beauty.

I have read every book I can find on how bone, coral, wood and other organic materials fossilize and and then become opal or agate and you have to just be in awe, whether you believe in the hand of God or just the scope of what is possible in the universe.....

 

[jb4570]

Nice work as always. Your photo's are fantastic. Just how do you get the bone fragments formed into a knife scale? Maybe you can do a step by step photo layout for all of us to see what all you do in your shop!
jb4570

 

[Redrummd]

Dinosaur Bone is actual bones that were buried and over millions of years the calcium and other minerals such as the iron in the marrow, mineralized and then the minerals were replaced molecule by molecule with silica's that form opal, agate and other stone replications of the original bone. So, the Dinosaur bones are now cut with diamond blades into slabs just like a cow bone can be sliced up for use. The part that is sought on dinosaur bone is the end sections with the hollow cells that would have been full of marrow and blood vessels just like modern day bones.

The big problem is finding solid pieces remaining that are large enough for use on a knife as most of the bones are fractured through geological events just like petrified wood sections and limbs are usually fractured.

I have attached a picture of a very solid agatized piece of dinosaur bone that has already been partially slabbed on a diamond bladed saw.

Bottom line is there is nothing I do to put the bone pieces together - It is as nature left it and I just grind, sand and polish it to show what nature has left behind to tell the story even if the story of the how it became agate is not even now fully understood.

 

[wolfdog]

This knife pictured and the one you showed earlier of fossilized palm wood are two of my favorites that you have shown here so far. All that you have shown are very nice.

This is an example where each one is truly unique.

 

[Chewy1]

This knife pictured and the one you showed earlier of fossilized palm wood are two of my favorites that you have shown here so far. All that you have shown are very nice.

I totally agree. Two of the most beautiful Bucks to date.

 

[jb4570]

Bottom line is there is noting I do to put the bone pieces together - It is as nature left it and I just grind, sand and polish it to show what nature has left behind to tell the story even if the story of the how it became agate is not even now fully understood.

Thanks for the info Redrummd,

So how do folks find this stuff and where? Also what different colors have you found these old bones in?
jb4570

 

[Redrummd]

Most of the gem grade dinosaur bone found in the entire world is found in Utah and Colorado. Back when the dinosaurs were walking the earth there was a HUGE inland sea that covered these states. Dinosaurs that died in floods and other events were often washed into this inland sea and the bones buried in sediments that excluded oxygen so they did not rot away. The same is true for petrified wood. It used to be legal to collect dino bone and wood even on federal lands but that has been outlawed so what is now being sold is from old collections or from pieces found on private lands. It is very difficult to go out and find any due to these issues so I get mine by either paying huge amounts of cash or by trading custom knives for the bone. I got this specifiec piece from a long time dino bone collector who owns several of my knives. He was getting married and wanted to have a lavish honeymoon which I helped fund significantly by buying several museum grade pieces including the slab this knives' scales were cut from.....

Most dino bone that is found is in earth tones with brown and dark reddish brown the most common colors. Trace minerals cause the more rare colors such as orange, canary yellow, green and reds. The rarest pieces have multiple colors indicating that over millions of years the minerals surrounding the stone matrix the bone was in changed. This was due to volcanic and geological events that occurred as the seabed rose to be a mile above sea level or more in these states and mountain ranges where the agatized bones are now becoming exposed.

 

[peterinct]

Beautiful.


One could almost imagine there would be a market for a coffee-table book of photos of such art......I know I get a lot of pleasure from looking at the pics.

:thumbup:

Absolutely right BG42!

Check out the knife related books by David Darom. They are the best knives and photos of them that i've seen. His latest is out now and will be available in person at Blade.

DISCLAIMER: You won't see any Bucks in there however.

Peter