Christmas gifts

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

What are you fellows making for Christmas presents this year?

Here are twenty 4-in-1 screwdrivers I finished today. They have exotic wood handles and the shaft is reversible, with a double ended bit in each end.They have a #2 Phillips, 1/4 flat, #1 and #2 square drive.
The woods are Gaboon ebony, African Blackwood,Macassar ebony,Striped ebony, California Buckeye Burl, Pakouk, Bubinga, Quilted maple, Figured maple, Lace she-oak, Bocote, Persimmon, and Sucupira. The close-up photos are the Quilted maple, Buckeye burl, and Macassar ebony.
Stacy

 

[koyote]

no pics yet, but i've got a set of 3 kitchen knives (5.5 inch small santoku, 5 inch utility, and 3.5 inch garnish) going to my brother in law and 6 inch utility kitchen knives going to 4 other family members, helping my housemate make a 4 inch drop point for her daughter, trying to figure out WHAT to make my wife- probably a pretty version of the pocket nessmuk i made last week.

i also have 2 chef's knives, 2 hiking/campkitchen knives, a rigging knife, and 2 neckers as christmas orders i am finishing up FAST.

the kitchen set is currently getting a cholula hot sauce patina (sure, it's vinegar, but it's just COOL)

 

[steelglint]

That is a neat idea Stacy! Should be some happy recipients!

Monty

 

[Barkes Knife Shop]

That was a great Idea Stacy: And have a Merry Christmas and New Year as well. From my shop to yours. -----:thumbup:

 

[Will52100]

Cool gift idea. I'm not into wood turning but my father is and has been making pens, I'll have to show these to him.

 

[mdoyle]

Stacy
Those are some mighty fine screwdrivers! Should make great gifts.

I'd love to post a picture of a small caping knife I made for one of my brothers, problem is I made two, and one is for the gift exchange. Both have been done for days and I just can't seem to figure out who gets #1 and who gets #2.... Can't very well contact my guy in the gift exchange and ask him which one he likes better..
On second thought maybe YOU could decide? I have a pic with both. Top is redwood burl, bottom is black dyed boxelder burl. Both are 5160 w/ acid finish, both fully fileworked. Top has spine left in acid finish, bottom has spine and belly shined up...Pics are blurry as always.
Let me know what you think,
Matt

 

[JTknives]

oooo i do like that boxelder burl it is very nice.

im going to be working with 5160 soon do you use feric cloride and how much water do you add. i use a 3/1 mix

 

[JTknives]

for my wife im making a set of ear rings out of water buffalow horn. so far so go. i got one allmost done.

 

[mdoyle]

JT
I use 50/50 mix of acid and water, but it doesn't seem to be near as important as it is in etching damascus, as you don't have any contrast to deal with. Just etch til you get the color you're looking for and done.
Matt

 

[koyote]

me, i am thinking the redwood burl is mo bettah

but both are truly wonderful knives.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[JTknives]

he is going to be sending it to me sorry koyote

 

[scottickes]

Stacy
Those are some mighty fine screwdrivers! Should make great gifts.

I'd love to post a picture of a small caping knife I made for one of my brothers, problem is I made two, and one is for the gift exchange. Both have been done for days and I just can't seem to figure out who gets #1 and who gets #2.... Can't very well contact my guy in the gift exchange and ask him which one he likes better..
On second thought maybe YOU could decide? I have a pic with both. Top is redwood burl, bottom is black dyed boxelder burl. Both are 5160 w/ acid finish, both fully fileworked. Top has spine left in acid finish, bottom has spine and belly shined up...Pics are blurry as always.
Let me know what you think,
Matt

Matt,
Those are awesome! I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in receiving either of those knives! I really need to make time to visit your shop the next time I'm in Canton. Congrats to you on the excellent work, your brother, and whoever in the gift exchange is receiving one of those. I'm sure your brother and gift exchange recipient will be overjoyed.

 

[Robert Mayo]

Stacy those are just great little gifts and it's nice to see that there is not two exactly the same.

Bob

 

[Tommegow]

Did you make the hardware also? Is the shaft something you made or adapted
for your screwdrivers??
Great idea! They are really Nice gifts

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

No, the parts come from Rockler. They parts kits were originally $7.95 and then went on sale for $3.99. A little drill press work, turn the collar and install the ferrule, turn the handle, install the shaft socket, sand and polish. Takes about 30-45 minutes each.

item #37707 Screwdriver turning kit.

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware
1-800-279-4441
www.rockler.com

Stacy

 

[TekSec]

Here are a few that I'm sending out. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

This one is for the Knifemaker's Gift Exchange, ATS-34 and Tulip scales

These are for my father and father in-law. I call them the twins Del Ealy random O-1 / 15N20 and Black Palm scales

This one is for my step father in-law (wow, is that a relative?) O-1 and some sort of stabilized burl (yea, bought it too long ago and can't remember the wood).

 

[Bruce Culberson]

Here are a few I'm working on.

Handles are Bocote and steel is 1/8" that may be L6. They hold a good edge as I tried chopping through a 1x3" piece of wood with the smallest knife - made it 3/4 of the way through and my hand/wrist started getting sore (the knife had no handle then) and it still shaved easily.
These are my 2nd, 3rd and 4th knives. They are far from perfect, but I expect they will see a lot of heavy use!

 

[sunshadow]

Still 2 weeks out
I'll be making my wife a Sterling silver/14K pendant, daughter just got a pendant early (she liked it when I was making it for sale, so I decided she was getting that one, made one I like better for sale, she was having a bad day with college finals so I gave her her pendant yesterday, my mother probably a bracelet, dunno, stepfather-in-law probably a little caping knife in Mace/Aldo 1084 with a whitetail antler handle (hopefully that will guarantee antler in the future ) most of the female relatives I'll just make earrings for.

-Page

BTW I almost forgot, Nice screwdrivers Stacy!

 

[raythebigfoot]

Sorry no pics yet but here is the list:

3 letter openers with wooden cases
3 hunting knives
chessboard
jewelry box

 

[Dan Pierson]

Here are two I just finished for my in laws. Not sure which is
going to my wifes parents and which to her brother and his wife:

First is a mortise tang O1 parer with a handle of stabilized slightly spalted maple burl with some copper and African blackwood. I put a mustard/cold blue finish on it, which is what I prefer for my carbon steel kitchen knives.

The second is a design I'm experimenting with. It's a 4" kitchen utility knife for people who always use parers when
a bigger knife would work better. It's A2 with a stabilized spalted maple handle with quite a bit of curl in it. I decided to leave this one bright.

I think I'm beginning to learn to use the Coop style light box I made