milesofalaska
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2010
- Messages
- 514
I've been fooling around some years now with ways to successfully combine copper steel and brass in a functional blade. I've learned some things, some processes work ,some look good not work good. I feel I'm off in my own direction, but stopping in here to maybe perk interest, give ideas to others, share how it is with me in the knife making world. This knife has a lot of 'not often done' aspects. Used scrap small pieces of quality Damascus welded together. filled in decoratively with brass and copper. Used fossil ice age bison rib bone for handle. Lost wax cost custom guard (dinosaur fheme hand carved wax cast in bronze )one of a kind just for this knife. Made it a 'story knife' with Native American theme... (end cap with Indian face). All materials tend to be repurposed recycled of little value standing alone. Copper is old water pipes from the 1920's in Nenana Alaska. Bronze is old barge propellers off fhe Yukon River, tossed out and salvaged by frends on the barge. I find the fossils. Damascus I buy as scrap by the pound off Ebay. My total cost to create about $10. Tools used in shop would be considered primitive, garage sale outdated wore out needs tweaking. Of most interest I think, is using an angle iron cut off band saw (new $80) to cut steel that seems far super way than a grinder or cutting wheel. My entire shop is worth maybe $1,000. Just showing and saying potrential knife makers who feel they cannot afford to get into it, Need fancy new equipment to do anything descent can pause I hope. I tend not to target the high end market, so maybe a different slant on what can be done, how and why. Out here in the pucker brush in a village of 300 people with unreliable utilities, but wild critters that need skinning! A desire to do it all myself without instructions. The blades and knives hold up pretty good in standard tests. A rustic look? One of a kind look anyhow. 
