Desire to make my first knife with some questions

M

malibumike

Joined
Aug 30, 2004
Messages
4
Long story short.....I was a vegetarian for many years with a strong dislike of hunters and hunting. Then my sister married a hunter and the debates started. I finally came to my senses after a few years and realized that game meat was about as organic and humane as you can get. So now I'm a hunter,purchsed a .270 Weatherby,joind the NRA,drool over Cabellas catalog, and get very excited by seeing anything with camo on it. Last saturday I took my first buck and was thrilled by the hunt. I dropped a 2x2 blacktail on the central coast of California on a friends property and have been thinking of a great way to say thankyou. I decided that making a knife out of the antlers would be something this friend would really like. So know I need to learn how to make a knife and this is where I need some advice. Where do I start? I have design in mind and am confused about what is the easiest route. Ideally, I figured I'd just cut the antler off,drill out the middle and epoxy the tang into the hollow. Now from doing a few minutes of research I know this aint the way to do it! In concept I understand the process of splitting the antler handle down the middle and attaching it to a tang with pins or rivets. But what I really want to do is keep the handle whole. I would like to use a 5 inch drop point or skinner as the blade. Any direction on this would be great.I notice most site sell blades where the tang is full and few have tangs that leave the handle in one piece. Links,tips,picutres etc would help. Right now all i have is a deer head on the lawn (the malibu wife is having a hard time with this) and websites like texas knife supply and koval knives.com. once I make his I would like to make a great skinner for myself. Can you recommend a skinning knife that is well suited for small deer such as 110 pound blacktail? -Malibumike
 
Properly, you can do as you first thought. So far you are correct. For epoxy I prefer Brownell's Original Glass Bedding Compound (do a google for Brownell's or see a local gun store). You would be using a 'stick' tang (hidden tang) blank or blade. I would, and do, file or machine periodic notches in the hidden tang so that the bonding material encloses within them. I also, after drilling out the handle hole, use the tip of a small round file to deliberately score up the core of the hole (about its circumference).

I am very pleased for you in your new found life. Next thing you know you'll join the Republican party. That's when you'll wake up really happy and kiss the wife and say "honey, I'll get that deer head out of the yard".

RL
 
Michael I remember when you did that, and it had a profound impact on me. Yesterday morning I was drilling out a hole for a stick handle, and got a big grin remembering your tutorial as I "wallered" out the hole to fit my tang. :D
 
There really isn't a need for a skinning knife for a deer. The hide is removed mostly by pulling and a bit of cutting of membrains.What you need is a 3-4" blade hunting knife.The easiest would be to buy a finished blade and just drill out the antler and epoxy the blade. www.ragweedforge.com has some nice scandinavian blades of various sizes and shapes ,both carbon and stainless steel.....Glad you finally saw the light !!
 
Thanks for all the great responses. I will def. be asking some more questions as i get the parts. A few things. I already did switch to the republican party!I saw the light there too! Second, I dont know about the deer back east but the black tail hear are really small and have little fat so it is a bit more diifiuclt to just pull the skin down. The day my buck was shot the temp was rapidly climbing to 90. I started skining around 9 in the mornig when it was not so hot. My brother in law was instructing me how to leave as much fat below the skin on as possible so that the fat layer would form a nice protective coat. I did pull a few times and too much fat would come with it so thats why I asked about a skinning knife for a 110 pound thin skinned deer. We really dont have the food sources to get these deer any bigger and the winters hover around 55. Now the mule deer here in Malibu are a whole different stroy. They get big eating all those manicured lawns and gorgeous rose beds! More questions soon. !
 
Hey Malibu,

I admire a man that changes his convictions in the face of facts! Are you in Malibu or further north. I might be able to help you make that knife if you can make it up here. I'm not far from Monterey.

Email me.

Steve
 
If you find a blade you like with a wide full tang, it's easy enough to grind it into a narrow stick tang. There's some professionals you can send your blade to for heat treating, if this is going to be a one time project you probably don't want to get involved in that. Of course you stand the chance of getting hooked, then you'll start wanting to do all that stuff yourself. ;)
 
ddavelarsen said:
Michael I remember when you did that, and it had a profound impact on me. Yesterday morning I was drilling out a hole for a stick handle, and got a big grin remembering your tutorial as I "wallered" out the hole to fit my tang. :D
Click to expand...


Lmao, I'm a big fan of wallering Dave!!
Best way I know to get all the marrow out of a section of antler.

Michael
 
So here are some more questions now that the bug is starting to bite. (remember that this is for an uncut antler handle.
1 How long must I wait for the fresh antler to cure before I scarf it out? I just cut it off a few minutes ago.
2 how do i determine what size guard to buy?It obviously must have some relation to the diameter of the handle?Is it shaped also?
3 How does the guard interact with the tang. I can see that the tang slip through the rectangle in the guard. Do you push the tang in so hard that once the pins are in it holds everything in place. My guess is that the spacers (leather or rubber) are what alows one to push the blade and guard down tight enough,pin it, and get the strength for the blade not to slop around.
4 Do i have two options. Pins or just plain epoxy it in? Im afraid that if the tang is just epoxyed in the guard will slop around.
5 the deer was taken in Lynch canyon. So i have a vision to scrimshaw in handwritting that says Lynch Canyon Knife Co. Is this really difficult? How about a dremmel then fill it with ink?
6 handle length will be about six inches. WHat sight has the best price for me to buy a single damascus blade that is completely ready to go?

If this is as addicting as I think it is going to be I'm going to start Malibu Knife Co. and have someone like Bill Wall make a sheath. Check out his stuff. He is another Malibu guy who makes some fine gear out of leather and silver. www.billwallleather.com
 
Thunderforged is the cheapest damascus. Though if you want it in stainless you'll have to get it from Devin Thomas, Norris, or Damasteel, which is much more expensive, but of course with the price you're getting much higher quality than thunderforged.
 
Off topic I lived in Malibu when I was a kid Leave the Deer head your neighbors need to look at embrace it :D maybe kiss it with tounge :eek:
Have fun making your knife you have the best of the best here
Peace
Bob
Go to Sandos if possible
 
Not sure of the answer to some of your question, but here's the ones I feel a little more confident answering.

3 How does the guard interact with the tang. I can see that the tang slip through the rectangle in the guard. Do you push the tang in so hard that once the pins are in it holds everything in place. My guess is that the spacers (leather or rubber) are what alows one to push the blade and guard down tight enough,pin it, and get the strength for the blade not to slop around.
Click to expand...
Typically guards are held on either by the handle pushing against it or by pins, and in either case it should be sealed against moisture with solder, epoxy, or something similer. The spacers don't really have a practical function, they're more for looking good and sometimes can be used to hide a less then perfect fit.
4 Do i have two options. Pins or just plain epoxy it in? Im afraid that if the tang is just epoxyed in the guard will slop around.
Click to expand...
If you use quality epoxy, it won't slip around once it cures. Pins are a little safer, not much of a difference on small knives, but still.
5 the deer was taken in Lynch canyon. So i have a vision to scrimshaw in handwritting that says Lynch Canyon Knife Co. Is this really difficult? How about a dremmel then fill it with ink?
Click to expand...
Real scrimshaw is quite difficult and would probably take a good amount of practice before it looks good. The dremmel thing will be alot easier and should look decient, it's not really scrimshawing though.
 
Thanks, that helps a ton. Now I'm just torn between spliting the handle or keeping it whole. Anybody have links to sanding antlers? Yes I did look at sandos website and it has been tremendously helpful. Deer head is gone off the lawn and into the compost pile.
 
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