Fill material for file-worked spines?

[blacktails]

I've seen a few knives for sale that have file-worked spines, and the filed areas have been filled in with some material so that the overall spine is flush, but the file work pattern is still nicely visible. A knifemaker on this site with the username Driftwood uses this technique, and it looks great.

Any ideas on what type of fill material is used, and how it is done? Is it durable? I have a custom hunting knife I really like that is file-worked on the spine, and I'm thinking it might be better to have those filed areas filled in, instead of blood or gunk getting in those areas the first time I use it to clean game.

 

[bacustomknives]

Many ways really, most common are epoxy and some kind of powdered colors mixed then applyed and then sanded off to remove the excess after hardning,driftwood has it down pat!

 

[tattooedfreak]

I got this link off BB http://ukbladesforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=461 I was looking for the same thing.

 

[Arthur Washburn]

K & G Supplies sells epoxy colorant for this purpose.

http://www.knifeandgun.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=40

 

[Jason Fry]

Somebody at knifedogs, can't remember who, told me to buy some Testors black model paint and add a speck to my regular epoxy. I've used it twice now, looks good.

 

[MT Borg]

I mix in the Epoxy just a touch of acrylic paint, just a touch, not 25%+

 

[galadduin]

I mix metallic pigment dusts that my father uses for his paintings. I add them pinch by pinch until the desired color is achieved. Also Manganese Dioxide dust or black copper oxide works great for black epoxy fills and red iron oxide works for red tonnes ...

Emre