First time using antler of any type.

Joined
Oct 27, 2005
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Well, I took the plunge and made an elk antlered handle.
Knife Specs are:
  • 52100 blade steel forged from a round ball bearing.
  • Mustard patina on the blade
  • Blade length is 4-7/8" back to the ricasso, with a cutting edge length of 4-1/8".
  • Handle material is elk antler, sanded to a 600 grit finish and dyed with mahogany leather dye. 2 coats of polyurethane spray on finish and then hand rubbed with Carnuba Wax.
  • Brass fittings.
  • Total length is 9-5/8".

I found it a little challenging working with antler, since I had a slight bend in the antler to work around. I selected the piece based on the soon to be owner of the knife being a right hander. I used a section of the antler that has a little bit of a belly on the right hand side of the antler that will fit his hand very nicely. He gave me his elk rack from two years ago in exchange for this knife. I've left the antler to age for two years, so that it could dry out quite a bit before being used.

All I have left to do is give it a nice sharp edge, after making the leather sheath for it. Since I used leather dye on the antler, I'll be able to match the sheath leather color to the antler handle.

What do you think of my first antler effort? Good and/or bad...either one...as I'm always trying learn and improve.
 

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Very nice! I would have preferred a more substantial guard but that's because I'm clumsy.

rmd
 
pretty sweet scott :thumbup: i like that mustard patina. i like how your pattern looks compared to the one on the big hog skinner i made.
 
Very nice! I would have preferred a more substantial guard but that's because I'm clumsy.

rmd

The guard is actually a little bit more substantial than it looks in the photo. I think the angle of the photo had a little bit to do with it. I was also working to a customers request on the guard, and he didn't want it too large.
 
Looks nice, Scott. We really need to have a talk with these deer. They need to start growing those antler straight, symmetrical and twist free.:D
 
Looks nice, Scott. We really need to have a talk with these deer. They need to start growing those antler straight, symmetrical and twist free.:D

Isn't the twists, gnarls and bumps what makes it attractive and unique? If it's straight, it'd be from a unicorn.
 
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