Ford Mustang knife ideas?

SDS

SDS

Joined
Oct 22, 2007
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I have been asked to make a knife for Christmas for someone who is, to say the least, consumed by Ford Mustangs. He loves working on them and has had his cars on the covers of several mainstream muscle car magazines.

I have been racking my brain trying to come up with an idea for a knife that won't come off as "gimicky."

I have thought about using a leaf spring from an old Mustang for the blade steel. Maybe carve out the old red, white, and blue ribbon with a mustang running through it for the sheath. Outside of that I'm at a loss. I have no idea what to use for a handle material. I can probably scrounge up enough steel or metal for fittings. I guess it's the handle that has me stumped.

I'm probably just going to make a smallish knife that he can use around the shop. He fishes occasionally but not much else.

Ideas???

Thanks in advance,
SDS
 
perhaps try to work the side panel scoop into the handle? this is a gheeeeetto drawing, but just to show what I'm talking about. the fender scoop is one of the most identifying marks of a mustang, so it might be worth trying to incorporate it. just doing the handle would get the point across just fine. with a little refinement, i'm sure I could come up with a way of making an ergonomic handle that gives the profile of the back end of a mustang without looking crappy....


I tried making the top of the blade look like a hood scoop, but it doesn't look all that great as such. blue race stripes shelby cobra style for the sheath :D

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ala
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozan_d/255755468/
 

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LVC, I like the idea of using the fender scoop, your right, that is one of the most identifiable features of the mustang. I also like the racing stripes on the sheath you drew. That is very "Mustang'esque" and would be a lot easier than the tri color ribbon/horse head I was thinking of.

Cadillacforge, I hadn't considered doing anything like the knife you have there. It does open up some new avenues of thought though. Maybe carve something into a wood handle with part of the tang exposed as the mane.

Hmmm, I like both ideas. I may have to come up with some way to incorporate both into the package. I had kind of gotten locked into trying to think up ways to use actual car parts as the handle but I like these ideas better.

Thanks,
SDS
 
a more fleshed out drawing

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i don't really know what i'm doing or if it's possible to really recreate the back end of a mustang in a handle, but it might be possible to convey the style really well.
 

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If you can get your hands on a used up bias-ply drag slick you could use tire rubber for the handle and valve stem for the pins :)

-d
 
I don't think that the fender scoop is specific enough because plenty of cars have them. You need something more specific, so that anyone that he shows it to can say that looks like a mustang!

How about a profile of an actual car as the handle and it flows into the blade, something very styalized.

You have to have one of these mounted on the sheath.
qualitymustangparts_2001_11861666
 
I like your idea of sourcing materials from Mustangs. If you're clever and work with your friend I bet you could just about come up with everything. Leaf spring for sure. Would any of the stick shift handles supply adequate handle material? All the fittings shouldn't be a problem. I bet you guys could even come up with sheath material too. It could be really fun "harvesting" all your stock, and really get your friend involved with his Mustang passion combined with your knife making one.

Maybe talk with the Water Jet fella. Perhaps he already cuts out a mustang? I know he does lots of shields. The mustang would make a great inlay. The handle designs being discussed sound good.

Make sure you keep us posted on your progress.This sounds FUN!
 
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This is going to be more fun than I thought.

That tri-color shield is what I was thinking of for the sheath. I am sure David at Great Lakes Waterjet could cut it out for me but I'm afraid the legs might get too busy to see clearly when cut out. Applying one of the shields to the sheath would be pretty easy to do and should really make it stand out.

I may have to play around with using the profile of the car for the handle shape. Maybe a fastback model or something.

LastVisibleCanary, you are obviously much more talented when it comes to computers than I am. It would take me an hour to sketch something and then figure out how to scan it and post it. I sure hope your faster than me anyway.

Thanks for all the ideas. Looks like a trip to a salvage yard may be in order.
SDS
 
To bad you can not find any old seats, you could make some micarda from the material. Then use that for the handle.
 
I've never tried to make mycarta. Not sure I want to try it out for the first time on this one. If this turns out okay I may think about that for future "theme knives".
 
Shawn, heres a little thought. What do ya think?
 

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Heres the other one. Cut out the scales to show the Pony.
 

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I just got off the phone with David. Guys, if you haven't worked with him I can't recommend him highly enough.

I'm going to go with the last design he posted here and recess the handle to show the artwork. I am going to try to filework the mustang to give it a 3D look. Still working out the details on the handle but I'm thinking of red/white/blue paper micarta with hidden pins.

Thanks,
SDS
 
This is gonna be an awesome knife. Mirror polished ATS-34 including the Pony. R/W/B micarta with the emblem cutout and showing like its inlaid. Maybe a sheath from the same blue leather as a 65 Pony car. I'm cutting this tomorrow and will post pics. :D
 
this is SUCH a cool idea. I really love the handle idea. it gives it the character of the mustang but keeps the blade completely in tact for use.

Shawn, I INSIST that I get a chance to see this girl as she comes together...:)

very cool!

brett
 
Here's another idea to go with the great design from David. Make the handle from three blocks of R/W/B micarta (laminate them with epoxy and cut two slabs from the block). Then cut out the area of the logo. Assemble the handle slabs to the tang with epoxy, removing any squeeze-out with Q-tips and acetone. Once the epoxy is cured, tape off one side of the cut out and fill it with casting resin. Once cured you can shape the handle as desired, sand and buff the Micarta and clear acrylic to a beautiful shine, and the logo will float in the center of the handle.This will also lock the two sides of the knife together strongly. For looks and added strength to the white stripe, you can put a rivet in front of the logo and one behind it.
Stacy
 
ooooohhh.... I like that idea! I love the idea of the floating logo.

Man, you guys are creative!

watch out SDS! You might have a knife you'll hate to part with!...:p

Brett
bladsmth said:
Here's another idea to go with the great design from David. Make the handle from three blocks of R/W/B micarta (laminate them with epoxy and cut two slabs from the block). Then cut out the area of the logo. Assemble the handle slabs to the tang with epoxy, removing any squeeze-out with Q-tips and acetone. Once the epoxy is cured, tape off one side of the cut out and fill it with casting resin. Once cured you can shape the handle as desired, sand and buff the Micarta and clear acrylic to a beautiful shine, and the logo will float in the center of the handle.This will also lock the two sides of the knife together strongly. For looks and added strength to the white stripe, you can put a rivet in front of the logo and one behind it.
Stacy
Click to expand...
 
How difficult is it to work with the casting resin? I have never used it or seen it applied.

SDS
 
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