IBBB handle makeover in progress.

ndoghouse said:
Wow! Now that is first class stuff! Great job again Bawanna! Thats great that it can still get in its pants too. That looks great with your pistol:thumbup:
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Oh yes! Awesome job.

And speaking of Snow handle, the guy who re handled my IBBB is currently working on a Tibetan sword and a Gelbu Special. Both blems with serious handle issues to begin with.
 
You have outdone yourself sir, I love the whole package, and I love both of them and would have a hard time picking one, but I will tell ya this when another Bawanna Bowie comes up, I think I will be on it, to do this to it. Outstanding man dang.
 
:eek: It looks super! I need to get 2 more bowies to complete my set, and then it's off to Bawanna's to get some antler scales (if the ones I got will work), and pugs for pants, and then I'll be styling, no matter which bowie I grab...:)
 
Excellent work, both knives turned out great.

I love the full length handle on your knife.

When it come to the asymmetric contours on your slabs, you never know how they will work out until you get the finished knife in hand; when it work right, it can be a wonderful thing.



Big Mike
 
My IBBB looked at the pictures with me. It is seriously jelous BUT, I am intending for it to stay well loved just the way it is. However I have something special being worked up by our forum resident steel wizard and when it gets here I really REALLY think it is going to need to go visit Bawanna to get fitted for a couple of sets of scales. And I know I would love for one of them too end up looking like that set. Amazing work Bawanna, as expected you never cease to amaze.
 
I agree Mr. Tall. It feels good in hand, naturally wants to stay in place and not move to and fro. Didn't we have a to and fro conversation awhile back.
 
Big Mike said:
Excellent work, both knives turned out great.

I love the full length handle on your knife.

When it come to the asymmetric contours on your slabs, you never know how they will work out until you get the finished knife in hand; when it work right, it can be a wonderful thing.



Big Mike
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Precisely this. I really had to tinker to find enough thickness to cover the handle and then the antler dictates how thick it has to be.
I split these and then was able to take about a 1/4" off both side to slim them down but that's far as i could go and I had to remove a little metal on mine on a few little corners that didn't get covered.
 
Oh boy Bawanna...I guess I will adopt you now that I see your single actions in the case. I love the pattern steel dagger as well but I am a softy for Colt single actions and Remington 1885's. The 1885 has a stronger top strap style frame but I just love the Colt Dragoons. I actually watched The Good the Bad and the Ugly last night and Tuco and Clint both used Colts but Angel eyes always uses a 1885 even in the other spaghetti westerns. Nice collection grandpy
 
I want to get me a Walker Colt or decent facsimile one of these days. The 1851 Navy in front is a 36 but it's a genuine by gawd Colt. Inherited from a friend of my moms. Modern production of course but still a Colt.
 
Great work, Joe. Those came out really awesome. Love the stag!

A couple tips for next time (I hope you don't mind)... finish out the top of the handle slabs (the part closest to the blade) as much as you can before glue-up, because as I'm sure you noticed it can be tough to get in there for sanding and whatnot once they are glued up. When you are ready for glue-up, use some sort of clamp like this directly on the blade/ricasso to push against the scales and hole the ends of the slabs perfectly even:

Cable%20Suspension%20Clamp-5082.jpg


Hopefully that made sense...
 
I pretty much had them ready. I didn't really want to apply the super glue to the fibrous end for reasons I know not why until I had them glued up. I sort of did what you suggest on the other end. I drilled the lanyard hole and had a perfect fitting dowel that I ran thru while I clamped it in a big vise with floating jaws.
In hindsight no reason not to super glue and finish any exposed fibrous areas as the attaching glue doesn't effect those areas.
The super glue which was recommended by several worked extremely well. Smear it on, smoothed it out with a Qtip. Sanded when dry. Did that about 3 times and it's smooth as a babies backside and looks like it was shellac'd or something. Semi glossy but not shiney. I put a little mineral oil over the whole deal, not sure what else would be better since I think the outer surface on the antler is near impervious to anything.

I sure appreciate the idears though.
 
Now that you got it all sealed up and such you really should think about thermal cycling it to prevent any future cracks and blemishes. The ideal temp would be start with about 95 degrees F. You know like sending it to Texas today:D Ramp it up slowly tho like 2-days (priority mail) Then after some years it should..or could be kept in cold climate again. You can skip the cold climate step and just keep it warm the rest of its life. That will ensure a happy long life piece of stag. Even better than stabilizing!
 
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I think some good honest use will seal and polish up the stag about as good as anything you could put on it! The natural oils from your skin do wonders on that sort of thing.
 
I find that true with many things, wood, horn, all of them, the more you hold them the better they look.

Sure nice wearing it today, I find myself seeking out mirror to double check how cool I look.

Good plan on that thermal cycling Ndog, makes perfect sense. If it goes to Texas though I gotta go with it, how is the wifes mood at this exact moment. Clear and Sunny, cloudy with thunderstorms? If I want to deal with cranky wives I can stay home and get that.
 
Bawanna a Walker Colt? not wanting much eh? Glad you said facsimile there of might be acceptable. Those original Walkers are unbelievably expensive these days heck even the Uberti replicas are not cheap, they are actually pretty good though and very fun.

Here ya go a little eye candy of one. If I still owned it we could have wasted some powder but it now belongs to a guy who had a BORS I really wanted :p (p.s. that isn't my pistol just a pic that looks just like it)

Walker_zps67e6a877.jpg
 
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Oh I know, I could never get a real one, not even if I sold the house and lived in a cardboard box. And your right even the Uberti's and others are out of my reach.

I also have a major hankering for a Schofield. I held a 5" in July but it was 38, who could have a Schofield in 38. I think I might even want the shorter 3 1/2" but a 5 would certainly please me too in 45 Colt of course.

Actually I don't recall what brand it was but there was a Walker facsimile at a fairly new shop Skagit Sport up at the Anacortes cutoff, you been there. Huge inventory, nice shop and close to the new indoor range.

I think it was around 400 if I recall, should have bought it but I only had about 6 bucks on me, you know the same ole story.
 
The Schofield is a nice design but a little heavy, it points well but not as good as a Colt single action. The Schofield's are wayyyyyy easier to load and can be very effective with a properly trained shooter. They really come into their own on horse back due to their break open design and auto eject of spent casings.

That is one nice pistol Sharvu, the bluing and color case hardening are top notch. I cant believe how well built the Uberti's are. I had a Uberti SSA copy a few years back in 45colt of course and it was a tack driver after I reworked the trigger down to 2lbs.

There are a couple remakes/copies of the Colt Walker design besides Uberti, but the Uberti will probably be the best quality besides a true Colt (even though the Uberti might be superior to the Colt in terms of metal quality and machining but that's up for debate). I will PM them to you once I locate a source Bawanna. Oh gorgeous grips on the 1911, and the bowie just screams awesomeness. That is a perfect carry pair, I would have the 1911 on my strong side and have the AK bowie cross draw style riding horizontally. I found some Wooly Mammoth tusk scales for sale and I am thinking of making a set of 1911 grips and a matching set of scales for my folder as a companion piece.
 
You know Uberi made the castings for Colt when Colt reintroduced their black powder line of revolvers some years back.
 
I wear the 1911 strong side and the bowie on my weak side. I thought about cross draw but went with a left hand set up. Its dual purpose, it confuses people and makes them think I'm handicapped being left handed and it's also my get off me knife. If someone is wrestling to get the 1911 I can cut their grabbers off with the bowie.
Plus Pugs is handicapped and left handed so making left hand stuff is kind of natural for him.
 
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