Knife for my niece

STR

STR

Knifemaker/Moderator
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During the next week my niece, the daughter of one of two of my sisters, is here to visit from West Virginia. I was a bit shocked that she wanted to venture this far from home to visit her uncle Steve being that she is only 14 but her mother insisted she was worldly enough to do it and allowed her to fly alone from there to here where I picked her up at the airport.

Now that she is here I asked her what she wanted to do while here and one of the first things she said was to learn how to make a knife so in between other jobs I've been trying to step by step her along and before she leaves she will have her own custom folder made partly by herself with some close observation on my part. This is a bit strange for me because normally my rule of thumb is whenever anyone enters my shop I stop working until they leave but so far I've managed without getting distracted and making a mistake or having an accident.

Anyway, I hope some of you guys with work orders in understand and grant me a little leway here for my niece Laura.

Knowing that she wanted this ASAP so that I didn't have to mail it to her from here I knocked out a blade earlier on Sunday with her help after she looked through some of the ones I've done here and in my gallery. She wants an Ouparator dolled up like the one I did in my, "Opinions" thread. So, that is done and I just got it back from the guy that I had heat treat it special order fast for me. We cleaned it up together this morning and are preparing now to cut out the two sides for the liners.

Anyway, grant me this one separate job for my niece between all of yours if you will with my assurance that I'll still work on your jobs here as well and try very hard not to delay anything you guys have here. Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

STR
 
sounds like a special and rewarding time for both of you.
 
Does she know that she is learning from the best? If she gets as good as you Steve I might start sending her work too just to keep it in the good old West Virginia! I wish I could watch you at work too because I could never do what you do. Tell her hi from a good old West Virginian! GOOD LUCK! Kevin:)
 
Steve...

Where in WV? My wife and I are from Princeton (very close to NGP in Bluefield, VA) and we're buying property in the panhandle (Shepherdstown or Charles Town area, we think) so we can move back home in a couple of years.
 
I grew up in Keyser WV in the Eastern Panhandle of the state. (Mineral County) Thats where she lives with her mom and dad also.

STR
 
Steve,

That's awesome. You're way too nice. If I had you doing something for me right now I would wait a few months or more as long as you got to spend time and do things with her. I don't know why anyone here would need you to hurry on anything.

I'd say take it easy and don't worry about others work for now.
 
My main concern today was making sure there were no concerns regarding the schedule for work I've got going for folks thats currently here and on the bench or in the safe waiting to be started.

This visit by my niece was kind of last minute and planned in like a few days between her mom and I so she could come out and see some of Oklahoma before school starts back where she lives. Yesterday Laura about wore this ole man out with a 21 mile bike ride on our Pathfinder trail system here in Bartlesville. I thought I needed a life alert deal this morning gettin' out of bed!:eek: The ole muscles were a bit sore today my friend. :D I was a bit relieved that she wasn't wanting to hop back on that thing again today. I used to ride and just a year or so ago a 17 to 20 mile ride wouldn't have been so bad but after being sedate for a year it was a bit of a chore to pull that one out of my hat. Somehow I managed it though.

STR
 
sounds awsome STR. my question is two fold. one, will you post pics of the knife when its done? and two, if she's flying home, how is she going to get the knife home? just wonderin
 
Oh yeah. I will probably post it as it progresses like I have before.

I'm sure she will pack it in her luggage that goes on the underbelly of the plane like we all do.

I'm trying to talk her into mailing it home like three days before she leaves but so far that is getting rejected off hand. We'll see. :thumbup:

STR
 
STR said:
I grew up in Keyser WV in the Eastern Panhandle of the state. (Mineral County) Thats where she lives with her mom and dad also.

STR
Click to expand...

Always a pleasure to meet a fellow Mountaineer... even better to do business with 'em.
 
Dude, that is soooo cool.

I hope she has a wonderful time.

When were uncles like you when I was growing up?
 
We have managed to make a few steps in the right direction today on several things, Laura's knife included.

She is getting excited now I think as she sees it go together.

No lock yet, but thats coming up next when I get the chance to work on it again.

Thanks for watching.

STR
 
Coming along nicely at this point. Laura bead blasted it originally, to clean it up, then we set the detent ball together after cutting out the lock together.

All in all she is pretty attentive, her focus at 14 is certainly better than mine was at 30 I think.

Anyway, tomorrow we will get creative and artistic with it after we build a pocket clip for it.. :thumbup:

STR
 
STR said:
During the next week my niece, the daughter of one of two of my sisters, is here to visit from West Virginia. I was a bit shocked that she wanted to venture this far from home to visit her uncle Steve being that she is only 14 but her mother insisted she was worldly enough to do it and allowed her to fly alone from there to here where I picked her up at the airport.

Now that she is here I asked her what she wanted to do while here and one of the first things she said was to learn how to make a knife so in between other jobs I've been trying to step by step her along and before she leaves she will have her own custom folder made partly by herself with some close observation on my part. This is a bit strange for me because normally my rule of thumb is whenever anyone enters my shop I stop working until they leave but so far I've managed without getting distracted and making a mistake or having an accident.

Anyway, I hope some of you guys with work orders in understand and grant me a little leway here for my niece Laura.

Knowing that she wanted this ASAP so that I didn't have to mail it to her from here I knocked out a blade earlier on Sunday with her help after she looked through some of the ones I've done here and in my gallery. She wants an Ouparator dolled up like the one I did in my, "Opinions" thread. So, that is done and I just got it back from the guy that I had heat treat it special order fast for me. We cleaned it up together this morning and are preparing now to cut out the two sides for the liners.

Anyway, grant me this one separate job for my niece between all of yours if you will with my assurance that I'll still work on your jobs here as well and try very hard not to delay anything you guys have here. Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

STR
Click to expand...

Great story! At least one 14 y.o. girl who will not grow up to be "sheeple".:thumbup:
 
Ok, well Laura and I finished up her knife in good time. Three days to spare before she leaves for home so that means three full days for me to watch it and be sure everything is as it should be before it goes out.

Laura bead blasted, and anodized her knife, and contributed her input on color selection, grooving and design and it was her call to leave the clip ungrooved and a solid color. Hey, the girl knows what she wants!

Thanks for watching guys. This one is done. Final measurements work out to be 4 and 3/8" closed, 7" open with a 2.25" cutting edge on a 440C cryo treated blade. Weighs in at a mere 2.6 ounces for a nice lightweight user.

I tried to talk her into being in one pic but she is a bit camera shy. Probaby for the best. :thumbup:

STR
 
STR, that is awsome. very very awsome. you two do good work together. hope she has a safe trip back home and enjoys the rest of her time with ya
 
Thanks guys. Really appreciate the comments.

STR
 
What a super collaboration. You were kind to share your space and your great skills with the young lady who sounds like a very nice person. That knife will be a keeper for generations in W. Virginia.

Way to go STR!!
 
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