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Latest
- Thread starter Salolan
- Start date
sheathmaker
Custom Leather Sheaths
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Messages
- 4,650
Really great looking work! I see Dave's influence......but YOU are the one who made it happen. You have arrived!
Paul
Paul
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2015
- Messages
- 441
Beautiful leather!
Todd
Todd
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2016
- Messages
- 95
Very elegant.
Horsewright
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2011
- Messages
- 13,967
Very, very nice work Chris! You've definitly develeoped a distinctive style all your own. Really liking the knives too, did ya miss one layer of the blood knot on the top one? That denim micarta was always a good seller for me. How you liking the AEB-L now that you've been using it a while? Just really, really nice work.
Those of ya that don't know Chris is just a really nice guy too. So one day I go to the Post Office and there's this large box from Chris. Chock full of Osage Orange slabs for knife making, some Oak too. A bunch of em. Havn't used any of the oak yet but have used several sets of the Osage Orange. Thanks Chris.
One of my skivver knives with the Osage Orange.
PS> What Paul said! You be there!
Those of ya that don't know Chris is just a really nice guy too. So one day I go to the Post Office and there's this large box from Chris. Chock full of Osage Orange slabs for knife making, some Oak too. A bunch of em. Havn't used any of the oak yet but have used several sets of the Osage Orange. Thanks Chris.
One of my skivver knives with the Osage Orange.
PS> What Paul said! You be there!
Thank you fellas on the kind words. Please, if anyone sees anything or has a critique, let it be known.
So you caught the faux blood knot. The other side of the strap was a bit thin for the slit so I tried faking it. Busted!
I'm liking the AEB-L, it is as advertised. I'm glad you are getting some use out of the care package. I'm working on a knife with a special set of that osage orange. It has a lot more color and character than normally associated with the species. Hope to have some pics in a couple days. Thank you, the credit goes to you and the others here that are so free with their expertise.
Chris
Not to slight anyone else's opinion in any way, but thank you, it means a lot to me to have you say that!
So you caught the faux blood knot. The other side of the strap was a bit thin for the slit so I tried faking it. Busted!
I'm liking the AEB-L, it is as advertised. I'm glad you are getting some use out of the care package. I'm working on a knife with a special set of that osage orange. It has a lot more color and character than normally associated with the species. Hope to have some pics in a couple days. Thank you, the credit goes to you and the others here that are so free with their expertise.
Chris
So apparently by a couple days, I really meant a month....
Fully lined sheath, only my 3rd attempt to date.
Am I the only one that thinks the back of the sheath is the hardest to make presentable? Especially the "shield" stitch on the loop, or am I over analyzing?
and the knife...
1080 tapered tang with SS pins and Osage Orange scales.
Dave, I cut these scales the same time I cut up the batch I sent you. Sorry, there were a few sets I just couldn't let go!
Critiques and comments are always welcome!
Thanks for looking
Chris
Fully lined sheath, only my 3rd attempt to date.
Am I the only one that thinks the back of the sheath is the hardest to make presentable? Especially the "shield" stitch on the loop, or am I over analyzing?
and the knife...
1080 tapered tang with SS pins and Osage Orange scales.
Dave, I cut these scales the same time I cut up the batch I sent you. Sorry, there were a few sets I just couldn't let go!
Critiques and comments are always welcome!
Thanks for looking
Chris
- Joined
- May 11, 2016
- Messages
- 1
I am quite new to this forum and have been spending time reading posts and acclimating myself to the environment of the forum. Chris, I have a question for you, are you working the Osage Orange green or aged?? The reason I ask, I lived for 30+ years in the Midwest and Osage Orange or "Hedge", as the locals called it, was used widely for fencing back when it was sort of a weed tree and was common in the area. I have chain sawed some of these old fence posts into small portions for some of my own hobbies as needed and I can tell you this, it is the only wood that has caused a high end chain saw chain to shoot sparks out like a bench grinder!! It only took one totally ruined chain for me to learn my lesson.
If you are working aged wood, how does it affect your tool edges? I have a set of old Austrian carving chisels along with some other sets that were made in Poland, China, Japan, and UK, and the only chisels that would hold an edge with careful use were the Japanese "blue steel" chisels and the Austrian set of chisels. I have also spent some time learning the art of fine edge sharpening from a number of skilled practitioners including an old man I mentored under during my stay in Germany many years ago and a well known and gifted woodworker named Ian Kirby here in the states back in the late '60's. I have done some surface work on Osage Orange which, if one had a way to project it, gave a mirror reflective image from each chisel stroke cut on the surface of the wood! It is so dense with resin and the resin filled wood sets up so hard with age that it is not unlike trying to carve on something straight from the earth like flint or obsidian. ........... Very remarkable wood, indeed. I noticed that the color and figure of the scales you managed to "hold back" from your CARE package had a much darker shade of yellow gold and much nicer figure than the ones that were on one of the other knives you made.
BTW, don't EVER attempt to burn "Hedge posts" in a wood burning stove, it sounds like a freight train pulling through the living room when all that built up creosote finally catches fire up in the flue and gets the sides of your Old Timer box stove along with the single walled pipes going up to the clear span ceiling glowing a cherry red!! ................... Well, this is the rumor anyway, who would be so dumb as to actually do something like this to a brand spanking new wood stove in the living room of a newly renovated farm house on a beautiful lake in So. IL???? ........ Hmmmmmm
I will be reading more of your talents and how you apply them in future posts, I am sure. Thanks for showing us your wares.
If you are working aged wood, how does it affect your tool edges? I have a set of old Austrian carving chisels along with some other sets that were made in Poland, China, Japan, and UK, and the only chisels that would hold an edge with careful use were the Japanese "blue steel" chisels and the Austrian set of chisels. I have also spent some time learning the art of fine edge sharpening from a number of skilled practitioners including an old man I mentored under during my stay in Germany many years ago and a well known and gifted woodworker named Ian Kirby here in the states back in the late '60's. I have done some surface work on Osage Orange which, if one had a way to project it, gave a mirror reflective image from each chisel stroke cut on the surface of the wood! It is so dense with resin and the resin filled wood sets up so hard with age that it is not unlike trying to carve on something straight from the earth like flint or obsidian. ........... Very remarkable wood, indeed. I noticed that the color and figure of the scales you managed to "hold back" from your CARE package had a much darker shade of yellow gold and much nicer figure than the ones that were on one of the other knives you made.
BTW, don't EVER attempt to burn "Hedge posts" in a wood burning stove, it sounds like a freight train pulling through the living room when all that built up creosote finally catches fire up in the flue and gets the sides of your Old Timer box stove along with the single walled pipes going up to the clear span ceiling glowing a cherry red!! ................... Well, this is the rumor anyway, who would be so dumb as to actually do something like this to a brand spanking new wood stove in the living room of a newly renovated farm house on a beautiful lake in So. IL???? ........ Hmmmmmm
I will be reading more of your talents and how you apply them in future posts, I am sure. Thanks for showing us your wares.
Last edited:
Horsewright
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2011
- Messages
- 13,967
Very Very nice!! Wow that is a nice set of scales. How are you finishing the Osage? back of your sheath looks pretty darn clean to me.
Thanks fellas!
Clockguy, I am using seasoned wood but most certainly not fence post age. When I'm out cutting firewood I toss all the knots and forks off to the side as they are not worth the hassle trying to split. I went back 10 months later and picked up part of the "trash" pile and this is what I used to cut all the scales from. Sent Dave nearly 100 pair if memory serves, sent 20-30 pair various other places and still probably have 40 pair remaining, along with a handful of blocks if I want to try it on a partial tang. BTW, I've still not got all that dust out of my shop! :grumpy:
Dave, I hand sanded this set up to 800 grit, gave it a couple liberal coats of BLO with plenty of dry time, followed that with about half a dozen coats of Tru-Oil(the gunstock finish) and lightly buffed with a clean wheel.
Chris
Clockguy, I am using seasoned wood but most certainly not fence post age. When I'm out cutting firewood I toss all the knots and forks off to the side as they are not worth the hassle trying to split. I went back 10 months later and picked up part of the "trash" pile and this is what I used to cut all the scales from. Sent Dave nearly 100 pair if memory serves, sent 20-30 pair various other places and still probably have 40 pair remaining, along with a handful of blocks if I want to try it on a partial tang. BTW, I've still not got all that dust out of my shop! :grumpy:
Dave, I hand sanded this set up to 800 grit, gave it a couple liberal coats of BLO with plenty of dry time, followed that with about half a dozen coats of Tru-Oil(the gunstock finish) and lightly buffed with a clean wheel.
Chris
