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- Mar 4, 2014
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- 3,646
A couple weeks ago I got the hankerin to try playing with some silver. A number of years ago I purchased some silver bullion coins (when the market was at an all time high of course). So since it's lost 60-70% of what I paid, I decided to just play with it. 
My first instinct was to make a ring, because I sort of "grew out of" my wedding ring a number of years ago. So the ring in the pic was pounded out of 2 quarter oz .999 silver coins.
Then it hit me....I really need some bling on my carry knives.
The bead in the pic is really just twisted, pure silver jewelry wire, with a few dremel cutoff wheel hits. I wanted some antiquing on it, but didn't know how to go about it. I tried all kinds of chemicals I had around the house from Clorox to lemon juice, but nothing touched it. It just kept gleaming as if to say, "you can't break me."
So I turned to that crazy web place, and found someone suggesting boiled egg. Eh, can't hurt, at least I'd get lunch out of it. So I boil an egg, pop half in my mouth, the other half in a bag with the silver. Sure enough, in an hour or two, my silver wrap was dark charcoal. Just what I wanted. Finally took off the top tarnish with a buffer, to leave just enough dark in the corners and crevices to add a little character. If I were to make another just like this one, I'd probably tarnish before the dremel, and just leave the somewhat jeweled dremel marks in bright silver.
Now my mind is turning with all kinds of lanyard pull ideas. If only I had the time. I've got soooo many knives that could use a lanyard makeover. Maybe sometime I'll get around to trying another. I think the next one will be pounded out of a coin like the ring, only much smaller and wider. Thinking something thick, with just a bit of weight, and about 3/8" long.
Feel free to critique. It's my first, and I tend to change hobbies like I change underwear.
Ok, maybe not that often, but you get the idea. From sky diving to embroidery, rock climbing to leather work. The only things that have stuck from childhood/pre-teens well into multiple mid-life crisis', are knives, guns, and motorcycles.
Anywhoo.....here's da pic.
My first instinct was to make a ring, because I sort of "grew out of" my wedding ring a number of years ago. So the ring in the pic was pounded out of 2 quarter oz .999 silver coins.Then it hit me....I really need some bling on my carry knives.
The bead in the pic is really just twisted, pure silver jewelry wire, with a few dremel cutoff wheel hits. I wanted some antiquing on it, but didn't know how to go about it. I tried all kinds of chemicals I had around the house from Clorox to lemon juice, but nothing touched it. It just kept gleaming as if to say, "you can't break me." So I turned to that crazy web place, and found someone suggesting boiled egg. Eh, can't hurt, at least I'd get lunch out of it. So I boil an egg, pop half in my mouth, the other half in a bag with the silver. Sure enough, in an hour or two, my silver wrap was dark charcoal. Just what I wanted. Finally took off the top tarnish with a buffer, to leave just enough dark in the corners and crevices to add a little character. If I were to make another just like this one, I'd probably tarnish before the dremel, and just leave the somewhat jeweled dremel marks in bright silver.
Now my mind is turning with all kinds of lanyard pull ideas. If only I had the time. I've got soooo many knives that could use a lanyard makeover. Maybe sometime I'll get around to trying another. I think the next one will be pounded out of a coin like the ring, only much smaller and wider. Thinking something thick, with just a bit of weight, and about 3/8" long.
Feel free to critique. It's my first, and I tend to change hobbies like I change underwear.
Ok, maybe not that often, but you get the idea. From sky diving to embroidery, rock climbing to leather work. The only things that have stuck from childhood/pre-teens well into multiple mid-life crisis', are knives, guns, and motorcycles.Anywhoo.....here's da pic.
