New Tanto and funny story about its handle

Ivan Campos

Ivan Campos

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 4, 1999
Messages
2,509
I was finishing this Tanto II blade and remembered I had a piece of bone that could make a nice handle. I don´t use bone too often - this is my second bone handle - and am not too used to it. When I put it on my vise and tightened it to have it cut in two slabs, the bone piece cracked in two! But the best part is it cracked very close to where I wanted to saw it! :o Ok, I know I was lucky this time and will not try it again...
Well, on with the project I went. The slabs were profiled, then aged with potassium hipermanganate and after a night in the solution, they got a yellowish, mustard color that reminds old ivory a little. The 4 3/4" long 5160 steel blade was also aged a little and then after I installed the slabs, the handle was resin soaked, and you can see the result bellow. In the hand, it feels lsuper light and fast, like all of my Gen II blades.
Let me know how you like it.

istantoII434.jpg
 
Very Nice. I love your use of natural materials. That blade looks like a hell of a cutter.
 
I like your Idea of using the bone in the handle. I usually do rayskin but guess what I think the next one will be.
Thanks for the look-see.

Larry
 
Thanks for your comments, gentlemen.
Nowicky and Angryfish, I have used a lot of ray skin but wanted to use all the woods and other stuff I had access to and the results have been very good so far, but I have come back to ray skin for some handles lately.
 
Not much like bamboo. It is too yellow, in a different color and texture than bamboo.
 
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