Newb w/a slab question

mauserdude67

mauserdude67

Joined
Oct 9, 2007
Messages
115
Hello, all. I truly admire the talent and taste demonstrated on this forum and I respect you all for the incredible craftsmanship exhibited. I've been soaking up as much info. as possible and I am in the process of building a few fixed-blade kits to get some basic experience. I've had the usual mixup's, faux pas, and assorted mistakes, but nothing out of the usual. So, to the "meat" of the matter. I have a very close friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer. She's been a good friend since I started my "career" 20 years ago and she loves knives. I want to make her a neck knife to try and lift her spirits and I want to use a combination of white corian and something pink (breast cancer awareness color). I'm not ready to gear up to make My-carta just yet, so that's out for now. I've seen a stabilized rock called rhodolite (sp?) that looks like a pink turquoise and it's close to what I'm wanting as far as color. I know pink is not a common knifemaker's color choice for scales but I don't want to use laminated wood if I don't have to.
Now my questions:
Would the stabilized rock product be durable enough for a neck knife? (remember I'll use some corian with it)
Are there any other pink handle materials available that would be durable and aesthetically pleasing?
Thanks to all for the excellent information on this website and thanks for any and all advice on my topic. -Greg
 
You don't want to get into dealing with rhodolite and any stone work. The equipment is not cheap or easy to use.

Go to a counter/cabinet shop and tell the fellow that you want a cut off of white corian and a small piece of pink corian. He probably will give you some sample blocks he has laying around.

Take the white piece and cut it to about 1.5X1.5X5". Now cut a diagonal line across the center of the block. Cut the pink piece to a strip about .75X2X2". Glue the pink piece in between the two white pieces where you made the diagonal cut. When the resin dries you will have a white block with a diagonal pink stripe running through it. Trim the block to make the sides straight. You can either use this block for a hidden tang knife. or rip it in half and make two scales. If using scales,a pink/red liner would really set it off . Hope this helps.
Stacy

BTW, If you can't find the corian (or don't have the table saw and belt sander), let me know and I'll laminate up the scales for you.Somewhere I have a box of sample blocks that were given to me.
Stacy
 
heatride said:
Hi and welcome to the forums . I use pink ivory wood from time to time. I got the last piece I used from http://www.alphaknifesupply.com It was stabilized .
Click to expand...

That's what I was going to say; find some pink ivory. Stabilized is better but it's pretty dense and I think it holds up fine unstabilized. AKS charges a heap for stabilized pink ivory, but there are other places to get it cheaper unstabilized. I believe Jantz supply also sells some fantasy marble or something along that line in pink and you can also find pink mother of pearl online at some sites. If you decide to go with stabilized pink ivory but can't find any let me know. I've been thinking about sending some in for stabilization but don't really need all that much so I may do it and sell you a set if your interested.
 
To add to that I believe this is the rhodonite you are talking about right? :

http://jantzsupply.com/cartease/item-detail.cfm?ID=GT507

Since this isn't real stone but instead reconstituted stone I have not found it all that difficult to work with and have worked with the reconstituted turquoise from Jantz. I treat it the same way I would micarta or stabilized wood. I usually shape it more by hand then with belts though because I have always been worried about it cracking or breaking though it seems to hold up well.
 
That is rhodonite. Yes,the reconstituted stuff is pretty easy to work with a belt sander.
Stacy
 
I have some pink pearl. I'll be glad to send you some. This is a paring knife the slabs at 60 grit, it will shine up better than pictured here
 
Sorry yeah I mispelled it b/c I was looking at his thread :) , but I think that must be what he is talking about with his mention about stabilized stone and that it looks like turquoise. Beside rhodolite is usually more red than pink and is used as faceted gemstones.
 
Yes, rhodolite is a variety of rose red garnet.

Rhodocrosite and rhodonite are pinkish minerals used for cabochon cutting and carving.

The stabilized stuff is made by grinding up low grade material, mixing it with pulverized coral ,and dying it,(creating powdered limestone, basically). It is then mixed with a plastic resin to create a dough. Dark veins are folded in with a dark colored resin being drizzled in. Then the whole mess is pressed into large blocks and cured. The blocks are sliced up on band saws and you get the slabs that are sold as "reconstituted stone". The reconstituted turquoise is done the same way.
Stacy
 
Sheffield Knife Supply carries G-10 Micarta scales in pink.
 
heatride- Thanks for the suggestion of pink ivory
bladsmith- I was thinking of that very design for the slabs, adding red liners and brass pins/lanyard tube would look classy. Thanks for the generous offer, too. I have a belt sander but not a table saw. If material turns out to be hard to find I may well take you up on the offer.
raythebigfoot- I appreciate the input on working the reconstituted stone, my wife took a look at the rhodonite sample picture in the Jantz catalog and said "Nope", so that's out for now.
Tommegow- the pearl looks great on that paring knife, polishing should only make it deeper and more radiant, right? I think that would be a beautiful addition to a white handle. Thank you for the offer and I may be back in touch when I finalize the handle materials and design.
fitzo- thanks for the hit on the pink G-10, that may very well be what I need to use.
Thanks everyone for the input. I logged in last night to check for any activity only to find 10 replies! Not just replies but generous advice and offers. You folks are truly the best.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top