Zuluninja
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2009
- Messages
- 2,795
Sometimes I get bored and start a random project to practice different skills. This time, the victim was a Cold Steel Bushman. It had been convexed some time ago, but I decided it could be made more utilitarian and use some bling.
I like the bushman logo, so it was deep etched prior to stripping the black paint but just on the blade. Some light sanding and it was ready for some acid etching. I decided to keep up with the african motiff, so both sides of the blade got african wildlife designs. This side there's a lioness stalking a buffalo thru the grass:
The other side got a running cheetah:
I was reluctant to try it but decided that a stripped bladeneeded some protection so it got blued and finished with 1500 grit paper. The lioness/buffalo scene was not as deeply etched as the cheetah but it still can be seen:
But that wouldn't be enough. Something had to be done about the handle. A piece of veg-tan leather was measured, cut and tooled with a zulu shield and 2 assegai...
then glued with g-flex epoxy to the handle after lacing the borders in a double loop pattern, same pattern used to close it up after the epoxy dried. The leather was then stained, sealed, antiqued and waxed.
There's no way I was gonna let it be sheathed in the original thing it came with. The same veg-tan herman oak leather was used to make a throated scabbard that was wet molded and then tooled with a lion's head, following the same process as the handle wrap, and finished with the same double loop lacing
The last touch was to tightly fit a piece of cork inside the handle and then adding a fire kit baggie (matches, char-cloth and a fire straw) stoppered by a rubber cane tip made to fit the hole and grooved for a pretty snug fit
And this are the rest of the pics. I might part with this one but not sure yet. Hope u peeps like it.
I like the bushman logo, so it was deep etched prior to stripping the black paint but just on the blade. Some light sanding and it was ready for some acid etching. I decided to keep up with the african motiff, so both sides of the blade got african wildlife designs. This side there's a lioness stalking a buffalo thru the grass:
The other side got a running cheetah:
I was reluctant to try it but decided that a stripped bladeneeded some protection so it got blued and finished with 1500 grit paper. The lioness/buffalo scene was not as deeply etched as the cheetah but it still can be seen:
But that wouldn't be enough. Something had to be done about the handle. A piece of veg-tan leather was measured, cut and tooled with a zulu shield and 2 assegai...
then glued with g-flex epoxy to the handle after lacing the borders in a double loop pattern, same pattern used to close it up after the epoxy dried. The leather was then stained, sealed, antiqued and waxed.
There's no way I was gonna let it be sheathed in the original thing it came with. The same veg-tan herman oak leather was used to make a throated scabbard that was wet molded and then tooled with a lion's head, following the same process as the handle wrap, and finished with the same double loop lacing
The last touch was to tightly fit a piece of cork inside the handle and then adding a fire kit baggie (matches, char-cloth and a fire straw) stoppered by a rubber cane tip made to fit the hole and grooved for a pretty snug fit
And this are the rest of the pics. I might part with this one but not sure yet. Hope u peeps like it.
:thumbup: