Suggestions Please

peter nap

peter nap

Joined
Nov 27, 1999
Messages
3,745
This is the blade I got from Mark. Everything is roughed out now but I need some ideas especially on spacers and the butt cap.
All steel will be rust blued and the bleached Cow bone handle will get a tea soak.

Other than that, I'm open to suggestion!
Thanks
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Oh! I get it... you want a suggestion on how to finish the knife *chuckle*

Silly me. ;)

Hmm... when I see that knife I see hooves. Don;t ask me why, but I do. There is a hoof in that knife. How about you file-out a nice cloven deer-hoof-shaped pommel? That would kind of look nice with the rest of the style of the blade and guard I think.
 
How about a hollow acorn shaped piece for a pommel. No spacers with just some scrimshaw on the bone, maybe a cowboys and Indians stick figure battle scene. I'm not joking :) I was planning on doing that with wire inlay on a wooden handle. A metal arrowhead inlay with a single pin through it would be neat.
 
peter nap said:
Gee....thanks Jeff. You look at my knife and see a cloven Hoof :eek:
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Sheesh no! I mean the style of a hoof is nice as a pommel in some knives. Heck you wanna see "devilish" ?? Check out my ol' lady. She's premenstrual right now, and she's also in the beginning stages of menopause. Hell, I ain't done nothing right in WEEKS! ;) :D
 
OK...I'm still looking for suggestions on the butt cap. The handle is about 1.5" too long but I don't want to shorten it until I decide on the cap.

I've shaped the handle now and the guard and blade are in the boiling water. This is the last step in rust bluing. It has a beautiful blue black patina like it would if it were made in the mid 1800's. That's the time period I'm shooting for.

I'm not sure a carved cap is the way to go. The rest of the knife is pretty simple. I have seen some with a domed walnut butt and am considering that. Simple steel might be the answer too.
 
John, If this is too personal, just ignore it and chalk it up to rude mountain folks but....I've wanted to know which Indian tribe you come from since I read your profile.
 
John Andrews said:
What Mark says, only, show us Indians winning!
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Good one John . Cherokee myself. :)

How about a couple of copper spacers or better yet a copper ferrule behind the guard. Copper end cap would look good too.
 
Here's a couple of ideas -
buttcap-1.jpg


buttcap-2.jpg


Material:
1) mild steel with no spacer or better yet wrought iron buttcap and a WI ferrule
2) copper and copper ferrule or spacer
3) or hey I know - now that you like brass..... :D
 
Peter - I'm sure it's no secret :confused: that I'm not a bright and shiny kind of guy (nothing against just not my cuppa) and I feel the same way in general about brass - much preferring copper - but when "aged" oh my it can look good!

Still for that knife if I had my druthers I'd use WI if available

BTW - those buttcaps are from some of Swamp Fox knives work.

After the tea soak a coat or three or four of linseed oil/varnish (your flinter gunstock stuff for instance or ala EK) really helps it get "the look".
 
BTW - those butt caps are from some of Swamp Fox knives work.

Now you tell me. I was out turning one on the lathe. :D I don't have enough meat on the handle to make it perfectly round but I am going to try an egg shape version without the bezel.

Thanks Chuck...that is the perfect type of thing I was looking for, just couldn't visualize it!
 
Now you have a style worked out have you considered the old wrought iron as the material. I don't mean steal actual iron from old bolts and railway spikes from 100 years ago. I use it for making items that don't need to hold an edge. The impurities in the iron give the ability to etch it and leave a pattern similar to damascus.

The other nice thing about it is it is rust resistant compeared to modern steel and it tends to turn black. I collect mine from old railway lines in the bush that have had the rails removed and old demolished buildings.

You have to get it hot to work it or it sometimes cracks. If you have plenty of time and no iron I could send you a small piece. It would be from the 1896 railway to the Western Australia goldfields (Kalgoorlie)
 
Whichever way you go Peter, it's going to look good! I'm looking forward to a completed knife photo. Myself, I love copper and WI.
 
peter nap said:
John, If this is too personal, just ignore it and chalk it up to rude mountain folks but....I've wanted to know which Indian tribe you come from since I read your profile.
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Heck, no, Don! I'm a mix of Sioux and Fox, actually. Hey, how about hammered copper? The two iron pieces you pictured look really good, too. By the way, they don't come any better than good ol' mountain folks!
 
I would use a pommel that would match the guard, no spacers just plain. It would be a neat period knife. Gib
 
that is the perfect type of thing I was looking for, just couldn't visualize it!
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Peter that is one of the reasons I do so much research including looking at other people's work - such as those Swamp FOx knives. Especially whenever I hit a dry spell (aka having a brain fart :rolleyes: ) I look for inspiration elsewhere - unashamedly and unabashedly.
The old saw "Man is not an island" certainly holds true when one is looking for inspiration - everyone is influenced to some degree by other's work and there is nothing wrong IMNSHO opinion in even "copying" certain ideas especially when first starting out - the trick is to take those influences/inspirations and turn them into your own style, but that can take time so I say don't sweat it. Just keep at it and it will come.
 
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