Tlingit inspired Raven knife

I think it is great that you make stuff outside the box. This is a cool knife project, seahawks one is next? lol. Keep up the creativity!
 
Thanks, Mike.

As Eisman suggested the "sun" needed rounding, so I did that yesterday. It won't just be a round flat disk either, it is domed. I also did a little moreshaping on the beak sections, not changing the profile, but getting them closer to the edge they will eventually have.

I also spent some time yesterday prepping the gold pieces that I'm currently considering for the eyes. I think I have the pieces chosen, and will begin shaping them later this week. The pieces I selected are cut from a tiny 1940s 10K white gold ladies watch case back. Since I can't do niello (more's the pity), I'll probably end up with the small gold glyphs held in place by the steel pin (domed/peened in the center).

Today I started sanding the blade. It always amazes me how much difference even just a little hand sanding makes in the piece.

- Greg
 
I just returned from my vacation trip to Yellowstone. In the small tourist trap known as West Yellowstone, I encountered this fellow, whom I presume to be a real raven. Ironically, the best place to photograph this guy is at McDonald's. He took little notice of me, though I was only two feet away.

RavenYS.jpg


Before leaving the area, one of his brethren gifted me with two feathers... one apparently a flight feather (about 12 inches long), the other I can't identify, but it's only 4 inches long. Thanks, master raven. Your gift will not be wasted.

- Greg
 
Nice pic.

If you could have stepped to the right and crouched down a bit, you would have never known it was in town at all.
 
I just stumbled into this thread. It was a joy.

I liked tryppyr's original image of "Raven Steals Sun."

I truly enjoyed the creativity in this thread and the gentle way information was conveyed and shared. I will follow some of the suggestions for my own research.

I am not a knife maker, I just like interesting images of knives or nature.

I am often amazed by the creativity shown by Makers on BF.

My Thanks to all.

Mike H.
 
Having gotten a better view of the raven, I changed the blade to match what I see... much in line with Eisman's suggestions.

DSCN6097.JPG



DSCN6098.JPG
 
The last thing I really needed to do before sending this off for HT was to drill the eye hole. Based on the photos I brought back from Yellowstone, I wasn't happy with the placement where it was marked before, so I filed and sanded that mark away and set the new one in line with the beak. The result is shown below.

DSCN6099.JPG


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Not to say I don't like what you've done, because I do. But what I envisioned when after reading the first post is a wooden handle shaped and painted like the first picture with a nessmuk blade attached.
 
bladsmth said:
Much better. Now, Greg, lets get it finished.
Click to expand...

That's the plan.

I've got the blade packaged and ready to send off for HT. Now I'm turning my attention to the handle again. I've already hollowed the antler on one side and drilled the hole through it to allow the rod to secure the blade in place. Now I'm working on the leather and feather exterior, so that when the blade is ready I can just quickly assemble all the parts.

- Greg
 
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Couple of progress shots for the handle.

First step was to cut a piece of rawhide to size, wet it to soften it, then wrap it around the antler, and bind it tightly with rubber bands to make it hold the shape while drying. I also cut the hole where the tang will go, but that may end up being superfluous.

DSCN6101.JPG


Next I prepared some of the feathers for use as dangling adornments. Having seen how this was done on a stone axe, I followed a similar pattern. I cut small strips of leather that will match the wrap of the handle. Then I applied Barge cement to the end of the feather, laid it at the end of a leather strip, and securely wrapped the feather and leather together with dental floss, tied off the ends and let the glue hold down the small loose ends.

DSCN6102.JPG


I'm not sure which (or how many) of the feathers to use, but I'll figure that out when the time comes.
 
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You've put a lot of work into this, and it's really coming together. Congratulations!
 
I know this seems to be taking forever, but if anyone is interested the largest part of the problem is that my day job suddenly has me traveling and working long hours. I'm just back from another business trip and already have to plan the next.

Anyway, I decided what to do about the eye. All along I wanted the glyph to be more than just a differential etch. So I contacted Ernie and got a stencil made of the glyph. I'll center that over the existing hole and do a deep etch, then do the differential FC etch on the whole piece, and fill the hole with a contrasting metal.

Of course, there's still the work situation to contend with, so this won't happen overnight.

(sigh)

- Greg
 
Greg, those Montana images are amazing. Never seen a wild corvid of any kind that would allow such close approach. And, yes, that is a bona fide raven. Your knife looks outstanding!
 
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