Tuna Valley Photography

[Rookie82]

This is a Old Man Norman prototype from 2021. It has "Mystic Sea" acrylic handles.

 

[birdsbeaks]

This is one of the Old Man Norman's in Green Maple Burl from 2021.
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Very nice photo! I've got a nail-breaking Phoenix Jack with these covers and you've done a great job at the difficult task of capturing all the color in there - in dim light, you don't see any of that awesome burl action!

 

[Rookie82]

Very nice photo! I've got a nail-breaking Phoenix Jack with these covers and you've done a great job at the difficult task of capturing all the color in there - in dim light, you don't see any of that awesome burl action!

Yeah I had to play around a bit to get the camera to pick up the depth of the handle character.

 

[Rookie82]

Another Old Man Norman prototype. This one with copper bolsters.

 

[birdsbeaks]

Hey Rookie82 - In another thread focused exclusively on Titusville Cutlery (in which I'd already been warned about posting Tuna pics... ) you asked to see the result if and when I got around to adding an easy-open notch to my nail-mangling Phoenix Jack covered in green maple burl.

I think it came out alright. It's nice to be able to open the blade and still have my thumbnail intact. This is the first such (read: potentially destructive) mod I've ever performed on a slipjoint knife. In a perfect world I would have practiced on a Rough Ryder or similar, but this is not a perfect world and so instead I figured "oh hell, lets just do it live" - fortunately, she seems to have survived the ordeal.

321Bandaid - this may also be relevant to your interests.

 

[Rookie82]

Hey Rookie82 - In another thread focused exclusively on Titusville Cutlery (in which I'd already been warned about posting Tuna pics... ) you asked to see the result if and when I got around to adding an easy-open notch to my nail-mangling Phoenix Jack covered in green maple burl.

I think it came out alright. It's nice to be able to open the blade and still have my thumbnail intact. This is the first such (read: potentially destructive) mod I've ever performed on a slipjoint knife. In a perfect world I would have practiced on a Rough Ryder or similar, but this is not a perfect world and so instead I figured "oh hell, lets just do it live" - fortunately, she seems to have survived the ordeal.

321Bandaid - this may also be relevant to your interests.

That turned out really well I would say! Good job. The handles sure are beautiful on that one.

 

[Rookie82]

Keeping on the Old Man Norman train, here are 2 of the normal production releases. Mammoth Ivory from 2021, and Burnt Stag from 2022.

 

[Rookie82]

Another production Old Man Norman release, this was the 2021 release in Catalina Wine Mixer bone.

 

[Rookie82]

This Old Man Norman was a 1 piece special prototype with handles by Mammoth Mike. Yellow mammoth tooth handles, and a rooster shield.

 

[Rookie82]

This is a production Old Man Norman in Buffalo Horn handles from 2022.

 

[Rookie82]

I should be on track for showing my entire Tuna Valley collection here by New Years. Only a few handfuls still to go. After that, I'll just post here when I have new ones to show.

Next up, the production run of the Old Man Norman in 2022 in Amber Stag.

 

[Rookie82]

Another Old Man Norman, this was part of the Cultured Artistry Collection series in 2022. Green mammoth tooth, and a "tree of life" shield. A lot of folks commented that the shield too closely resembled the Boker logo, so no others were made after this 1 release.

 

[Rookie82]

Here is the last Old Man Norman that I have to show. It is a prototype done by Oiseau Metal Arts with fluted ivory and Mayan art theme engraving.

 

[Rookie82]

To go along with the previous prototype, this was another prototype by Oiseau Metal Arts done on the Old Man Jack pattern, with the same theme.

 

[drj211]

I gave one of these away several years back and have regretted it ever since. With the help of Rookie82 , finally found another!

 

[Rookie82]

I gave one of these away several years back and have regretted it ever since. With the help of Rookie82 , finally found another!

That's a beauty. Great chunk of stag for such a little knife!

 

[drj211]

That's a beauty. Great chunk of stag for such a little knife!

Both sides match very well.

 

[Rookie82]

This past summer there was a run of new knife picks by a different knifemaker. These were marked "1st Run". They came in 3 different handle types: Burnt Stag, Mammoth Ivory, and Burnt Orange Burl.

 

[Rookie82]

Finishing out the year showing a few more Tuna Valley knives. This is the newest one to my collection, the last of the Phoenix Jack releases. This one in Gaboon Ebony wood with Raindrop Damascus blade.

 

[Rookie82]

The last one is this unique 1 piece prototype. It is called the "Pathfinder" and was built on the Phoenix Jack frame. This was a test to try out some possibilities for future runs, including: a small recessed EO to reach the nail pull, fluted/lined bolsters, laser etching on the blade, compass insert in the handle, and a different type of handle material (in this case, compressed hemp wood).