Twisted Damascus 'keyhole' Fleur-De-Lis Bird N' Trout

beautiful knife, I've never seen that handle technique before, very clever. Now you've started something, I bet we'll se more of this now.

Red
 
Thankyou all very much for the kind words, it means alot coming from from such talented makers. The handle construction is something I learned from Rodrigo Sfreddo in Brazil and is original to him as far as I know, the merovingian damascus is also a favorite of his.

Mike Quesenberry said:
That is waaaaaay cool! How long have you been doing this knife thing? Cause it looks like you've been doing it forever.
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I started forging blades at 17 but really got serious about 4 years ago. I've been making knives just long enough to know how much I have to learn!

ryan9977 said:
a question if i may.....how i sthe wood joined to the metal?....is there some sort of epoxy?....i would think with such a tight fit any glue would squeeze out?....is it just fit that tight that it doesn't need glue?......any concerns about the wood shrinking or expanding?.....ryan
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The wood is press fit with some spring tension on it from the handle. Having had to remove two previous tries (without any glue yet, I wasn't happy with the fit) I can tell you - it ain't comin' outa there! Sfreddo uses some magic Brazilian glue that penetrates amazingly through any joint...we've got to get ahold of that in the states somehow. Like a full tang knife you always cringe at the thought of shrinkage, all you can do is keep your wood in a dry box with a light so it's as dry or drier than the customer's environment. Adam made and carries a similar knife on his belt every day and it's held up to his Alaskan abuse so far.

Looking forward to seeing all our friends in Atlanta and meeting new ones...counting down the days!

-HD
 
Sfreddo's influence is obvious. Your knife is awsome though ! I hope to see more from you in the future.
 
wooooooow! That's really good Haley, congratulations! I'm glad I'm right behind you and Adam at the Blade, so I can keep my eyes on you guys!
And congratulations for theJS knives also, very good indded!

See you guys soon!
 
That is some truly inspiring work, and a quite unusual construction. Y'all do great work, but I suspect doing it together is more important than the end result. Bless y'all, stunning craftsmanship in that piece.
 
Rodrigo Sfreddo said:
wooooooow! That's really good Haley, congratulations! I'm glad I'm right behind you and Adam at the Blade, so I can keep my eyes on you guys!
And congratulations for theJS knives also, very good indded!

See you guys soon!
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Thankyou! We're really looking forward to sharing an aisle ...I just hope we can be a good example of why everyone should take the Sfreddo Integral Class! Can't wait to see what you've been working on and hear how your new shop is coming along.

'Hot-lanta' here we come!

-Haley
 
Haley,

That is REALLY fine work - I am sure Rodrigo is quite proud of such a student!

Bill
 
I know it's an older thread, but I was on a keyhole integral web tangent and found this again- so I thought I'd bump it to the top one more time by saying Damn, that is an Amazing Knife! I have so many questions about this process... like how do you get a good clean etch and contrast on that damascus with the wood right there. And, is slight tapering of the inlay edges part of the process for a tight fit, etc. Maybe it's one of those things I have to suffer through teaching myself to deserve the ability... I've not yet found a detailed WIP of keyhole construction anywhere.
 
lovley knife and very interesting process as I might imagine it would be!

Steve
--------
Member, W.F. Moran Jr. Foundation
 
Salem Straub said:
I know it's an older thread, but I was on a keyhole integral web tangent and found this again- so I thought I'd bump it to the top one more time by saying Damn, that is an Amazing Knife! I have so many questions about this process... like how do you get a good clean etch and contrast on that damascus with the wood right there. And, is slight tapering of the inlay edges part of the process for a tight fit, etc. Maybe it's one of those things I have to suffer through teaching myself to deserve the ability... I've not yet found a detailed WIP of keyhole construction anywhere.
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Didn't expect to see this thread again, thanks for the encouragement guys. So the wood is covered with nail polish to protect it from the etchant and also the hot Parkerizing solution. The wood is chamfered slightly on the 'leading edge' but the metal and main part of the handle material is as square as you can get it otherwise it will look great from one side and gap on the other. We say "Third time's the charm" be prepared to shove several pieces of expensive hardwood through the handle before you get what you're looking for. I'm not the expert on this by any means but it sure is fun!
 
Haley, what do you do to the wood to get rid of the nail polish and shine the handle up after you etch and parkerize the knife?
 
Acetone takes it off and the wood has been taken to a final finish before the etching so a little steel wool or 1500 grit paper shines it up again. Just make sure you let the wood shrink back down after all that liquid. If you succumb to the urge to sand it flush so you can get that little black shadow off the Damascus around it you'll have a divot when it dries. Just put it away for a few days and it all comes flush again, then you can get to that spot without removing any wood.
 
Thanks for bumping this one up Salem, I had the same questions as you.

Plus I always wondered how such a tight fit was achieved and never thought it was pressed in. Thanks for sharing Haley.
 
man that is awesome! I would never have the patience needed to pull tat off, even if I could
 
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