Two epoxy handled Imperial Ireland campers

D

Don Luis

Joined
Dec 26, 2002
Messages
2,473
I liked the Barlow I rehandled in epoxy putty and decided to do more, here´s two Imperial Ireland campers, originally shell handled.

On the top one I kept the sheet metal bolsters and did epoxy putty scales with the material left over from the old Barlow.

On the bottom, one that I took all of the handles off, this one I had done before in wood and you may have seen it, I wasn´t too happy with it because the wood was kind of soft and got scratches and dents easy, so I took it off and did it again, I got new epoxy putty for this one, the shield is a Mexican five centavo coin and the simple jigging is made with a fingernail before the epoxy set.

Both got a coat of clear epoxy over the putty.

For the background I used a page from "The Gun Digest Book of Knives" 1973 by B.R. Hughes and Jack Lewis, that commemorative stockman was only $15.

campers2.jpg
 
Luis, I think you are onto something. I like it. And I wanna try it myself, having just the project knife in mind. I'll give it a try and post the results.
Phil
 
Epoxy putty is good and interesting material, being moldable there´s plenty that can be done with it, some comments based on the three I´ve made:

Don´t use 5 minute epoxy, it takes longer to work a scale.

It sticks to dry hands but can be worked with slightly wet fingers, keep a small container with water handy.

I tried to put a shield by just pressing it on, it didn´t work, it´s not that soft, I ended with a somewhat irregular scale from trying to force it in, next time I will form the whole scale, then carve a space in the general shape of the shield, put it in and mold the material around it (The other scale with no shield came out great).

The clear overcoat wasn´t a good idea, the clear epoxy doesn´t dry evenly, forming pits and irregularities and is not needed at all, the putty dries pretty and tough as it is.

Luis
 
Here´s my fourth epoxy handled knife, another Imperial Ireland camper, this one with jigging made by pressing in with the tip of a V gouge and I applied some brown leather dye. I´m running out of knives to play with epoxy putty, I may try a SAK next.

I also included another picture of the camper with coin shield after I sanded off the clear epoxy and retouched it a bit, It´s much nicer now.

Luis

campers3.jpg
 
That's nice work.

Ya know, I have some older camper patterns where the scales have shrunk or are damaged. This might be a neat solution to the problem.

Thanks for sharing...

Glenn
 
Same knives, more work.

I wasn´t happy with the jigging in that fourth knife, so I took out my Dremel, some sandpaper, thin paintbrush, black and brown leather dye and tried to simulate some kind of antler, came out fine I guess. I also used some brown dye on the coin shield knife to give it a nicer color.

I don´t really know how will the leather dye hold on the epoxy but it seems OK, time will tell.

Luis

campers4.jpg
 
Don Luis, I think you did quite nicely on those. I particularly like the way the one with the coin shield turned out, after all the work you did on that knife.
You must be tenacious as well as talented. :)

Bill
 
I did try to mix the dye with the epoxy as I blended the two parts together and it didn´t work, it wouldn´t blend and I just got my hands all dirty.

I´ve been carrying those last two for a few days, the dye in the one with the coin shield started peeling off just a little bit, it only had a thin layer that I applied and wiped with a tissue, I have retouched it and applied several layers, it is much darker now and I hope will hold much better.

I´m getting to really like my fourth one though it was kind of a beater and the blades show scratches and are irregularly dark, the carbon blades are sweet, the handles are rock solid, feel real good in the hand with those deep grooves and show no wear of the dye at all.

Update on the "marbled" epoxy handles.- because the old two part epoxy didn´t blend well these ones have a softer feel to them, not sticky or anything like that but If pressed on with a fingernail they will give and get a mark, I have applied a clear epoxy overcoat on both for a tougher finish, it should hold better though it wasn´t really necessary and as I mentioned before it looks better without it.

Luis
 
Don Luis.......those handles look great...I esp like the green one! :cool:
I remember (i think) your post on the Barlow also.........it has jogged a memory from the recent past. :eek:
I remember seeing both the Campers Knife and the Barlow.....both Imperials but packaged in a Coghlans blister pack.
I need to go back to that fishing store and grabem both!
They were fairly cheap....I think about 7 bucks in U.S. money........so next time I am near that store I will grabem....thanks to your post.
I know they will still be there when I go there because they were stuck on a corner wall with dust all over them. :D

Cheers,
Kap
 
Hello Don Luis, I hope you are well, between ping pong, leather work, and redoing knives I was wondering what you do in your spare time. I was thinking about you the other day when I ran across a rather unusual hatband ( it was on my hat ) I believe it was made in Mexico. Thanks again you are a good man and I appreciate the gesture when ever I see it. LT
 
Kap, those Imperials are decent knives, blades are good, handle scales can break but can be fiixed, I hope they are still made in Ireland, not China, I haven´t seen them in Mexico for a while but they were cheap here too.

LT, thanks for the kind words, I hope you are well too, you know, I don´t do leather work and haven´t played ping pong for a while, (I get dizzy playing with my bifocals). I do find it hard to stay still for long when I have free time, I guess I get bored easy. For show and tell, here´s a rattle I turned recently on the lathe for my baby niece:

Luis

rattle01.jpg
 
Now that is a dandy rattle knowing your degree of expertise I assume it is all carved from one piece of wood you know no glue just one block. Just jesting I am really the one to talk, the other day I inadvertantly knocked a picture off the wall which had to be re hung someone should do a comedy sketch about it the hole kept getting bigger I thought I would need new wall board luckily the picture when I finally got it done, covered the hole. Thats me Mr handy I ought to sell tickets when I start a project. You have a lucky niece to have you for an uncle. The only thing anyone ever tossed in my crib were emptys ( not always completly empty ) so at least I was a good baby and slept alot. LT
 
You are a fine man LT, I think your modesty cannot hide your talent.

And I´m here taking every chance to show off, yes the rattle is from a single block of wood. Here´s and older piece I made after reading a thread on whittling over at the General forums, two balls in a cylindrical cage, this one took a lot more work that the rattle:

Luis

cage1.jpg
 
WOW thats amazing, I was just kidding, I really did not think that was even possible the only time I ever saw anything close to that was in jail, a inmate took a block of wood and carved a 3 dimensional seahorse on a piece of seaweed and coral hard to explain but he used a dental mirror ( that in those days he had to have stolen) and a razor blade so the the seahorse was on the coral and seaweed and you could see behind it like it was floating and it was all from one piece of wood. ( NOTE this is not the best description I have ever written ). It took him about 2 years some how the time did not seem to bother him he had lots of it. Nice Job like I said downright amazing. LT
 
Luis, that is a beautiful piece of work. Your family is very lucky to have a talented guy like you. That rattle will last forever. Muy Bueno. You are quite an artist.

Are you sure you no longer play ping pong? What a shame ....I'll bet you had a great "Cut Shot."

Regards,

El Lobo
 
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