Raymond Richard

I found the horse head on the blade. I win.... Really nice work of art! Exceptional....

Adam, I use a rotary tool and carbide burr with light pressure, then etch, clean with steel wool or light wire brush and then cold blue and steel wool a second time.

Thanks! Cranking is pretty strong, its more like piddling.

Other than putting edges on the blades these two are finally done. Its been years since I have used any of this African Blackwood so I gave it a try. The bowie has a 7" blade and is 12" overall. The guard is mild steel and the other fitting are wrought iron. Pretty sure the blade is W-5 but it could be W-2. It was a blade I have had around for years that I never got around to finishing. The hunter has a 4 1/2" 1080A blade and is just over 8". It has mild steel fittings. First pure stock removal blade I had made in several years.

Well done!

All 3 knives look like great users. As for the wood here's my guess: https://www.wood-database.com/bulletwood/

It looks like the birthing of a tanto. Did you know Dave Lisch lives in the Olympia area now. He did have blade smithing classes when he lived in Seattle. Not sure now since he moved. Pretty sure he has a website.

You just kilt a tree......... You've really been doing great work over the last several years. I still remember meeting you at the Spirit of Steel show a week or two after 911. What is the handle material?

#1 This knife was a royal pain. First time using a piece of impala horn. The blade was part of another knife I assembled at least 15 years ago. It just didn't look right in the configuration it was in before and there were times I wish I had left it alone. The older I get I find if I take to long a break from knife making the longer it takes me to remember how to do things so most my time was spent relearning what I had forgotten. I can't remember what steel was used for the blade but I recall using 1060 or 1065 back about that time. The blade is 7 1/2" and the over all knife is just over 12". The guard is wagon wheel wrought iron and the butt is mild steel. Now to see if I remember how to attach a photo.

Gary, How many elves are hanging out in your shop? What wood did you use for the handles? Nice looking work!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hupmobile James, when my friend told me he had a leaf spring from a Hupmobile I thought he was messing with me. I was thinking clown car. I have no idea as to the year of the car. Here's a link that has some information on this brand of car: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hupmobile

Vern, I had a very similar thought. Hood ornaments. Casting is something I have never done. I like your work......

A good friend of mine salvaged a leaf spring from a old rusted out Hupmobile that came with some property he hand purchased. He gave me a leaf spring from it several years ago and have now forged a couple blades from it so far. Pretty sure just by working with this steel I believe it to be 1050 in its simplest form. By far the easiest steel I have ever hand forged as far as I can remember. Have had good luck quenching it in water but will also harden up in oil. I had purchased some buggy wagon springs in Montana several years ago and now believe these springs are also 1050. Did another mustard patina on this blade, not sure if the antler I used is from a deer or an elk, and the fittings are mild steel. Extra: built in gyroscope allows knife to stand on its on...... HUP-2 was used in the making of this knife.

Wes, I think you should make more knives. The whole knife looks great!

Thanks for the reply's. I probably gave this project more thought than how long it took me to actually put it together. Wasn't real crazy about the blade shape and also had thought about making it a double bevel. It was the first stock removal blade for me in a long time. Good thing I had a jig I made for grinding bevels. That grinding was more work than I remembered. I even wore a mask....... My first choice for handle material is some type of antler. Finding a straight'ish one was a challenge. I've just been using mild steel for the fittings since January. The wrought iron was a lot more work. Looking forward to see what the other makers come up with.