Here is the first knife I made in 2019. The blade is forge finished 5160, fittings are mild steel, the handle is stabilized buckeye burl.
@Brad Very nice man, like the lighter colour choice of the wood contrast to the guard (which looks like it’s etched) and the forged scale.
I antiqued the guard by using cold blue then scrubbing most of it off. It is close to looking like the finish on a saddle worn Winchester
I really love that blade profile and the esthetic choices you made with it and the guard. However, I think it would look even better with a deer antler grip. The burl is almost “too pretty”, if you know where I’m coming from. Great job though!
Gorgeous knife. I love the burl and the lanyard hole. Beautiful contrast with the unfinished part of the blade and the edge. A+
I shouldn't have graded the knife. I'm not really qualified. I only mean that I really like it. Sorry.
I'm not a fan of deer antler for handles. I was going for a Lin Rhea look. He pairs modern highly finished handles with forge finished blades. Everyone has different tastes
