My first knife in 2016. )) Puukko "Unexpected". Randal Graham all of sudden gave me this blade and this is why the name. I hope Randal will come back to knife making soon. So, blade is hand forged Damascus, steels are 15N20 and 1095. Blade length is 105 mm, handle - 115. Handle is zebrano and reindeer antler with some Sami style carving. This is very simple, but surprisingly charming knife. It sits in the hand very nicely and every time I get this feeling that I don't want to put it back. Just want to keep it in my hand... ))) This is first time I have used zebrano on the knife handle, but I will do it again. As always, criticism and comments are very welcome and much appreciated. ))
Pretty hard to criticize that my friend. Very nice pieces as usual. Is zebrano the same as zebra wood? The grain contrast looks amazing. Also like the arrowheads as props to give it that ancient feel.
Wow. Overall really amazing work. The engraving is spectacular. The leatherwork on the sheath is really beautiful too.
Overall a beautiful knife, I really like the suttle etch of the damascus. Are those liners between the antler and wood on each end? Also, on the front face of the bolster next to the blade, did you just cut the antler exposing the inside? I Thought it would be more porous. How was it finished?
Thank you guys for your comments and compliments! )) Yes, those are liners. Nice looking, eh? Black paper/birch bark/black paper. Makes a nice contrast to both wood and antler and at same time looks good with wood. I came with this idea recently and now I use this combination pretty often... This is reindeer antler, this stuff tends to be more solid than white tail antlers. Also I search for those with as little pores as possible and I always fill exposed pores with extra liquid superglue to seal them off.
Beautiful knife Roman! I just love that engraving, it goes so well with the knife. I'm looking for moose antler to try my hands at engraving maybe next winter. I've checked your tutorial and I'm sure it's harder than you make it look. I'll start with something simple. Have you used moose antler for carving before? If so, how workable is it?
Thank you, @krash-bang! Yes, for the last two knives I used moose antler. It works fine, but I really prefer reindeer antler. Moose antler is good but it needs stabilization I think. The one I have has too much pores and it's a bit soft... If you happen to be near Halifax I can show you how carving is done. It's really simple, but it needs some practice... ))
You say simple, we see the end results....Yep no one believes that Not even going to show pictures of my first attempt, it went in the fire pit.
Excellent as always Roman! I didn't notice the liners at first till someone asked about them, very nice. I'll second the sentiment on the carving. I've tried a couple of times and the results have been less than stunning. Much more practice needed
Guys, Sami style carving is pretty much like handwriting or drawing. It's easy enough that everyone can learn it, but a lot of practice needed if you wish to maser it...
I might take you up on this Roman. I want to give it a try first though. I still have to line up some moose antler. Is there a perticular part of the antler that is more suited for carving? You mentionned it was porus. Is it porus the same all over the antler or are some parts more porus than others?
Just let me know a couple of days ahead that I could stock up on beer... )) Antler for handles must be very dry, this comes without saying. A year or so inside. Internal parts of the antler (moose or deer) are always very porous. It's just a proportion of pores/solid what plays role. This is very different from animal to animal. Some have a lot of pores, some just a little bit in the middle. Pores on moose antler are less visible and distinct from outer dense part, but they are there. Once you cut your antler you will see what I'm talking about. Example with reindeer antlers. Very good antler (excuse my Russian notes): And bad antler, almost useless without stabilization:
Beautiful. And yes , the liners are perfect. I thought they were carvings at first but they create a perfect ending ...(finial?) and transition between the materials. Inspiring as always. I have yet to post any knife on here yet as I only made a few... but after seeing your tutorial that Dan posted on here I made myself some small carving tools out of 1095 to practice with.
