More from the Grab Bag

These are a few of the little guys I got in the grab bag.  All but the laminate-handled one were pretty much finished.  I'm also getting pretty re-familiar with the belt sander.  It really takes a lot of handwork to take care of what could have been done carefully on the belt. All the transitions between material and all the curves smoothed makes the hand-sanding basically just polishing.

This is just like the one I worked over a couple days ago, except the blade is perfect. It was unfinished, but there was nothing materially wrong with this guy. They took the trouble to grind off the mark, but I can make out Sears.  Well-made, tight, with a nice, sharp blade. This is sanded to #400; a couple of more hours should make it real nice.

Intermission

This was one of the grab bag knives I got from SMKW. It was a well-made, unfinished lockback with the tip broken off. I sanded the blade about 90%, but since it's getting kind of thin, I stopped and sanded the handle and bolster pretty well. Just practice, really. 
I could spend a couple more hours detailing it, but it will never be more than a pretty utility knife. Did I mention that I can use the practice?

I'm starting on the bowie soon. I have a silver ingot I was thinking of using for a guard, but I've never worked with silver; I just know it's harder than brass.  I need to make a real precise rectangular square in it to fit the hilt, so I'm going to practice with some thin brass.  If the brass works well, I'll use it instead of the silver, and get some brass pins. I want to pin it for strength and a way to keep me from sanding off too much wood.  I want the bowie to come out 100%, so it may take awhile.

While Waiting for the Epoxy to Set

Here's my knife collection, including the "Cell Block" series.


This is most of the cell block series, good work knives, anyway. Note the two-handled "Mexican Fighting Knife". It may have been my first. Also note pop-rivets and sloppy glue work. Back to the grinder for those two at some point.


The one in the middle could be nice if I wanted to spend a lot of time getting the scratches out of the blade. After I finish the all the damascus.



The one on the right is the small-tang "Classic Modified" which I'll rehandle, the next is a french damascus folder that I was given. It's really nice. I could never do it. The next is a thrower blank I couldn't finish, because stainless is too hard to drill, I learned the hard way. I might put some sides on it if the glue holds on the damascus blanks.  On the left is my injun knife, or might have been if Indians had large, ugly copper rivets, a grinder and a drill press.