This is my third completed knife. This one is 1095 steel, about a 3 1/2" blade and approximate 4" birdseye maple scales. I hand finished to 600 grit and put a very light wood stain on it before several coats of boiled linseed oil. Also hand finished the blade to 600 grit and finished with a scotch brite pad.
Biggest "cootie" I see is I overdrilled the hole for the brass lanyard tube and you can see the epoxy line. Overall I'm pleased with the outcome.
These are the first three completed knives. All are 1095 steel. I've profiled some of these in 440C but I'll send them out for heat treating.
The one on the top was the first completed knife. I made multiple cuts through cardboard, whittled down a 2 x 4, batoned though some seasoned oak firewood with a piece of 2" seasoned oak kindling, then whittled that stick of kindling to a point, ended with whittling several sticks to points. There was no chipping of the blade edge nor curling or bending. Outside of scratches on the blade there was no damage. Two-three dozen passes on a fine stone put a reasonably sharp edge back on the blade. It seemed difficult to get the initial edge on the blade and I thought perhaps it was too hard. But the results of the tests on this blade were positive overall.
I now have some 1094 steel and will make the next batch of blades from that.