Here's some kits I made.

[GaryF52]

These are some of my more recent efforts.

This one is the Maverick Hunter from Knifekits.com.
I rounded the profile of handle at the butt end.
Wood is ash. What looks like a pattern in the blade is just a reflection.
I didn't like the mirror finish the blade came with so I matted it with a scotch bright pad.




This blade came from Snake River Knives.
I made handle and the scabbard out of walnut.
The scalloped scales give a rather comfortable grip.
Knife is about 7 5/8 inches in lenght.







I really enjoy making and using these knives. I also enjoy seeing and learning from the efforts of others on this forum.
Gary.

[MSWallace]

Gary, Great looking knives, excellent work. Thanks for sharing your photos.

I've got a couple questions; on the Maverick Hunter what did you you use for the white spacer? I haven't seen spacer material that thick, it looks good. I've read about using Scothbrite pads on blades but haven't tried it. What grit, color, did you use?

Mike

[GaryF52]

Mike, Thanks for your comments.

The white spacer is just a piece of corian I cut from a larger slab. I don't know what grit of pad I used on the Maverick. I think it was a purple pad that is used for cleaning metal. I was not able to eliminate the scratch pattern on the blade, but at least it's fairly even. Would welcome any suggestions for producing a smooth matte finish next time.

Gary

[MSWallace]

Gary,

There's a bunch of great tutorials here at The Knife Network:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/workshop/index.shtml

There's a tutorial on that page on hand rubbing a blade that you might find helpful:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/workshop...ng_evans.shtml

I like the looks of the damascus knife you displayed above. I haven't yet purchased a damascus blade but am looking forward to trying one. I have some scraps of black walnut I've been thinking of milling down for a handle. Did you half the material you made the sheath from, or hollow it out from a solid block?

Your corian spacer idea prompted me to dig around in the garage for materials I might use for spacers. I found these samples of Lutron coverplates that I think might work well for spacers, there not as thick as your corian spacer but they are thicker than the vulcanized materials I've been using......



I look forward to seeing more of your work.
Mike

[GaryF52]

Originally Posted by MSWallace

Gary,

I like the looks of the damascus knife you displayed above. I haven't yet purchased a damascus blade but am looking forward to trying one. I have some scraps of black walnut I've been thinking of milling down for a handle. Did you half the material you made the sheath from, or hollow it out from a solid block?
Mike

I cut the wood for the scabbard into 2 pieces, but not right and left sides. It's split top and bottom. You can barely make out the division in the photo. It runs from about the point of the scabbard to the lower part of the ricasso.

I slotted each piece to roughly match the profile of the blade using a slot cutter bit on my router table. Then glued it back up and shaped the exterior.

I wanted to blend the scabbard with the handle a little more gracefully but, alas, my woodcarving skills are not quite there yet.