need handle material that looks like diamond, sorta

[gandalf23]

My best friend is about to celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary, so I thought I'd make him a knife.

A year and a half ago I made some for the groomsmen at my wedding, so I thought I'd do something a bit like that:



For the groomsman's knife pictured, he had been to Africa, so there was a zebra wood spacer, he likes to hunt, hence the camo spacer, and he is a big coffee drinker, so there is a spacer made of plastic with coffee beans impregnated in it in the center. I did similar stuff for the other groomsmen.

For my buddy's wedding anniversary knife it'll have a spacers of wood from Canada and Guatemala (where she was raised and born) and Texas and Norway (where he's from and where his family is from). It'll have a piece of circuit board as a spacer since they met on the internet.

I'd like the middle of the handle to be a spacer of brass on either side of something that looks diamond-ish, kinda to symbolize the engagement ring. (on the groomsman's knife above the middle is two pieces of aluminium surrounding the coffee)

Any thoughts on what material would look kinda diamond-y? Maybe sparkly or clear?

My wife suggested quartz, but I was thinking something in an acrylic or plastic. I am not sure I could grind on quartz, or cut a hole in it for that matter. I have some faux pearl material and will use that if I can't find anything else. (used it on this knife, here: http://gallery.gandalf23.com/v/knives/weston/SDC11059.JPG.html )

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[SVanderkolff]

Get some preset zirconia and inset those into the the spacer all the way around.

[Ray Rogers]

Not to be a wet blanket but the 60th wedding anniversary is the one traditionally symbolized by diamonds. Believe it or not, tin is used to symbolize the 10th anniversary. I'm not exactly sure what you can do with that information, just trying to keep you out of potential trouble. "Yes dear, I know diamonds are for the 60th and we've only been married for 10 but, honestly, it feels like 60. Ow! That didn't come out the way I wanted it to...."

BTW, I think what you've been doing is very clever and I'm sure you'll come up with something to fit the occasion ....

[Doug Lester]

yer right, Ray. Women can be real oversensitive. One time I went to say good-by to my first wife when I was leaving for work. She had both dogs up in the bed with her and I scratched all three of them behind the ear. Silly woman, she didn't understand that I meant that as a compliment.

Doug

[Cthulhu]

Originally Posted by Doug Lester

yer right, Ray. Women can be real oversensitive. One time I went to say good-by to my first wife when I was leaving for work. She had both dogs up in the bed with her and I scratched all three of them behind the ear. Silly woman, she didn't understand that I meant that as a compliment.

Doug

How long did the limp last?

[ranger1]

Ok here's my shot at this. I'd use the imitation mother of pearl. Go on e-bay and get 3 sets of cubic ear-rings (pierced kind) Drill 6 holes around the spacer (evenly spaced) the same diamiter of the earring setting, close enough for a tight fit and at a depth that leaves the stones even with the surface of the spacer. you can also drill a small hole in the bottom of the first to accomadate the stud. A little acra-glas with a press fit will more than secure the earrings in place. The stones with the settings in gold add that touch of class.
Here is a diamond set in an Ivory handle useing the same method.

[gandalf23]

ohhh...I like Stephen & Andy's idea. Thanks!

Also, I looked up the anniversary gifts on wikipedia, and it looks like the knife will contain all of the first 10 years stuff, except for pottery. Not sure how to incorporate pottery into it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding...iversary_gifts

Year U.S.
1st Paper - colored paper spacers
2nd Cotton - micarta spacer
3rd Leather - sheath
4th Linen, silk - linen micarta spacer
5th Wood - wood spacers
6th Iron - the knife
7th Wool, copper- brass spacer (contains copper)
8th Bronze - brass spacer (brass/bronze, close enough)
9th Pottery - no idea!
10th Tin/Aluminium - brass spacer contains tin, also the guard and endcap are aluminium

[Cake_14N]

Well, as for the pottery... you put coffee beans in plastic for the groomsman, why not put pottery shards in plastic in the same fashon? You might even try to get a broken piece of their wedding china or some other symbolic piece of china/stoneware significant to the couple.

Cake

[cnccutter]

if you want to use the pottery, I,d get a hold of a local potter (there's usually tons hidden around you) and have them make a small ceramic "shield" that you can inlay into the side of the handle after you have it profiled. if the handle was all polished when you did this the potter could glaze the inlay in a color that would go with your theme and even stamp their initials into it before they fired the inlay to add that final wow factor.

Erik

[Crex]

Doug......could it have been the stiff wire brush?

I like the inset zircs idea, not a hard-to-do approach and looks good.
On the pottery thing, get a sample of their china (could just accidentally drop one while visiting). Shape one of the shards into an oval and build a bezel for it, then mount on the front of the sheath. You are providing a sheath with these knives aren't you?