bowie with antler and wrought

[caseynz]

a bowie for when buffalo still roamed the plains...
(probably works on zombies too.)
steel is old nicolson file, guard and but cap is old anchor chain wrought.
and red deer antler.nice dark natural colour from living in the bush.
what kind of sheath do you think it needs?
cheers, casey

[Raymond Richard]

You did a nice clean job on the knife. When I make sheaths I always go for simple and at the last moment.

[B.Finnigan]

Good job on the etch. Most of the wrought I see on the forums has not been etched enough to really show the silicas. IMHO if you can't feel the pattern then it's not etched enough.

[Gary Mulkey]

Very nice! The blade & handle compliment each other very well. Sheath needs to be simple & clean like the knife. I usually go with black since shades of brown are so hard to match with the handle.

Gary

[Crex]

Beautiful job on the knife, clean simple lines. The WI looks great, use a lot myself. Really adds to that style knife and I'm with BF on the etch.

Little trick I worked out on peening the tang down in the buttcap to avoid the micro edge around the head. Take an old style Dremel engraver (Vibrating/hammer type) cut a section of drillbit the appropriate diameter to fit the chuck. Smooth the end radiusing the edges slightly. Use on medium to slow speed and work it like a mini-jackhammer to take the edges of the peened tang down flush to the cap. Just takes a little bit of practice to get things flush and clean without marring the cap itself.
This will also make a good surface texturing tool. You can shape all kinds of mandrels from srcap bits to suit you needs.
Word of caution....don't just turn the engraver tip around in the chuck. Tempting but it screws up the face of the internal hammer and will not deliver the energy per blow that flat on flat will at that juncture.
Great work.
Just nice simple line leather, satin finish would look good. I'm not a fan of black (most sheath makers use it to hide mistakes - sorry, not a shot at you Gary). I think black will detract from the color of the stag handle. I'd test a few colors to find the one that complements the handle as that's what shows in the final package.

[caseynz]

thanks for the comments guys,carl that idea for peaning the buttcap is gold.i was going to ask how people do it as i really struggled,particularily with the ball pein slipping off the pin and marring the cap.
best i get on and make the sheath now.
cheers, casey

[Crex]

Just something that came to me one day while I was fighting with some other pins in a piece of bone. It was so simple, I had trouble with "Why not 20 years ago?" reflection.
You can make up several different heads for different shaping and texturing quite easily. They are easier to control if you keep them short.