Last August, I spent a week working at our local knap-in, where lots of stone tool knappers come and hobknob with each other. Lots of work, but lots of fun as well!
While at the knap-in, I saw a friend’s artwork (see the lovely little stone neck knives above, with decorated rawhide sheaths), and decided to make something like them, only mine will be made in steel, not rock.
I started today on the blade
, roughing it out from a steel bar.
Above is the roughed out blade and tiny antler handle.
Above I’m using an angle grinder to carve the blade to a lens-shaped cross section. At this point the blade is roughed out and ready to begin carving knapping flake scars in it.
Above is the Foredom handpiece with narrow sanding drum I’ll carve the flake scars with.
Here are the first few flake scars carved in.
Here I’ve finished carving the blade
, blued it to dark color, and made a copper cap for the end of the antler handle. Next, I’ve got to glue it all up.
Above, I’m getting the knife glued up. I have to start on the rawhide sheath, engrave the knife butt, and decide what will go on the front of the sheath. Oh, and have to make a chain and hardware for the neck chain. Lots of work yet.
I’m working on the sheath today. I’ve used regular vegetable tanned leather to make the liner
, glued up with contact cement. I drilled the holes in the drill press with a sharpened finishing nail as an awl. You can see the little piece of goat rawhide I’ll use for the covering, and the copper rings for attaching the chain.
I finished the knife and engraved the little copper buttcap, but haven’t finished the sheath yet. The above photos courtesy of BladeGallery.com
Finally got it finished, with copper chain and hardware, and a tiny copper snake sheath decoration. The above photos also courtesy of BladeGallery.com.
Thanks for Looking!
Tom Sterling
http://www.sterlingsculptures.com
http://www.facebook.com/TomSterlingHandEngraving#
http://instagram.com/tom_sterling_hand_engraving
Wow