This is the third one of these knives I've been asked to make this year so I thought I might document a few of the steps, including a new method I devised to secure my fixed blade stag handles.
Unless it's a really interesting pattern, the manufacture of Damascus is something most of us have seen many, many times, so I'll dispense with that.
This blade is a 324 layer laddered random of 1095 and 15N20.
(She will be hot-blued this afternoon, as well as the twist fittings!)
This is a rough overview of the knife:



A couple fit-up photos:





Guard is pinned to handle and then shaped toward it's final dimensions:






I am a true stickler for having ALL of my handle and hardware parts pulled FORWARD into the guard shoulders. I machine all of my surfaces, including the face of the handle material, so all surfaces mate up with zero tolerance. I take advantage of that with tension from the rear to integrate all pieces into one physical unit.
Amazingly strong that way.

I finally came up with a way to fully tighten the fixed assembly stag handle into one unit as I just described.
I took a long shank end mill and cut two "STEPS" into the top and bottom of the void in the middle of the stag taper. I did this about 1" in from the butt end.
Across these two steps, I placed a stainless "BRIDGE" with a hole in the center, through which I place my 10-32 finial.
The finial is a stainless rod with a step milled in, so as to catch the hole in the "BRIDGE".
Into the butt of the finial, I have threaded and silver brazed a stainless socket head cap screw.
Now I can pull that handle and guard smack TIGHT up to the guard shoulders.
It makes me happy when I can do that.

The butt cap is pinned and filed. (It will get its own permanent attachment.



This is sort of how she looks now. (I have actually etched the fittings and they look awesome. Will all get hot-blued this afternoon.

Karl, You do amazing work  

Outstanding knife Karl, you fit and finsh is above any I've seen.
What kind of stain do you use on your horns?, I've tried leather dye but it don't look that good
Dana

Facinating Karl!  Thanks for the insight of what you do so well!

A good source for stag horn & stag scales?

Steve
-------
Potomac Forge

A few pics of the hardware etched:

QuoteOriginally posted by DANA HOLMAN:
What kind of stain do you use on your horns?, I've tried leather dye but it don't look that good
Dana

Dana, the only part I stained is that little bit around the front of the taper where I smoothed it down by the guard, and then on those high spots by the butt cap. I used leather dye.
The main body of the taper is natural - the way I got it.
For dye to work well, on antler, (I don't know about horn) it needs to be sanded smooth to 1500 or 2000.

QuoteOriginally posted by Steve Nuckels:
Facinating Karl!  Thanks for the insight of what you do so well!

A good source for stag horn & stag scales?

Steve
-------
Potomac Forge

Steve, I don't know of a good source anymore. I only buy what I can personally inspect and hold in my hand.
To do that you pretty much have to go to knife shows and cruise the suppliers and see what they've managed to find themselves.

Beautiful, as always.

Nicely done Karl !

Has a really good flow to it .

Is that Amber stag?

I just got some back from Culpeppers kinda looks like that.

Fantastic! As usual you have done great.

Chris

QuoteOriginally posted by Kevin Evans:

Is that Amber stag?

Nope, I got that from Jerry Koeheiser, the guy who has all the ivory. This is one of the left-overs from the stash that was in Ohio.
Where I sanded it smooth I just dyed it brown.

Can you say "Custom"?  Double WOW!!!

QuoteOriginally posted by Over&Under:
Can you say "Custom"?  Double WOW!!!

Actually, this was custom - it was made according to the CUSTOMER'S specifications.

cus·tom-made (kustem-mad)
adj.
Made according to the specifications of an individual purchaser.

Nice Karl.
I have discovered Jerry's stag, so watch out!

Very nice!!

AWSOME!!  Y'all Amaze Me!!      

We have a problem with language in our day..
Thing is that we are so accustomed to using superlatives, that when something comes along that really deserves one, it never feels like it got the praise it may have deserved. Kinda like the work you have done with this knife.. I can say "wow" and amazing, but it just doesn't cut it.

So, Karl, I really like your workmanship, the time, thought and effort you have put in that knife!
May not be the most complex thing you have done, or it may be, but still, it looks great!