Thanks for the build-a-longs for the mosaic pins.  I went to the local Lowe's today and found some half off 3' sections that worked perfectly.  Loved the outcome even if it looks rough.  Now it is on to cutting out some knife blanks from some old sawblades.  

 

Whats it supposed to look like? cat paw?
I like it,
What is the red oval made from?

I was going for a leopard paw!  Two Tracks you just made my day seeing that.  I'll post a pic but it was a 3' section on the 50% off hanger at the big box store.  If you can make sense of any of the info on the piece you're better than me.  

My dad is getting the chance to hunt a leopard come March and I hope to give him a knife to clean it with before we go.

I'm taking it that the red is the shield on the wire pad ? Looks neat and should function for the intended decorative purpose. The wire shielding could contain silicone which can cause glue bonding and or finish difficulties. With that being said I would still go ahead with it.

AH, I get it now. I like cats paws so I can spot em a mile away lol.
Best of luck to you and your Father on the hunt.
Can't wait to see the knife when you get it done.        


CTT

I saw the paw right away. Very unique! Can't wait to see the final product!

Snakewood thanks for the info so when it comes to finishing I won't get my hopes up and get frustrated when it doesn't finish out right.  If it does I'll consider it a win.

Question: are the blades with carbide tips L6 steel or 1095?

Because the weather outside was wonderful I cut up a sawmill blade and decided to fire up some old Osage scrap to start the process.  I think I picked the one I want but I'm still not 100%.

My understanding is that they put carbide tips on the blades because the steel used to actually make the blade is poor quality...I could be wrong though.

Carbide teeth can be found on good steel blades. Almost all premium blades are now sporting carbide, it greatly increases cutting capibilities, particularly in dificult substrates. Of course lower quality blades can have carbide just the same. Any idea of the make or country of manufacture ?

I got them from a friend who has a sawmill in a small town so I figured they would be of better quality but I may have to call and find out.  I'll do that Tuesday when they are back open.

I haven't had a chance to call about the blades that I received to figure out make and type of steel.  I did however try to (I hope I get the terms right and if I don't please correct me) harden in a makeshift forge out of a weedblower, charcoal, and an old noodle pot.  I quenched in motor oil heated up to around 140ish after the metal became non-magnetic.  After I placed at about 450-500 degrees for 3 hours to temper.  The 2 blades I worked on hold a great edge and I'm able to see a blue color change from the quenched area and the metal left out.  Next is me taking the scaling off with a belt sander and drilling out some handles.  

Firstly, the pins turned out very nice.

You can do a quick test on your steel by taking a small piece of the sawblade, heating it to non-magnetic and quenching it in water or oil. Then chuck it up in a vise and give it a solid swing with a hammer. If the steel breaks cleanly then you have steel that will make a decent knife. However if it bends excessively without breaking, you have mild steel which is essentially useless in making a blade.

(Keep safety precautions in mind, particularly eye protection while performing this test, but I'm sure you know that.)

Even if the steel turns out to be less than knife quality, it made for a good experience.

Good luck!

Brandon