Starting a new knife

[RGK]

I decided to start the knife that I've been wanting to build for a while. I can get blade seconds from the Chicago Cutlery store for next to nothing. The blades are a bit thinner than they should be so I guess that's why they are seconds.



This will be lucky blank.



I want a smallish blade, around 4 inches long.



After a little cutting, shaping and polishing, it taking shape nicely.



I want brass bolsters and I had a piece of an old brass bed laying around. I cut a chunk off and hammered it flat.





The handle will be made from birch bark that I came across a few years ago and saved for just such a purpose.



I will stack layers of the bark on top of one another and finish it with another brass bolster and a pin.

[Hunter John]

That birch will look great im sure,I dont think I have seen it done before.Thanks for sharing

John

[702plmo]

keep going I am interested in seeing how it turns out.

[Bobby Urban]

Huh - do you heat treat the blade or do you keep it cool while cutting and polishing?  Cool idea with the bark - I am intrigued?

Bob Urban

[Shakes.602]

Thats a Good Looker already, and I am anxious to see the Birch Bark Layers myself!!

[philil]

Yeah me too!
Just the other day I wondered about the use of bark for knife/sheath making.
Great idea!

[JEFF B]

hey awesome knife bro cant wait to see end product  

[jeff mccray]

Nice work, i would round the tang ricasso junction if you are going to re-harden it.  It should've been rounded at the factory, stress risers are caused by a square juncture there.

Jeff

[RGK]

Thanks for the interest and ideas.

I spent more time thinking and planning than actually working on the knife. I polished the front brass plate and decided to add a little color. I found a broken red window ice scrapper and a piece of white plastic to put on at the beginning and end of the birch bark. I got all the birch bark squares cut out but I still need to cut the tang hole in the rest.

[TimBow2]

looking good

[gwhunter]

Very Creative!

[ber643]

Gonna be a good'un, I'll wager.

[Pete Darby]

It is going to be a nice one.  I have a book on building Finnish knives and sheaths that goes into a lot of detail on the birch bark knife and they are great looking.  One day I will take the time amongh my other projects and make a couple.  I just finished an antler handled knife that has a few leather spacers carved to flow smoothly into the brass guard that turned out very well.  I have a couple of other blade blanks I need to haft but first I have to complete three leather projects.  

Too many hobbies/ not enough time

[TexMex]

Looking real good!

[tpoof]

curious to see how the birchbark is going to look finished. Have a feelin its going to be spectacular

[robtattoo]

Looking good! Watch out for the dust from the birchbark, it can really affect some people (runny nose, stingy eyes, coughin' yer lungs up, that sorta thing!)

[Lewis Brookshire III]

I love the way stacked birch strips look. That knife is gonna have some character for sure. You wont see too many like it. It will be beautiful.

Here is a pic of a fly rod grip that I guy I know built out of stacked birch.

 

[nick_the_tinkerer]

wow Looking awesome.

[Mike Byrge]

RGK,
What do you use to cut out the blade shape?  

Thanks,
Mike

[uhdet]

RGK, Make sure you cover that blade good while shaping that handle. I usually use a strip of leather down the blade wrapped in black electrical tape. Looking very good. Love the stacked birch.