Bear "Fun", "Jungle" Tools, Ideas and Special / Member Projects

I have always admired the Japanese knives, but never had a chance to handle one. One day...

 

Form and function as well as a handle that fills the hand well.

 

That's what I see. Can you do a review of yours?

 

Sure, it will be a few days since we are in yet another freeze up.
But for now what I enjoy is the simplicity and use of materials. This model has a one piece blade guard but other Japanese knives have a collar with a forge welded tang. At first glance it, in comparison to cast or shaped guards, looks strange. Fact is it is a smith's way of completing the task in a way that cannot be duplicated. Smooth and an economical use of time and material. A family member has one of that type and you can see how the handle or the guard could be repaired in a battle field repair shop without replacing the handle.

Damascus/layered blades are best seen without the acid wash some use to enhance the design. The reason is that the acid wash can be used to cover up welding defects. A proper Damascus blade can be polished as smooth as any other and you need to really look to see the welded layers.

I have a "Pawn Shop" knife that was pitted and very rusty, the handle got my attention as I was going through a junk box. A nice hand filling bit of stag with an unusual length. A bit more inspection and then a cold sweet broke out inside of me. This rusty bit of steel had a maker's mark. I looked again and ask if they had any more junk knives "Nope just this box". We haggled a bit and I hoped the owner did not come back from lunch. A few bucks and I was out the door.

The makers mark was "Bagwell, Damascus" with the MS between the two words, After many hours of polishing with triple NORTON oil stones that knife is one of my most treasured. Mostly because I was able to save it from the junk box but then again because it is such a nice knife now.

Knives, the real tools of survival.

 

At your convenience.

 

Bushcraft knife works wonders

Rough day,

New calf last night right in the middle of an ice storm.

Between the coyotes and the other varmints we had a tough time. Mom and baby safe for now.

Time for me to take a nap

BEAR, The knife worked great again for trimming trees for yet another camera set. I trailed the Coyotes in the snow when they came back by at 8:30 and I'm mapping out their main routes and hope to keep the youngins alive until I can do away with the Yotes.

HK

 

This guy was only yards from us but did not show himself last night, the camera caught him as he was heading back to his burrow.

Port and Starboard watch for me for a while.
HK

 

Can you eat them?

 

Sure but you gotta kill them first.
Think, a very smart hungry enemy that will sneak by your hunting stand by crawling on its belly while only inches from you.
Think, a very smart animal that knows your schedule and will change his to match.
Think, a very smart animal that can out smell the best hunting dog.
Think, a very smart animal that is very difficult to trap due to his nose and eyes and attention to detail of his whole territory.


Sure, you can eat them but it'd be easier to get road kill.

I was out two hours and all I saw was a FOX. It's easier to kill a fox.

 

But they love bacon.

Maybe pictures tomorrow of a set I did today.

 

Would a long gun work? And lots of waiting and watching?

 

Well, come on...who doesn't. I bet you would eat THAT bait. I know I would.

 

Dynamite works.

Tonight I sat in a hay ring, cows gathered all around, full moon. No Yotes.

 

Ahh, but if it is a bit above their favorite crawl hole, under a fence, just hanging there. What matters is what you wrap the bacon around!

 

My apologies to Bear, seems to me in my enthusiasm for my problem I posted here in the
Bear "Fun", "Jungle" Tools, Ideas and Special / Member Projects.
about my cattle problem.

I'll be more careful in the future.

So, On with the show.

The picture is of my start to building the non traditional Flashy Sheath.

Still need a few more parts but I have started.

 

Nice weather here, compared to what it was.

I am posting the basic parts of the sheath to be made.

From bottom to top you have a piece of Teflon plastic for the back side of the sheath.
Then a copper piece that will be cut into three pieces for the top part of the sheath.
A Tek Lok for the sheath.
A KOA inlay to be placed on top of the copper between a top and bottom copper plates.

Held together with copper rivets.

HK

 

@HK_User Looks great!...

Also on your earlier post

"The makers mark was "Bagwell, Damascus" with the MS between the two words, After many hours of polishing with triple NORTON oil stones that knife is one of my most treasured. Mostly because I was able to save it from the junk box but then again because it is such a nice knife now."

If that was Bill Bagwell... You have one of the founding fathers of the American Bladesmith Society and one of the first to be awarded the title of Master Smith or MS....

Go down to around the top of the second picture in the article
American Bladesmith