Rehandled Blades and a Sheath for a Special Uncle :0)

Uncle Paul was a very very special guy to me... taught me tons about hunting, fishing, life and being a good person every time I had a chance to visit on Molokai... Sadly he passed away some years ago... His younger brother who is a favorite Uncle... also taught me tons about fishing, life and being a good person... acquired two of Uncle Paul's blades... you see Uncle Paul had unique hands and would always take the handles off his blades and wrap them simply with duct tape or electrical tape... regular handles would make it difficult for him to grip properly.... so you can see the pics without the handles... Well his younger brother brought them over and asked if I could put handles on them and modify the machete by cutting off the tip... of course I agree... it was a great project and brought back great memories of time with both Uncles...

The machete handle is canvas micarta / black liner with brass corby bolts and a brass tubing lanyard hole... the sheath is a kydex welt design with thick dark brown kydex for the welt and light brown for the sides... brass cutler rivets secure the entire sheath together... the belt loop is oversized and secured with peened copper rivets... I left as much of the old patina as I could as a memory of my Uncle Paul for his little brother :0)

The cleaver handle is a very special stabilized cedar burl / black liner secured with nickel silver corby bolts... if you look closely you will see a golden color in the handle... when the sun or just any light hits the handle... the color moves around the handle... very chatoyant (sp.?)...

I thought it came out pretty nice and thought I share the outcome and the good memories of two special Uncles...

Thanks for looking :0)

Bear

(having trouble uploading the pics... will try again later :0)

 

Here you go... one more try :0)

Still not letting me... Upload a file shows up... browse works... but when I click on the photo's the address appears and then disappears but no photo... weird... just uploaded some photos in the clubhouse... will try again later... sorry for the suspense :0)

 

One more try... Yahoo!... it worked... must be the good thoughts from @Brokor and @Tracy :0) Just cant upload the first pic of what they looked like before the tip cut on the machete and rehandle job... oh well... Hope you like it... old style wrapping for delivery :0)

 

There you go... this is where it all began :0)

 

Not one to gush over quality work, but that handle on the old clever is beyond words. A true work of art. Its intrinsic beauty is breath taking..

Damn....I am way past jealous of your skill level. Hat tip my friend
Gafarmboy

 

X2very nice.

 

Wow... thank you for the kind words Gafarmboy...

yeah that cleaver brought back memories of watching my Uncle Paul use it and do amazing things with it... without a handle... just a few wraps of electrical tape...

I wanted to make sure it had a really nice handle for his little brother who is now the new owner...
These were delivered and much appreciated... that felt pretty good :0)

I wish I could say I had great skills but I think I'm just average compared to some of the folks here... every mistake and problem is an opportunity to learn and fix it... life would be too boring if everything was perfect :0) and we'd all probably end up slugs in front of a computer or the tv... JMHO So me and my skills are a daily if not hourly work in progress... but if I can ever help you with anything... just holler :0)

Thanks again,
Bear

 

Thanks for the kind words... certainly adds motivation to do my best...

Have a great Sunday!

Bear

 

Beautiful work, Bear! Special memories deserve such special work.

Byte

 

@Bear, I am struck by this comment "I wish I could say I had great skills but I think I'm just average compared to some of the folks here.." and I'll come back to it in a moment.
My primary focus is as a hunter. Prepping is a sister-skill to that. I was raised to be as self reliant as I could be, and hunting is a large part of that, but other skills were taught/ picked-up as well. But even in just one skill (hunting) there are many parts, and different people excel at different parts. I know guys who can fine-tune a load, tweak a weapon, or put an edge on a blade that could slice a passing thought in twain. I'm not bad with an edge, but the others are beyond me. My greatest skills are I hit what I shoot at instinctively, and I don't lose what I shot at, and usually find what others have given up on. Yet among the hunters I know, my skills would average out with theirs. They excel at somethings, and I at others. But on the whole, it is not a one-upmanship, but a Band-of-Brothers, that each adds to the group.

From what I have seen of the skill sets of the many people on this site, from welded stoves, to blades, electronics, to bullet loads, Medics to battle-maidens, "Average" here is not average. You are in fine company. Imagine, if you will, the best painters of the day, watching Michelangelo work, saying "I wish I could say I had great skills but I think I'm just average compared to some of the folks here.." or when Rodin sculpted "The Thinker" (The Poet) did the other sculptors say" I think I'm just average compared to some of the folks here.."? The fact that you earned the accolade from those who can do so well, is in and of itself high praise. Imagine if Medals of Honor were only issued by Medal of Honor winners? The Brotherhood of Medal-men, would be small, and tight knit indeed.

So reap the laurels as they are placed upon your head, but do not think you can rest upon them. I expect to see more of your skill, as this was but the appetizer.

 

im not one to give complaments easily but that cleaver handle is some first class crafstman ship...
the other is great to but i really like the cleaver handle

 

Thanks Byte,

Yup... kept thinking about them all the while I was working on these... must have had a smile on my face the whole time :0)

 

Thank you M'am :0)

 

Thanks for the kind words and wisdom... well said and I will remember them... Bear

 

Thanks for the compliment... that cleaver was a pretty special memory... my Uncle used to do amazing things with that and it was his primary blade for just about everything... I don't remember seeing him use any other knife... so I wanted it to have a special handle for his little brother :0)...

Everyone's comments are very much appreciated... I think my Uncle is smiling up there :0)

Bear

 

Soon after I finished these, there was a family reunion on Kauai and I recieved my Grandmother's cleaver and vegetable knives to rehandle.
Both had been sitting since my Grandmother passed away many many years ago in my Aunt's and my Mother's possession.
So it was another honor to put handles on these for these two special women so they coulld use the knives that their mother used when they were young girls.
I only have a few slabs of this special wood so I decided to make the handles of the same wood that I made my Uncle's cleaver.
Here are the pics... Hope you enjoy them...