First attempt with bone...warning it's not pretty.

[Doc B]

OK, so definitely in the learning phase and this was my first attempt with bone...I had problems on several levels. If problems equate to learning...I definitely learned some things on this attempt.
Pre-op K-Bar

I got some blue, smooth camel bone to try.
Problem 1) Put Nickel silver pins in steel bolsters. These certainly will never "disappear"
Problem 2) It's always putting that last pin back...that makes me hold my breath. In this case, during placement, I encountered resistance, with the hammer and the mid backspace pin, going to place. Turns out the sharper "ledge" of one of the liners, resulted in stripping a thin piece of the pin and rolling it up, in between the liners, where nothing went together properly. My last harder tap cracked a piece of bone out...near the middle pin. At this stage, it fit nicely and was barely visible after epoxy replacement. Lesson learned: Taper the end of the pin more, bevel (round out the sharper angle of the liners, in the direction the pin is getting placed and place a drop of oil, to facilitate pin sliding in to place.
Should have stopped here...but the hafting ended up leaving one side of bone with large patches of white...that I didn't like.

So...since I didn't have much vested, dollar wise, in this...I thought I would try to selectively torch areas of the white and blend in some burn't appearance
Almost immediately, after being exposed to the flame...the blue color basically vaporized and disappeared. I was pretty much committed to making this brown.
Problem 3) It made the original crack more prominent and put another one in the handle.
So....put it on some greenery...to make it look kinda artsy...Ha!
One day will probably try to give it a 3rd "new life". Will probably just use this as a beater edc, for now.

[doglegg]

Sorry Doc. Seems sometimes from bad to worse describes the process. A fresh problem at every bend. It still looks better and is more serviceable than when you started. I am amazed at what the torch did to the blue. I'm afraid if I were doing it that would be one of my better jobs. I read a book one time named the 'University of Hard Knocks'. It's summation is that this knife is one that will forward your skills more than the good job. Thanks for sharing, as always very interesting.

[Doc B]

Thanks Doglegg. I guess one would question...why even post...but I think torching bone (probably starting with white bone) can produce some nice browns. It's something that might be worth playing with, in the future...before it goes on the knife.
Somedays the windshield...somedays the bug...ha!

[orvet]

A lot of people like camel bone because of those harder places in it where the color does not take as well leaving the white patches. Giraffe bone often died the same thing, and people pay extra for giraffe and the camel bone because of its unique look.

I thought it looked pretty good before you "fixed" it.
It will still be a good EDC!

As regards the shaving of the brass pin that got between the spring in the liner; use something to compress the back springs so the holes are lined up better. It's very frustrating to get those pieces of metal between the liner and the springs. You have to take the knife back apart to be able to rectify that. It is a Major Payne!

[glennbad]

Trust us, there's a pile of mistakes we don't like to mention, but we all have them. I like how you didn't give up on this one!

[Doc B]

A lot of people like camel bone because of those harder places in it where the color does not take as well leaving the white patches. Giraffe bone often died the same thing, and people pay extra for giraffe and the camel bone because of its unique look.

I thought it looked pretty good before you "fixed" it.
It will still be a good EDC!

As regards the shaving of the brass pin that got between the spring in the liner; use something to compress the back springs so the holes are lined up better. It's very frustrating to get those pieces of metal between the liner and the springs. You have to take the knife back apart to be able to rectify that. It is a Major Payne!

Dale...that's what I get...for being in the learning stages. I would have definitely left it as it was...in the blue...had I known the end result. I actually tried some Ritz dye, first, to try and even it out. I guess the camel is so dense, virtually no dye was absorbed in to the bone. Just playing around to see what works and doesn't. I'll know better, next time! I have one of the compression devices, for compressing and aligning the springs...I got out of your store...and love it.

[Doc B]

Trust us, there's a pile of mistakes we don't like to mention, but we all have them. I like how you didn't give up on this one!

Thanks, Glenn. Coming from a background in dentistry, we had periodic continuing education lectures...I always learned something and admired when people shared their problems as well as their successes. I do remember one dental school instructor saying "We're not asking you to be creative...we're asking you to recreate." I think I got a little too creative on this one
To this point...the knives that have come out decent...I've given as gifts. The down side of messing up...is it goes in my pocket!

[FRJ]

Doc, I must admit I found humor in some of your post. And certainly admiration for not giving up.
That old KA-BAR is still a fine user as I'm sure you know.

[Doc B]

Doc, I must admit I found humor in some of your post. And certainly admiration for not giving up.
That old KA-BAR is still a fine user as I'm sure you know.

Joe, thanks. Humor was definitely intended and if I could bring one chuckle...to one person...then the post was worth it
On another note, I was watching the Texas Valero Open, this afternoon and heard a great quote from David Fehrty.
He said "Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want". I thought it pretty fitting to my post

[Jeffinn]

I liked it in blue and I liked it afterwards in brown! It’s a nice knife restoration.

[Doc B]

I liked it in blue and I liked it afterwards in brown! It’s a nice knife restoration.

Thanks, Jeff. It hasn't remotely come close to your work, in bone...but I'm having fun trying!!!!