All About Pocket Knives

I am really fond of Kershaw's Officer Ranch series, especially the ones with wood handles, although I think the knives would have been better with stabilized wood for handles. The wood used was a bit soft, IMP, and tended to absorb moisture and crack as well as wear down when carried for years.

I picked up al Lil Cody, the smallest of the Officer Ranch series with wood handles, (2-1/4") from eBay.
The tapered handles on such a small knife made it hard for me with large arthritic hands, to use the knife.
This is the eBay seller's picture- I used a set of Culpepper's Amber Stag I hade picked up a few years ago. The stag was big enough to fit and made a nice upgrade to the knife IMHO.
I tapered the thickness of the stag so it was wider at the end to provide a better grip. While I was pleased with the overall result I think it can be improved. It is always a challenge for my large arthritic hands to work with such a small knife.
I may darken the white part of the stag a little and I see from the pics that I also need to etch my name on the pile side bolster.

Comments & criticisms appreciated!
Suggestions on how it could be improved are greatly appreciated as that helps me see it through your eyes and not just mine.

Please let me know what you think.

I like that stag..very nice coloration. I agree about perhaps darkening the white part of the stag, that might give a more consistent look to the coloring...what about perhaps rounding off the edges and corners around the non-bolster end of the knife to make it more comfortable in the hand? It seems to look a little angular. Just a suggestion and only because you asked!

That's a cutie and a beauty.

There's gorgeous Dale! Great job!

That's some fat stag there, brother!

I love the look of the stag. Far be it from me to criticize such fine work, but you did ask for comments. Since I am not the biggest fan of the fat stag, I would have made it kinda fat in the middle, and more tapered on both ends.

As far as the white on the ends, the color doesn't go all the way through, so only dyeing or burning it would help change it.

The knife overall looks amazing!

I like the contrast in the coloration around the edges. I would not change that part.
How do you decide which direction to put the etch? Wouldnt it make more sense to be able to read your name when it lays on the backsprings?
Only because you asked!
Good looking stag.
Side note: I always admire the stag on old knives because it is usually very thin, and some has almost no hafting. ( I understand why you made this one thick, just saying fat stag is not really my thing.)
Mark

personally I'm not a fan of fat stag, the thinner the better IMO. I would have fit it more from the underside as much as possible, before hafting it into the bolsters. This likely would have eliminated quite a bit of the color change too (not that the color variance is a bad thing kinda gives some contrast)

either way you choose to fit stag it looks great.

I have Charlie C. to blame for hooking me on what he calls "sheffield stag"

muskrat man wrote:personally I'm not a fan of fat stag, the thinner the better IMO. I would have fit it more from the underside as much as possible, before hafting it into the bolsters. This likely would have eliminated quite a bit of the color change too (not that the color variance is a bad thing kinda gives some contrast)

either way you choose to fit stag it looks great.

I have Charlie C. to blame for hooking me on what he calls "sheffield stag"

Dale you selected some of my favorite material for those handles. Although I'm not all that enamored with fat stag, I can certainly see how on a small knife such as that one, the thicker materail on the end would work well to aid in getting a good grip on the knife. I wouldn't change a thing.

Thanks guys, I really do appreciate the critique.
It is helpful to me to get that sort of feedback and it helps me look at the knife through a "different set of eyes" or two.

Ramrod wrote:I like the contrast in the coloration around the edges. I would not change that part.
How do you decide which direction to put the etch? Wouldnt it make more sense to be able to read your name when it lays on the backsprings?
Only because you asked!

Mark

That is a valid question Mark.
The reason I etched it that way it that that is when Kershaw etched their bolsters that is the way they did it.
Also notice if you are right handed as most people are, the name is right side up to read when you are cutting toward yourself or when cutting down.
The main reason is; I was following the form Kershaw used for their knives. Sorry about the glare, it was just a quick pic to illustrate a point.

I share the sentiment many of you expressed about fat stag, some times it works, sometimes it doesn't.
In this case I think it is about 50/50. Functionally I think the fat stag works on the knife.
Ascetically, I think fat stag on this knife is less than optimal.
Practically for me it was easier to build the knife with the thicker handles, though I did thin them about 1/4" as well as tapering them. It was really thick but when I started to remove my finger prints with the belt sander when thinning the stag, I decided that was thin enough!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!
If you have a new thoughts or comments or someone else wants to weigh in with their opinions, please jump right in!
I think every knife maker can improve, but when you ask people how they like your work they just say nice things. It is nice if you want to build your ego, but it isn't helpful if you are trying to improve as an artist/knife maker, sculptor, writer or in any other field of endeavor that is highly subjective.

I will ponder your suggestions; if I make any changes I will post new pics.
Thanks again!

Well, I left the Lil Cody setting on my workbench for about three weeks.
I wasn't satisfied with it as it was, the squared edges on the stag didn't set well with me.

These are the before pictures: I smoothed them off and made them more rounded. It also feels better to my hand now.

These pictures were taken after I rounded the corners on the stag handles.
I like this version much better. It just seems more finished to me.
Please let me know what you think.

Thank you,
Dale