All About Pocket Knives

I picked this Camillus 72 up for $5.00 on Ebay. I already have two in my collection but don't want to EDC them. This one however is a different story!
Overall it's in good condition. Great snap on all blades and they look to be nearly full. The handles are showing signs of shrinkage. So I have decided to to re-handle with deer antler. I was going to buy some jigged bone from Culpepper's but then I remembered that have some deer antlers laying around. The tines are too small for larger knives but just about perfect for this little guy.
After finding the right place to cut the antler I marked it where I wanted to cut allowing some extra room to insure a good fit. Then I hand sawed a chunk off.
Then I marked out where to cut my slabs.
This is as far as I got today. I hurt my back and knee at work a couple weeks back and I am still moving slowly. So I thought that I would share my project to this point. Along with sharing this with everyone here, its also my incentive to finish it. I hope to finish over the weekend. But I wont force the issue. I will continue to take pics and post the results when I finish!

What an excellent project Randy. Of course I may be a little prejudiced but we won't go down that path. Sometime back, Whitebuffalo58 surprised me with a Camillus 72 he re-handled in Whitetail antler. He also did some blade changing which made it that much more unique. It's one of the prize possessions in my pile.

From the round red spot on the handle, it looks like yours might be a 1047 Scout and they lost the scout shield. If it is, there would be no pattern number on the pile side of the tang. I think we should call the police because in that condition, you stole it for $5. I'm looking forward to your posts as the project proceeds and to the finished product. Keep those cards and letters coming.

I thought you might like to take a peek at it. We call this one a Frankenknife because it has a Stockman sheepfoot blade and a pen blade in place of the coping blade and the small clip blade. All in all, Rob did a fine job.

Jerry my friend you are right on the money about it being a scout knife. No model number on the pile side. WB did a fantastic job on your knife and have a right to be proud! I have never worked with antler before or bone for that matter. I must admit that I am just a little bit intimidated working with antler. I hope this one turns out half as nice as WB's work on yours!

Randy

I'm sure it will be fine. Relax. You have plenty of antler there. If things go sideways on you, just back up, re-group, re-calibrate and go at it again.

Can`t wait to see the finished product

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, I want to see how this turns out.

Looks like a great project!

One bit of advice when working with bone and antler, it will often look bad until you get to the final finishing phase where you do the final sanding and polishing.
Don't be discouraged if it doesn't look great until you finish it out.
Bone is the same way. It is that last extra bit of sanding and polishing that makes bone and antler really pop!

Well its taken a second cut of antler. I discovered that when thinned down the antler became too narrow. Since I am cutting the antler by hand this gets a bit tedious. Those cutlers of old must of been some tough old birds!
After cutting another cylinder and cutting slabs out it I have another useable outside cut. And as you can see in the pic below I have a couple of center cut slabs that I know will work just fine I'd rather have the texture of the outside cut, but if they dont work for some reason I gonna have me some polished antler.
The back is sore so I am gonna stop for the night. I will update sometime tomorrow. And thank you guys for the kind words, advice and encouragement!

Randy

Well I had to cut up the rest of that rack in order to get a good outside cut. With all that cutting I have enough center cut antler to do a small slip joint in polished antler. And the outside cuts that did not quite fit? Well as you see in the pic below there going to fit just fine on this old Nov. Co. that I had to strip of its celluloid handles due to out gassing. After the Epoxy sets up a little more I'll get those scales pinned on and rough shaped. Then I can do a mock up and see where I stand. MORE TO COME:

Randy

UPDATE: Well I am pleased as punch at this point! Jerry your advice was as good as gold After backing up and regrouping, more than once, I got the scales pinned and rough shaped. And even though there is still much work to do I gotta say. Dale you are right sir about how , well not ugly but not right, these scales looked. But with shaping and sanding these are now starting look pretty cool Take a look!

Randy

It is looking good!

Well here it is. I gotta say I am pleased as punch with how it turned out! I sure learned a lot on this project. It has flaws that I wish it didn't. But I won't pick at it. But for an amateur mechanic I am more than pleased She's going my pocket and will be regular part of EDC rotation. I going to be showing this to everybody at work tomorrow. A big thank you to everyone here at AAPK. Without all of info and tutorials, advice and encouragement I may not have found such a rewarding hobby beyond just collecting knives. You guys ROCK!

Randy

Looks good from my house. And now you have what may be the best EDC out there, plus it's personal and something you can be proud of. Good job Bub.

Looks like a winner, Randy!

There's nothing more rewarding than taking a jalopy and turning it into a hotrod. Great job.

It looks good to me.
Now you understand how addicting knife customizing really is!
If you aren't hooked yet, you will be by the time you do a couple more!

Thanks for sharing your project with us.It really looks good.

Donald

Thanks guys! That was hoot! Been showing it to everyone at work today. Now I got my eyes set on a couple more knives that could use a new set of clothes to wear... Got another rack of antler to carve up as well. Oh crap... it looks like I got a bunch more project knives to add to pile. I have been putting off planned projects because something like this Camillus shows up and DEMANDS that I do something to it! I am easily side tracked when it comes to knives, and knives more often than not are what side tracks me on my "planned" projects. Strange I know...
Randy

#goldpan wrote: I am easily side tracked when it comes to knives, and knives more often than not are what side tracks me on my "planned" projects. Strange I know...
Randy

Yep! He's addicted!