All About Pocket Knives

I actually got a few minutes away from my "honey-do" project and got a chance to get in my shop yesterday.
I got this Old Timer a few weeks ago that had a broken swenden pin in front and the main blade had jumped off the track. The blades looked nice and full so I bought it. I figured it needed a new set of scales and a good pinning to get her going again.

Just after I got the knife disassembled and cleaned a bit, I decided I wanted to put some deer antler on it for new scales.
Here she is all broken down and cleaned up a bit. I cut 4 pieces of deer antler as flat as I could so I might have a couple of good ones to choose from.
The lower 2 pieces turned out to be the only ones I could get to fit. I still didn't get as good a fit as I would like but.....Oh well...
Here is a couple of poor pictures of the end result. She walks and talks once again!
Kinda favors an Uncle Henry now. SO, does that mean it's an Old Henry....

Mike

That antler looks really good Mike. A really great job. Thanks for sharing.

That turned out great! The antler looks really good.
Jeff

Thanks guys....
I am not exactly pleased with the out come. The fit of the scales is much less than I wanted. The antler is straight off an old hunter's rack. I have a lot of practice to do to get better at fitting scales between bolsters.
But the usability is back..... full sharp blades and she snaps open and closed real nicely.

She will tote pretty nice!

That is beautiful!

Looks great, it is always hard to beat stag when rehandling.

I would say you did very well with the antler you had to work with.
IMHO, the artistry of working with stag is to make the best handle possible from the piece of antler you are using. That takes a lot of practice even just using precut slabs. There is a whole new level of difficulty involved when you are cutting the slabs as well!

I expect you are like I am, my own worst critic, when it comes to looking at a knife I have worked on. I see flaws no one else sees because I know they're there.

The knife looks better than you think it does!
Great job!

Thanks everyone!

And thanks for the confidence booster Dale!

You earned it Mike.

Good job Mike.
Working from raw materials is a chore.
Looks good from here.

Thanks Tony!

That is gorgeous! I've been meaning to have a 34OT (my first; and favorite Schrade) done up in stag.

cody6268 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:41 pm I've been meaning to have a 34OT (my first; and favorite Schrade) done up in stag.

My collection started MANY years ago with Old Timers.
I have just about all the Old Timers (made it the USA) so now I am going back and picking up some of my favorites and putting on new bone scales. It's a fun exercise and I am learning a lot with each attempt.

I now have a stack of knives I want to do as projects..... It's hard to figure out which is next.....LOL.
I am thinking next will be a TL-29..... More FUN!!

Looks pretty darn good, to me!
What did you cut the antler with?

Doc B wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:53 pm Looks pretty darn good, to me!
What did you cut the antler with?

I zipped some pieces off with my band saw. It's not all that easy, really, with these ole Mississippi white tail antlers. You have to commit yourself early by loping off a piece and then trying to find a sorta straight surface to put against the fence.
I discovered with this attempt that I need to try to get some longer pieces (if I can) to start with. Time you sand the back side to make it flat, you sometimes end up with a piece you can't use.
I wanted to use the more gnarly pieces this time but it just wasn't in the cards. I ruined the first one in a HURRY.... LOL.
You get a bunch of old antler sets and you think you really have something. Then you start looking at where you can cut to get a slab..... then the fun starts.....LOL.

I've never tried cutting antler. I have a couple of white-tail and a nice axis piece. I don't have a band saw...and even if I did...like Dale said, cutting it, takes it to a whole new level of difficulty! Again, awesome job, Mike!

Thanks Doc!

Wow, that knife really, really looks sweet Mike! I'm going to have to give antler a try. If I come across any that have been shed in the woods, or maybe off a fresh kill, do I need let them cure for a certain period of time before I try cutting? (I do expect to ruin quite a few in the learning process.) Best regards. Herb

Mike that is really nice. I wish I could do repairs that nice.

Harold

Hey Herb....
I can't speak with any authority concerning whether the antler needs to cure or not. All that I was given had to be 5 to 8 years old.... maybe older. This guy had a LOAD of antlers from deer he and his kids had harvested. I tried to pick some of what I thought was best. I was looking mostly at the outside "finish" of the antlers for a gnarly, rough and cool look. I probably need to look for some of the straighter pieces if I get a chance to go back.

Good luck with your antlers!

stockman wrote: ↑Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:37 pm Mike that is really nice. I wish I could do repairs that nice.

Harold

Hey dude... get you some of the "lost causes" off the bay and go to work! It sure is fun to get a poor old knife and make it better by cleaning!
It's fun and if you mess up one (or several...) just learn and keep pushing forward!

Mike

I feel your pain on trying to get a good slab cut out of Whitetail antler! That stuff is all curves, and it is amazingly hard to get decent scales out of them. I typically waste much more than I use.
But I also feel a bit of envy on how well yours turned out!
You made it look really nice!

Thanks Reverand!

That looks pretty darn tasty, nice work!

LOL.... tasty.... Thanks Glenn!
(Nah, tasted like old newsprint)