All About Pocket Knives

This is a Smith & Wesson Trapper that had some mis-matched Ram's Horn scales.
I replaced them with some scrap Maple that a cabinet maker gave me. This is my
first clean-up and handle replacement in months. Oh, the red liners are there
because I measured wrong on one of the scales....

Looks good! I like the red underliners.

I like to look! The red spacers look like they were done on purpose. I'd go with that!

Great job David. I like the spacers.

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:38 pm Looks good! I like the red underliners.

glennbad wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:10 pm I like to look! The red spacers look like they were done on purpose. I'd go with that!

doglegg wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:42 pm Great job David. I like the spacers.

Thank you folks for the comments, I appreciate them.
I have a question for those who work with wood scales. What products do you use in finishing the wood to seal it or does it really matter when using hard woods such as hickory or iron wood?

Ditto on those liners - they really dress it up! I guess the late Bob Ross would have called that a "happy little accident", especially since you turned it into a bonus!

As far as finishes, I have used Tru-Oil a few times, and plain mineral oil a couple of times. I keep intending on getting some Boiled Linseed oil, but I keep forgetting it. I have just polished some really hard woods with various levels of success. I think it varies with the species of wood.

Boiled linseed or Howard Feed and Wax. The Howard’s has oil, carnauba and bees wax, and is a common finish on the woodcarvers site.

dlr110 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 9:28 pm

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:38 pm Looks good! I like the red underliners.

glennbad wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:10 pm I like to look! The red spacers look like they were done on purpose. I'd go with that!

doglegg wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 8:42 pm Great job David. I like the spacers.

Thank you folks for the comments, I appreciate them.
I have a question for those who work with wood scales. What products do you use in finishing the wood to seal it or does it really matter when using hard woods such as hickory or iron wood?

Great work, you skill level has improved as you have progressed. With hard woods, i personally think it does not matter all that much, but that is only my opinion. I did some experimenting with a knife that had Rosewood scales and was very happy with the result. I mixed 50/50 pure lanolin with plain linseed oil, applied 3 coats letting each coat absorb into the wood for about 3 days. It came out looking really good. I came up with the lanolin idea after seeing old Red Gum pens for sheep in a shearing shed. Over time the sheep rubbing against the Red Gum smoothed the wood and the lanolin from their fleece polished the wood, just looked so good, and the lanolin protected the wood and stopped it from drying and splitting.

C-WADE7 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 11:22 pm Boiled linseed or Howard Feed and Wax. The Howard’s has oil, carnauba and bees wax, and is a common finish on the woodcarvers site.

Ditto the Howard's Feed and Wax. I have never used it, but read nothing but good reviews.

Nice save on the Trapper, David. I think it looks good.

David, very nice work on that trapper, and an great touch with the red liners! I have an ancient can of some kind of woodworker's wax, that has mixture of ingredients. It smells like turpentine and I suspect that its similar to the Howard's wax mentioned above, and is my go-to wood wax.

Thank you everyone. Great information and I just might have to try several of your suggestions to see which product works best for me.....

dlr110 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:40 am Thank you everyone. Great information and I just might have to try several of your suggestions to see which product works best for me.....

You can try this, this is how i tried different finishes. Get a piece of wood, or a few pieces, sand it and finish it to your desired finish, tape it into strips, and then try different wood finishes and just experiment. At the very least it is an interesting experiment.

cudgee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:00 am

dlr110 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:40 am Thank you everyone. Great information and I just might have to try several of your suggestions to see which product works best for me.....

You can try this, this is how i tried different finishes. Get a piece of wood, or a few pieces, sand it and finish it to your desired finish, tape it into strips, and then try different wood finishes and just experiment. At the very least it is an interesting experiment.

Thank you cudgee, good idea..

dlr110 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:07 am

cudgee wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 4:00 am

dlr110 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:40 am Thank you everyone. Great information and I just might have to try several of your suggestions to see which product works best for me.....

You can try this, this is how i tried different finishes. Get a piece of wood, or a few pieces, sand it and finish it to your desired finish, tape it into strips, and then try different wood finishes and just experiment. At the very least it is an interesting experiment.

Thank you cudgee, good idea..

Keep up the good work.

Good job on the knife. I love the red!

Bob

rea1eye wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 12:37 pm Good job on the knife. I love the red!

Bob

Thank you!

Nice job David!

Looks great David! Love some wood handled knives for sure and that red under really sets those off!

dlr110 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:23 pm This is a Smith & Wesson Trapper that had some mis-matched Ram's Horn scales.
I replaced them with some scrap Maple that a cabinet maker gave me. This is my
first clean-up and handle replacement in months. Oh, the red liners are there
because I measured wrong on one of the scales....
20230322_095014[1].jpg

Hey those look great. If you hadn't mentioned the liners I would have thought they were supposed to be like that. Great wood grain and color and the fit and finish looks excellent. Congrats on a great mod.