All About Pocket Knives

This is a restoration I was having fun with. Decided upon a tribute knife theme based upon everybody's favorite goof comedy from 2001 "Zoolander" starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Stiller plays Derek Zoolander, a male super model caught up in an international assassination plot. Derek's true legacy, however, are his dreams for the Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good. I dedicate this knife to the spirit of his altruism. Behold,
Blue Steel: A knife for Guys Who Can't Cutler Good. (Blue Steel was of course the name of his signature pose)

This was an inexpensive thrift find. I activated assassin mode by torching (don't tell Bill! ) and dyeing the bone in a hot bath of aquamarine rit dye. I cut in jimping and serrations, reprofiled the blade and widened the choil. I blued the steel with Birchwood Casey permablue paste, the blade and exposed area of the tang. The sheath was painted with Leather Studio black leather paint. When it was done, I dropped it out of my lap and chipped the bone . No power tools were used in the harming of this knife

Nice job, Zoolander approved!

Incidentally, I had the same ringtone on my phone that he used, back in the day.

Well played - you have a very creative spirit, keep it up!

Really nice! Hopefully it's sharp enough to cut through gas-pump hoses (while in use, of course)!!

I appreciate the comments gentlemen. Im glad there's fans of the movie around. I thought about trying to fix that chip in the bone, but it adds character. That, I think, is important because there's more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

ThatWeirdKnifeGuy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 22, 2025 3:46 pm I appreciate the comments gentlemen. Im glad there's fans of the movie around. I thought about trying to fix that chip in the bone, but it adds character. That, I think, is important because there's more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. -Derek Zoolander

I modified your post slightly.

AARGH! BURNED BONE!

You guys have to excuse my stodginess. You're mostly doing this for fun.
I'm way too serious- but I do this stuff as part of my living, so I have to be serious about my own work.
I don't need to be so serious about yours.

It's ok, Bill. We all have our pet peeves.

I gotta be honest....I don't like the finished project I prefer the well worn bone stag handle. However, I applaud your experimental ambition and effort Not every experiment will result in success, but if the intent was to create a whimsical knife that represents a goofy movie character, then you did in fact succeed My personal taste just runs more on the serious side. YMMV

So no power tools, huh?...did you just use files, then, to cut the jimping and serrations?

I'm just worried the knife won't be able to cut to the left.

Bill DeShivs wrote: ↑Sat Aug 30, 2025 5:45 am AARGH! BURNED BONE!

You guys have to excuse my stodginess. You're mostly doing this for fun.
I'm way too serious- but I do this stuff as part of my living, so I have to be serious about my own work.
I don't need to be so serious about yours.

Haha, I should add an addendum to my project posts that there is in fact a proper way to do things, and then there's this way.

In all seriousness though, I would like to one day earn money as a cutler/knife dealer. I'm a stay at home, home schooling dad right now, but there will come a day when my boys no longer need me. I want to have something to transition to. I have various side jobs now so it would never be my primary job I don't believe, but a guy can dream.

I'd love to apprentice with a consummate professional such as yourself someday. That's not really a possibility though with my day to day demands. Until I've got more time to get more serious, I'm learning what I can through projects such as these. For 10 dollars, the world wouldn't miss a knife such as this if things went awry. Being goofy about it is my way of entertaining myself along the way.

Do you ever in the professional side of things deal with blade coatings or forced patinas? Restoring them or applying them? What do you think about using permablue paste and how it turned out here?

QTCut5 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 30, 2025 6:30 pm I gotta be honest....I don't like the finished project I prefer the well worn bone stag handle. However, I applaud your experimental ambition and effort Not every experiment will result in success, but if the intent was to create a whimsical knife that represents a goofy movie character, then you did in fact succeed My personal taste just runs more on the serious side. YMMV

So no power tools, huh?...did you just use files, then, to cut the jimping and serrations?

I appreciate your honesty. My purpose was in fact to make this one over the top, simply to practice as many different techniques as possible at once. I'm also, believe it or not, mostly a traditionalist. I do however like to have fun with the hobby. My brain train went like this :
1. Tried fixing the sheath to make it look nicer. Looked worse.
2.Painted it black, with actual leather paint mind you, but I thought it looked like black leather pants.
3. Leather pants, male models....not my forte.....but....Zoolander!..BLUE STEEL!!
4. I have to blue this steel and make it the Zoolander knife because there's no going back on that leather pants sheath.

Yeah files, Smith's shaping rods, a diamond stone and my worksharp whetstone. The Smith's rods are identical but one I've used for longer so it's kinda like it's finer grit.

L8Tagain wrote: ↑Sat Aug 30, 2025 9:02 pm I'm just worried the knife won't be able to cut to the left.

Being a cutler (a good one) requires a lot of work, ruining a bunch of knives, repairing a bunch, seeing and handling as many as you can, and studying both the history and production.
A whiz could do it in 5-6 years, and you get better as you go.
My labor rate is $100/hour, and I could work 70 hours a week if I wanted. (I don't want to!) If I run out of repairs, I can always make a knife. Of course, I supply most common repair materials. Exotics cost extra. Visit my web site.

So- if you really want to do it-go for it!

As far as cold bluing- I have used it extensively on both guns and knives. It's not one of my favorite things. It doesn't wear well at all, and offers little to no protection to the metal. Look into rust bluing. It's much better, but no bluing offers very much protection against rust.

Bill DeShivs wrote: ↑Sun Aug 31, 2025 12:31 am Being a cutler (a good one) requires a lot of work, ruining a bunch of knives, repairing a bunch, seeing and handling as many as you can, and studying both the history and production.
A whiz could do it in 5-6 years, and you get better as you go.
My labor rate is $100/hour, and I could work 70 hours a week if I wanted. (I don't want to!) If I run out of repairs, I can always make a knife. Of course, I supply most common repair materials. Exotics cost extra. Visit my web site.

So- if you really want to do it-go for it!

As far as cold bluing- I have used it extensively on both guns and knives. It's not one of my favorite things. It doesn't wear well at all, and offers little to no protection to the metal. Look into rust bluing. It's much better, but no bluing offers very much protection against rust.

Thank you sir, I'll do that.

My littlest is 4 so I've got some time yet. But maybe someday a customer will walk into your shop and ask you to torch their family heirloom. You'll say that's asinine, I would never do that. But I DO know a guy....

^

I have a lot more to say on this topic, but, knowing that you are bulimic, you can just read my mind.

L8Tagain wrote: ↑Sat Aug 30, 2025 9:02 pm I'm just worried the knife won't be able to cut to the left.