My DIY "Bushcraft"!!!

[brihacharan]

Hi Guys,
An honest confession has far reaching consequences
A few days ago fellow IFGian Kshitij dropped in - after hours of discussions on Guns & Blades he left back a 'Blank' of one the most popular Bushcraft Knives with me....
The urge to give the blank an as close finish as possible bugged me to no end...
So with the aid of a 4" angle grinder fitted with 80 & 120 grade sanding discs I went to work...
The edge turned out to be quite satisfying - shiny & sharp...
The next step - I gave 2 deep coats of Ballistol to the blade's belly....
Now what remained was fixing the handle - Fortunately I had a piece of a Sambhar antler (a relic of my erstwhile hunting days) which I plan to use...
As this requires some artistry I've put off this task till next week-end....Till then!!!
Here's what the semi finished Bushcraft Blade looks like


Briha

[ak27]

That's a very cool-looking and practical blade, Brihaji.

Would appreciate if you could share the blade dimensions. And more pics!!

Eagerly awaiting the final outcome of this exciting project.

P.S: Do you plan to give the blade a patina or powder coat it? or even blue it as you've already had good results with cold-blueing?

-A

[kshitij]

Brihaji, your diy efforts are putting us younger guys to shame
That bevel grind has come out perfect. Waiting to see this blade finished with the stag horn handles.

[essdee1972]

Salut!!

[brihacharan]

That's a very cool-looking and practical blade, Brihaji.
Would appreciate if you could share the blade dimensions. And more pics!!
Eagerly awaiting the final outcome of this exciting project.
P.S: Do you plan to give the blade a patina or powder coat it? or even blue it as you've already had good results with cold-blueing?
A

Thanks for the appreciation...
The blade length is 5"....
Handle - 3 1/2"
Overall length - 9.25"
Belly - 1 1/2"
Drop Point
A very convenient size & very handy too...
Serves as an ideal second blade or companion to carry along with one's EDC folder.....
I preferred bluing because its easy & less time consuming....It gives the blade a subdued character
Powder coating knives in not advisable....
There is one more blade I'll be working on....on which I plan to etch a mustard/vinegar patina....
As regards more pics....you'll see them after the stag horn handle is fitted
Briha

[aadhaulya]

Brihaji

You have got a very nice and even finish for the edge. And the most amazing parts is that you got it using a hand grinder.

Regards

Atul

[brihacharan]

Brihaji

You have got a very nice and even finish for the edge. And the most amazing parts is that you got it using a hand grinder. Regards
Atul

Thank you Atul
BTW - I used to market "Wolf" brand portable electric tools many years ago....
Hence had training in demo of these tools to prospective customers!!!!
Although time has taken its toll - some of the skills still remain with me
Briha

[ckkalyan]

Looks like a very sturdy all-rounder in the making! Congratulations!

I remember the Wolf brand - it had a good reputation!

[astronomy.domaine]

Wow Briha sir! Beveled to perfection..!Now that's how its done.!

[brihacharan]

MY DIY BUSHCRAFT KNIFE
The Final Finish!

After my initial efforts with grinding the edge & bluing the blank blade, I couldn’t continue with the rest of the tasks as I got preoccupied with professional & domestic commitments….. Last weekend I managed to snatch a couple of hours to initiate work to fix the stag horn handle….

Much to my surprise it turned out to be a shade tougher than working with either wood or MICARTA…. mainly because stag horns do not come with any precise dimensions, due to its taper & curvature in its tines, which is endemic to stag horns….hence becomes a tad difficult to fit the exact shape of the ‘tang’ of the blade…

Nevertheless I cut out the length best suited to the profile of the tang using an angle grinder fitted with a cutting wheel…. Slicing through the center to get the two halves revealed that the center core consisted of a semi -hard pith…which I scooped off & filled with white M-Seal and leveled the surface…See images below!

I then used wooden plugs to anchor the handle to the blade & went about sanding off the excess material around the tang…. I used araldite to fix the handle – later removed the wooden plugs & inserted brass rods after which I gave the handle a ‘towel finish’ with 800 grit sand paper. Finally I rubbed in a little ‘Carnauba Wax’ to enrich the color & gloss.

ANTLER CUT TO SIZE & SHAPE


AFTER SCOOPING OFF THE SOFT CORE


AFTER FILLING M-SEAL & LEVELING


AFTER FINAL FIXING / FINISHING & POLISHING


The next step is to design & make a leather sheath to contain & compliment the knife!
Stay tuned…..
BRIHA

[astronomy.domaine]

HI Briha sir,
The antler scales compliment the blued metal perfectly..! Its a solid 10 in both aesthetics and functionality!

btw, how did you get the shot on that mossy tree trunk?!!

[brihacharan]

HI Briha sir,
The antler scales compliment the blued metal perfectly..! Its a solid 10 in both aesthetics and functionality!
btw, how did you get the shot on that mossy tree trunk?!! :-)

The pic of the knife was superimposed on a stock pic of the 'mossy tree trunk'......
(thanks to my colleague, an expert on photo-shop)
Frankly I wanted to dramatize the image (my honest confession!!!!)
Briha

[essdee1972]

Whoops! That is awesome, Brihaji!! I don't know enough English to properly describe it!

I was going to ask the same question about the tree trunk......

Do you have any more of the stag's mortal remains lying around?

I have the same blank gifted by Kshitij, and am not really satisfied with the wooden handle.

[brihacharan]

Whoops! That is awesome, Brihaji!! I don't know enough English to properly describe it!
I was going to ask the same question about the tree trunk......
Do you have any more of the stag's mortal remains lying around?
I have the same blank gifted by Kshitij, and am not really satisfied with the wooden handle.

Yes SD!
I could spare you a piece for your favorite blade
Briha

[kshitij]

Homerun brihaji!
Please share normal images of this beauty. Would love to see more of it...