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The Knife On this page I will show you how I make the knives |
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A good reindeer antler is quite solid. The diameter
can be up to 1 1/2 inch. From piece number 1 I make the knife sheath.
From piece number 2 I will make the knife handle. But before I do any
cutting I always make a drawing of the knife.
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I
start cutting out the piece for the knife sheath from the antler. I take
the measurement from the blade and add some more, so there will be enough
material to work with. The hook on the knife sheath has some practical
purposes. The hook will give you a good grip on the sheath when you are
pulling the knife out. The hook will also steer the knife away when you
are going to sit down.
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The shape of the knife dictates the shape of the sheath. Therefore I make the handle first. In this picture I'm cutting all the antler pieces for the handle. |
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Here
you see all the pieces to the handle together with the blade and the drawing.
The wood I use for this handle is sallow root burl.
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The
first antler piece on the handle is the most important. It must fit a
100% against the blade. If not, blood and dirt will get between the handle
and the blade and it becomes a paradise for the germs.
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I
use polyurethane glue for my knives. Polyurethane glue will stand against
water, heat and cold. I glue the first piece and let that one dry before
I glue the rest.
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I
have made this tool so I can glue all the parts under pressure. In this
picture you can see the birch bark slices I have between all the pieces
in the handle.
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I
shape the handle roughly before I rivet the knob to the handle. This knob
is taken from the part of the antler that is nearest the skull.
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Some people find this part boring and yes, it
is. I use finer and finer sandpaper in the sanding of the handle. In the
end I moisten the handle with water so the wood fiber rises. Then I polish
the handle with steel wool. I repeat this several times.
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I
mix boiled linseed oil (70%) and turpentine (30%) for treatment on the
knife handle. If the wood fiber rises during this treatment, I just use
steel wool again. This treatment will give the wood a beautiful shimmer.
This mixture can ignite spontaneously. I always have a bucket of water
where I put my rags. Well, the knife is done so let's go over to the sheath.
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