This is a custom folder that I just completed, thought you might like to see it.The blade is 52100 forged ball bearing steel, bolsters are 1084 & 15n20 in a w’s twist pattern, Handle is Mammoth Tooth, and liners are titanium that is anodized blue. The rear view you can see the pocket clip for a tip up carry and the finger grip grooves in the backbar and blade.
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Customer Custom Folder
Monday, July 18th, 2011Texas Ranger’s Set
Saturday, December 25th, 2010I was comissioned by the Texas Ranger Ass. to build this knife to be presented to actor Robert Duvall. It is a thankyou for his support of there organization. The knife style is one that you might have seen a Texas Ranger carry during the 1800’s. 52100 ball bearing is the blade steel. Forged from a roller bearing out of a dragline, it has a stainless guard and Ebony handle with stainless pins. The handle is tapered and the blade has a distal taper to it, so it is quick in the hand.
The pistol was made by Dave Lauck of Gillette Wy. You can see his beautiful work at www.dlsports.com
Ivory in School
Monday, November 22nd, 2010Recently My Wife and I had the opportunity to go to the Kindergarden and Preschool classes in out small town. The purpose was to show and explain a little about the prehistoric Wooly Mammoth and the ancient Walrus. Since I use the tusks form both these animals we where able to take some samples to show.
As you can see the kids where totaly amazed by the size and beauty of the tusk sections. The tusks of the Mammoth could reach 16 feet long so we had the kids lay out end to end to equal 16 feet. We also set an alarm to go off in 30 minute which is how long a Walrus can stay under water, and explained that they could swim to a depth of a football field.
Where not sure how much they will remember but you can see from there faces they where delited. There where lots of hugs as we left, I’m not sure who had more fun, use or them. The education of our young people is very important and up to us all.
GRS engraving school
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010Friday we worked on a project of our own design and we all picked our favorite. They where all quite good and of totally different styles. There was a portrait, leaves and berries, and geometric patterns.Above is my final project, a thistle for a Nomad fixed blade bolster. With a few alterations I hope to have one done for the August San Antonio American Bladesmith Show.
This exercise shows the importance of shading. The flower on the right was engraved first and after some practice, I came back and did the left one. I can see this art is going to really take some practice to learn. Art classes would have really helped as I would understanding shading and balance of design. Alas, I’ll have to take a crash course and learn as I go. None the less it was really worth my time to attend the GRS engraving school.
I’m curious, what do you like, scrolls, flowers, scenes, or leaves and vines? This is your opportunity to enfluence the direction I follow.
Customized Al Mar S.E.R.E. 2000
Thursday, March 18th, 2010This is a production SERE 2000 that I have made Damasteel blades for. I did a limited number for the 2010 SHOT show.
Home on the range
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010This is a photo my daughter took while she was home visiting at Christmas. Living in Wright we are blessed with a large buffalo ranch near town. The Durham ranch has over 1000 head and on occasion they are near the road and pose for pictures. The buffalo is a prairie icon and a symbol of the west, for that reason I have included it in my picture mosaic knife series.
This is the blade that will be the Where the Buffalo Roam Bowie. It is 1 1/2″ wide and the blade will be 7″ long. Mosaic buffalo tiles down the middle with explosion damascus wraped around the edges. In a future blog I will show the steps that have brought the blade to this point.
Hydralic Press
Sunday, February 28th, 2010The slide is made of 3/4 inch steel with four 5/8 bolts holding them together, the center piece is shimmed to a little over 1 inch and it is drilled and taped for a grease zerk. One inch was used for the cylinder mount and that was welded to a piece of 1 1/4 that was beveled on both sides to match 4 inch channel iron.
This photo shows the way the dies are attached, John came up with this and it works great. They are easy to change, the only draw back is that they slide out some times. I have many different dies for drawing and shaping.
S.H.O.T. show 2010
Sunday, January 24th, 2010One week in sunny Las Vegas, Ha Ha
The first couple days where sunny and nice but the rest of the week saw clouds and lots of rain. It rained three days, mostly in the evening and totaled 1.8 inches. The average yearly rainfall for Vegas is 4 inches and last year they didn’t even reach 2 inches.
Most people try to get a hotel close to the convention center and walk every day. With the rain in the evening the line out front waiting on taxi’s was huge, several thousand people hutled under the eves to catch a ride. The traffic was also backed up and added to the problem. The police showed up and started directing traffic and that seemed to help. We, as in the Al Mar crew, had a rent a wreck that we parked near by for a quick getaway. The booth was manned by The president of Al Mar Knives, Gary Fadden and his wife Rumiko, my son Kalob and myself. We also had various friends drop in to help.
The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor, Trade show is a dealers show that is not open to the general public. The companys show their products to the dealers and take orders for the coming year. Many new products are introduced at this show and it is well attended as the dealers are anxious to see the latest hot items for sale. The booths very greatly in both size and content at the show. All the major gun company are there with giant booths, also scopes, knives, tents, barbeque and outdoor cooking, camoflauge gear – pretty much everything but fishing equipment. I’m sure the fishing and boating industry have their own trade show.
This a shot looking down one of the many isles at the show. There are many miles of isles and thousands of booths to see. Four days just isn’t enough to cover the show. Since I’m working the Al Mar booth the whole time, I don’t get a chance to see much. That is why I make a list of the things that I am interested in prior to the show, look them up in the show directory, and I can go directly to them.
This years show was held at the Sand’s Convention Center. The venue was not well recieved as it was on two levels and very confusing to find your way around. We were on the first level which I think is a converted parking garage because it had a low ceiling and not quite enough light. It was a little slow the first day, I think because it took people a while to filter down. The rest of the show moved quickly with lots of traffic. The upper level had high ceilings so the companys could hang there banners and construct the larger booths.