2/1/2009

I’ve been quite busy in the shop over the last month.  Work has mostly gone well on the Mastersmith knife for the ABS auction.  All of the handle parts are finished to the point of being ready to fit the ivory handle slabs.  But, that is were the problem has cropped up.  I was able to get a section of walrus tusk and saw slabs from it.  Not unexpectedly, the slabs are warping due to the moisture content stabilizing.  At this point, I am not sure when it will be safe to install the slabs on the knife and expect them not to move any more.  I have been measuring them every other day for the last three weeks and they are still changing.  So, I have stopped work on the knife until I feel confident these slabs are ready to use, or I find different material.  Once I get the handle material fitted to the handle frame, I still have a considerable amount of file-work to do to the liners and ferrules.

I was hoping to have this knife finished to take to the Arkansas Knifemakers Show in Little Rock, AR.  But, it will not be ready.  I have devoted so much time to this knife that I have only had time to make one other knife for the show.  It is one of my Cimarron hunters.  It has a damascus blade, stainless steel fittings and amber stag handle.  I am right now, working on patterns to engrave on the fittings.  If I can work up a suitable pattern, I will attempt to engrave the knife for the show.  This will be the first knife that I have engraved to put on my table at any knife show.

That’s about it from the shop.  Just trying to catch up and get brave enough to start engraving some of my knives.

We had the Board of Director’s meeting of the KCKA on January 10^th.  The meeting was great and we took care of a lot of business required to get the association going.  There is now a membership application page on the KCKA web site www.kansasknives.org  It is printable, to be filled out and mailed in with membership payment.  We hope to soon finalize plans for a shop tour.  At this time, it looks like it may be held at my shop.  We are thinking about having a cook-out / meet-n-greet event.  We would like the attendees to bring their spouses and some of their work so we can all get to know one another and see what everyone does.  We will post information for the event on our web site, as soon as we have the date finalized.

Home  Knife Gallery  Knives Available  Knife Sheaths  Newsletter  Newsletter Archive  Show Schedule  Background  Contact Info  Shop Gallery  Links Page