Knives

Fish Fillets

11 5/8″ overall. Blade: 6 3/8″ x 7/8″

Epoxy, spruce cone, 440C stainless steel, silver, leather

A client wanted me to make a gift to give to a friend that really likes to fish, so I came up with the idea of a fillet knife. I bought the blade and the sheath from a supplier in Texas. The handle is made from knife scale blanks I got that are made by casting epoxy resin with a spruce cone embedded in it. After the casting cures, it is cut in two to make the knife scales. The blanks can be used with either the inside or the outside of the cone showing. I used the inside as the display side as it reminded me of fish bones.

Hand Forged Knife

9 3/8″ long overall, blade: 4 7/8″ x 1″

5160 steel, deer antler, leather, German silver

For most of my knives (and letter openers) I buy the blades already made and just make handles for them. However, for this one I got to take a class in blacksmithing and forged the blade by hand. I then put a deer antler handle on it. The guard and butt cap are custom fitted German silver bar stock shaped to fit the antler as needed. I intentionally cut the antler with just the start of the swell to one of the tines. I thought it gave the handle a shape that really fits in your hand nicely.