Orca Knife in Steel and Antler

[tsterling]

Hi Folks,

Sorry I haven’t been posting much lately, but here’s my latest knife. It’s a tiny deer antler Orca done in NW Native American style.


The knife is 3 3/16 inches overall, with a 1 1/4 inch long 1074 carbon steel through-tang blade. The antler has been aged with potassium permanganate. The handle is made from the last fork of a really old (and tiny) naturally-shed antler.

I’ve been experimenting with engraving and carving antler lately, and have come up with a combination of engraving the edges/outlines with a Lindsay template onglette, carving out the background spaces with NSK and carbide burs, followed by some special little scrapers I’ve made. Tiny flats help on occasion as well. Seems to work fairly well. You do need to take fairly small repeated cuts with the onglette, or the surface of the antler can tear. With small cuts there is still some tearing out, but it’s microscopic and doesn’t seem to hurt the finished product viewed by the naked eye.

I was sort of surprised, because under the microscope carving antler at this tiny scale reminds me very much of carving ivory soap! What seems hard and unyielding with a standard knife is gentle and easy with tiny tools.

Anyway, it’s good to be back, and thanks for looking!

Tom

 

[monk]

a very nice, unique, beauty of a job.

 

[scott99]

Nice carving!Looks to me like you are making the same kind of tools used in Netsuke carving,I would also bet they will get smaller and smaller. I have been making my own tools for years. The reason for making them is simple,you can't buy them.Every carving normally needs at least one tool made "just for that job" They will stack up, and the "special tools" will find a new use in the next job.Keep carving, have a hoot with it as well.

Again very nice carving.
scott99

 

[Marrinan]

Truly wonderful work. Taking the First Native inspiration and running with is fabulous endeavor. You should be proud of the artistry and craftsmanship. well done friend Tom-Fred

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Wicked!!!

That is just fabulous. The blade blends with the fish perfectly.

Ten out of ten!!

Cheers
Andrew

 

[dlilazteca]

Absolutely beautiful stunning work thank you for sharing

Carlos De La O III

 

[Artemiss]

I like that a lot. Nicely done

Jo

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Absolutely gorgeous, I love it!

 

[tsterling]

Looks to me like you are making the same kind of tools used in Netsuke carving.

scott99

Hi Scott,

Guilty! I was a professional netsuke carver for a fair number of years in my sordid past, until 9/11 killed the market and the gallery that represented me. However, the little scrapers I'm using now are a bit different from what I used in the past. Some of them I've created using the Lindsay Knife template, and others I've made using my Hamler sharpening fixture, all from 1/8 or 3/32 music wire. I've also been experimenting a bit with angles and such. And, it's the engraving that has enabled me to attack the less organic shapes like this, since it allows me to make smooth edges that were pretty much impossible to make in the past, at least reliably and cost effectively.

Incidentally, I've also noticed some of these little scrapers work really well for metal, especially steel. They've evolved from Clive Hallam's "Shirley Temple" knives ('cause they cut such nice little curls!). Here's a few links to those:

Part 1: http://followingtheironbrush.org/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=1361
Part 2: http://followingtheironbrush.org/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=1494
Part 3: http://followingtheironbrush.org/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=1859

The early beginnings of how I make mine:
http://followingtheironbrush.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1472&p=13899

And thanks for the kind words!

Tom

 

[tsterling]

Hi Folks,

Thanks so much for the great feedback. I'm pretty stoked at the reviews this little guy is getting, and I really appreciate all of you taking the time to comment. I've been watching how much effort all of you have been putting into helping the newbies on this forum improve their artistry, and I have to say I've been trying to soak it all up. I hope, at least in my case, that it hasn't been in vain!

Thanks,

Tom

 

[scott99]

HI back,I have your book among many others and like your work very much. I still tend to hand carve (scrape) only but am working up the same street you are. I started to begin to learn engraving about 2 years ago and am striving to incorporate the skills into my carvings.

As for tool making I normally forge them from spring steel wire. I used to use O-1 tool steel but found I could affect the quench and temper better in water. I also find that X-acto chisel blades can be ground into very nice scrapers and files. Those I do an a wet Tormek grinder.

I got a high speed 400,000 rpm air rotary tool but I just don't have the feel for it I should, I play with it from time to time but it just doesn't feel right somehow. No I am not a TOOL SNOB to me use what gets the work done.

Thanks for the links I always learn something new on this Forum.

scott99

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

An absolute beautiful shape for a knife, it all fits nicely together. Love it!

arnaud

 

[tsterling]

HI back,

I got a high speed 400,000 rpm air rotary tool but I just don't have the feel for it I should

scott99

Hi Soctt99,

I use the 35,000 rpm electric micromotor NSK grinder - has lots more torque. I've not done any carving with the air powered mega-rpm grinders - those I've seen used simply disintigrate anything they touch, and I tend to use the shanks of my burs as a "pilot" to help control how smoothly they cut. The air powered versions won't allow that, they'll just burn wherever they touch. I much prefer a little bit of resistance during cutting. The micromotor also works really well cutting all of the engraveable metals I've tried.

Tom

 

[tsterling]

An absolute beautiful shape for a knife, it all fits nicely together. Love it!

arnaud

Thanks, Arnaud. I really appreciate the kind words!

Tom