Viper Knife

[Ste82]

Hi to everyone on the forum...
This is my last knife, it is a nice production line with briar grips and titanium bolsters, i have engraved in deep relief with a small gold inlay.

i hope you like it,

Stefano.

here is the knife without blackening, i like it more in this way, but if the light is not in the right direction is quite impossible to correctly see the engraving, so i had to blacken!

 

[LVVP]

What can I say? Amazing !

 

[dlilazteca]

Good flow! Great job thank you

 

[Marrinan]

That is a very well done piece of work. Layout is perfect. Fred

 

[Ste82]

Really a big thanks to all of you...!
And if anyone have an idea on how to mantain the non blakened style preserving the visibility of the engraving...please let me know!
I think that it is not possible, but i preferred to ask...:thinking:

Stefano.

 

[scott99]

Very beautiful, really clean cutting.

scott99

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

The one with no black looks great ?

michael

 

[Sam]

beautifully done. congratulations. :clapping:

 

[davidshe]

So nice Stefano! I too am struggling with the idea of blackening or not on a knife I just finished. Thanks for sharing. You are an excellent engraver!

Best,
David

 

[monk]

there are reasons to blacken-- increased contrast allows for a better visual appreciation of the work. also such gives an illusion of depth which adds to the overall beauty of the piece.

 

[Ste82]

Thanks guys i really appreciate!
Thanks Sam, i have to admit that your dvd helped me a lot, specially with shading!
Hi Monk, i know that blackening is made due to the reasons you exposed..i was only thinking that i preferred the elegance of non blackened style, because i have seen some works without black and was wondering if they accepted that their work with a less contrast or if they used a particular technic?

 

[SamW]

Your third photo of the knife prior to inking is especially nice. Photos may be the only way to capture and keep that look because the inking or blackening makes the work viewable from so many more angles that it is best to use it.

I would suggest you experiment with the amount of blackening and an easy way to do that would be renaissance wax and lamp black. You can vary the blackness by the amount of lamp black you mix in and believe me, it only takes a tiny amount to get a good solid flat black into the background and cuts. And it easily can be removed with solvent. So experiment to see if you can find a happy balance between "as is" and blackened.

By the way, the wax mixture above is also an easy and quick way to "ink" plastic castings.

PS...beautiful engraving!

 

[Willem Parel]

Fantastic cutting, beautiful knife! I also like the wood.

 

[Ste82]

Many thanks SamW, i will try your suggestion, it is agood advice but probably as you said " blackening makes the work viewable from so many more angles that it is best to use it" !
Thanks Willem! I agree with you, the wood is a big bonus on this knife