quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Von Gruff:

Couple of questions. What steel do you use on the Lion Knife and what is the length of the blade?

Second question, is could I get a quote on the Safari Knife and the Lion Knife, with either camel bone or giraffe bone and a closed sheath?

The Lion knife is 1084 carbon steel. PM incoming with quotes.

Good steel. Thanks for the PM exchange.

Something different for a hunter in bear country. He asked for a Tanto with a 12 inch blade so this is what I have done to fulfil the commission. 4.3mm 1075 with scandi grind brass bolster and stabilised dark walnut handle. Beach wood scabbard with leather hanger.

These four Heavy Hunters as a set that are away to my agent in the US for names to be engraved on the blades and then on shipped to the customer. Hickory burl over CB Buffalo horn bolster on the 1075 HC blades in the edge stamped sheaths.

Hickory burl is quite interesting

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
Hickory burl is quite interesting

I really like the tobacco colours in it.

These three are ready to go. A PH EDC with yellow cedar burl over curve backed brass, a bull nosed skinner with customer supplied warthog tusk over curve backed brass and the EDC Khukuri with buffalo horn over brass.

Finished this one today. A Lion knife with Camel bone handles over black G10 liners and a buffalo horn bolster on the 1095 blade with tapered tang in closed sheath

Check out this link to see why it is called the lion knife
https://www.africahunting.com/...he-lion-knife.28385/

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
Finished this one today. A Lion knife with Camel bone handles over black G10 liners and a buffalo horn bolster on the 1095 blade with tapered tang in closed sheath

That handle looks awesome!! like a domino or a die. That could be a good theme for a handle

I have done a few with that combination and they do go over very well.

I got to see a 7’ long narwhal tusk the other day. It would be pretty amazing as a handle material

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
I got to see a 7’ long narwhal tusk the other day. It would be pretty amazing as a handle material

It most certainly would.

Garry's got a lot of great looking knives. The choice was tough, but that Lion Knife is on it's way to Houston. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

It will be on my belt next year in the Lukwati Reserve, with the principal focus on lion. Once again. They ain't easy. Love the story behind this knife and gorgeous work by Von Gruff! His handle is a lot prettier than the original, but the blade is pretty darn close.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Garry's got a lot of great looking knives. The choice was tough, but that Lion Knife is on it's way to Houston. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

It will be on my belt next year in the Lukwati Reserve, with the principal focus on lion. Once again. They ain't easy. Love the story behind this knife and gorgeous work by Von Gruff! His handle is a lot prettier than the original, but the blade is pretty darn close.

Thank you for the kind words. I do hope you dont have to use it as the original was but that is the cause of many stories round the evening fire as Harry's story is told, where his courage, stamina and sheer will to live is an inspiration to all and deserves to be kept alive in the gloom of the evening with the lions roaring out on the veldt.
check this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...=NaturalHistoryMedia

In my experience, I have very little actual use for a sheath knife in Africa, but I like them and like to have one on the belt. As Von Gruff noted, this one will make for some interesting conversation around the fire.

Next year is the third try for lion. Just missed last year with a lion showing up the morning after I flew out, but hopefully third time will be the charm.

Watch the YouToub Garry attached! Awesome. I love hearing lions and frankly am disappointed if I don't at least hear them at night. Lately, I've been hunting them.

A Tahr Hunter with bufalo horn bolster and pomel over the deer antler handle with spine jimping on the 1095 HC blade in standard sheath with edge stamping.

A pair of Light Hunters for a father and son. Both with flat back buffalo horn bolsters and with one having spalted maple burl and the other having hickory burl handles on the 1084 blades. Sheaths with attached honing steels.

Are you going to make some sheaths with a fire steel loop?

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
Are you going to make some sheaths with a fire steel loop?

Can do (and have) if and when asked to. Simple diameter difference to the honing steel.

These two headiing off as prizes for a youth hunting comp. May be another two going with them if I get them done in time,.
Small game knife with Maple burl on the NitroV SS blade and a mini skinner withbuffalo horn on the 1084 carbon steel blade.

Two for neighbours kitchens.
the General purpose kitchen knife is what my wife uses most and a good friend of hers wanted one. A handle of Dyed Karelian Birch sets it off nicely with the gold flecs of undyed wood highlighting the green. A 5 inch Cryo quenched NitroV Stainles blade and one in trade with another neighbour has brass bolster, blue G10 liners under the impala jigged buffalo horn handle on the 7 1/2 inch cryo quenched NitroV Chef knife.

The Lion Knife arrived in Houston today. I've had a hard time putting it down. Very nice.

gorgeous knife

Have got a new design done that will cover the small knife/EDC hunter needs  that was mentioned on a hunt forum .
It is the Chamois Hunter with 3 1/2 inch 1084 blade and this prototype has Rosewood handles over orange G10 spacers and brass bolster. I used orange G10 pins in the handle.

with the chamois Hunter, a Bird and trout with camel bone handles on the NitroV ss blade, this makes the second pair for the youth hunt comp.

Western Hunter with yellow cedar burl over CB brass bolster in closed top sheath. The light causes the strange look to the closed top on the sheath but it is the same hot waxed texture as the rest of the leather.

Three ready to leave home.
A Grayling with a nice acrylic over black liner with 416 SS bolster and pomel on the cryo quenched NitroV SS blade in closed sheath with second closed sheath for previous knife that was in open top sheath.
A PH EDC with brown linen micarta scales over black linen micaarta curve back bolster on the 1075 blade with honing steel in open top sheath
And a Heavy Hunter with Tasmanian blackwood over curve back buffalo horn bolster on the 1075 blade in closed top sheath.

Making honing steels

https://www.africahunting.com/...page-127#post-920087

A pair of 1084 HC mini skiners. One has Koa and the other has spalted maple burl and have honing steels attached.

Sometimes it is the small ones that take the most to get right and this letter opener and stand proved that again.

Knife is 3 3/4 in NitroV blade with black paper micarta and resin ivory with the stand being a piece of black ivory with the resin ivory holder set into it.

A general,purpose knife with NZ Rata over brass on the 5 inch 1084 HC blade in sheath with attached honing steel.

Nice work!

A 1084 mini skiner with karelian birch and honing steel.





A PH EDC with CB buffalo horn and desert ironwood on the 1095 blade.





and a bird and trout with antler scales, brass bolster and pomel on the NitroV blade.

Made a start on a new project the other day. A comission for a longer bladed companion piece to the tanto I did a while back for the Alaskan bear hunter. Not a traditional Wakazishi (will not have a habaki/blade collar or handle wrap etc) ) but lighlty inspired by that style with 20 inch blade and 9 1/2 inch handle in a back scabbard.
First was I needed to draw a pattern with the smaller (western styled) tanto for inspiration.


Make a sheet steel template and select a suitable bar of steel and in this case it is 4.3mm 1075



Scribe the template onto the 1075 bar and grind to dimensions



do the pre heat treat grind. My forge was not quite long enough to get the full length to temp so I cut a section from the closed far end to allow for "painting" the blade with the heat to ensure the full length was to quenching heat.



Have it in the tempering oven for its second 2 hr cycle so will get back to the finish grind after I do the handle shaping on another knife I have to get ready to go for engraving

A 1084 skinner with brass curve back bolster and pomel and antler.

These two in trade/thank you for some extras for a superglide I bought on monday. The guy does a lot of fishing so a fisherman and a filleting knife. Black/blue acrylic handles over blue G10 liners on the NitroV SS blades.

A short sword that will be off to the bear hunter in Alaska soon. 20 inch blade of 4.3mm 1075 with brass guard and 9 1/2 inch white ash handle and scabbard with leather strapping for back carry.

Very cool!