ThisIsMyFirstRodeo

Found the kit on sale for less than the template, so I’m using it as the to make my own. Apparently, I’m out of card stock, so I decided I would just use it as a master. Definitely not as easy as you might think. Not difficult, but not as easy as it sounds. The key part I found was placing grain-to-grain, and using my green tape to keep it from moving. (career cook, habits all carry over…). Pretty decent results, at least can work with it… (center left). And before anyone gets too rankled by it, once I traced it, I pulled it off, leaving no damage or residue. I’m not really a fan of key fobs like the original with one side flesh and the other grain, so I’m also using it to make a fold-over. And before anyone tries to jump on me again, I know not to use ballpoint on the grain, these were all development, not product. Having taken the dimensions and hole punch placement, I discovered that the original is not a circular arc (far right). Although it probably designed from Sacred Geometry, I didn’t want to math any more than I had to, so went back to trying to spin it around. (This is where the tape really came in handy, actually). Again, not as easy as it first sounds… Even using a pair of awls to mark the holes and line up, it just wasn’t lining up. With my redneck engineering brain finally kicking in I drew a line on the belly, and a centerline on the master. Lo and Behold! (Bottom) Any, maybe I’m doing it right, maybe I’m doing it wrong. Just teaching myself along the way. This Is My First Rodeo, after all…

Clean your wood tools just like you would anything else wood. At the most basic, grab some mineral spirits and #000 steel wool and lightly scrub (always with grain) to break loose the surface. Go from there to 120g sandpaper LIGHTLY to remove the bulk, wipe down with spirits and clean tack cloth, move to 220g, wipe down with spirits and a NEW clean tack cloth. Probably ok to move on to 400g wet sandpaper, wiping down again, then 800g, 1000g, 1200g, 2000g. A lot of woodworkers will go to buffing wheels after 400g, and finish out from there, or stop at 1200g. Cocobolo though, can have such a great luster that I personally keep going as far as I can (I have pads out to 8000g). Personally, I keep going with stropping leathers, but that’s just my perfectionist ocd neuroses having their way with me… A key component with it is always use a clean rag between grits, and fresh water with each grit, otherwise the rougher particles will remain. If you already do any woodwork, sorry for my soapbox, and if anyone wants a refresher or to learn more, Woodworkers Source has some great resources. But, This Is My 1st Rodeo, after all…

I used a saddlemaker’s groover and a 4-prong 2mm diamond chisel She’s pretty awesome, I’m blessed to be sure.

A lot of 1sts here… 1st/2nd knife forged (threw a 2nd spike into the forge while working the 1st) 1st stitching something other than my hand (don’t ask, painful memories, har har) 1st leatherwork The knife is a gift for my daughter, so I’m building a sheath that matches the blade and her personality (still WIP, pics will come), but I needed something for the interim, so I made a simple water formed foldover sheath. Tandy’s econo veg tan belly, Hobby Lobby’s cheapest waxed stitching thread, and finished with mineral oil. Or camellia oil, not sure anymore. (Unmarked bottle with my knife kit…) Took a couple stitches to figure it out, but saddle stitch looks clean, seam feels tight. Really happy with how it came out, especially for my 1st piece. Had intended to utilize it as part of the finished project, but I just don’t want to cut the seam…