Ex-Pink Squeak

phillipsted

phillipsted

Joined
Oct 4, 2010
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Here's one just off my bench. This one started life as a little Pink Squeak I got online for $15. I decided to dress it up in scales made from Osage Orange. My local hardwood dealer had some blocks that he said were cut from some reclaimed fence posts. It is some really beautiful stuff, with a relatively close grain crossed by some gorgeous three-dimensional rays and flecks. The tree itself is considered almost a nuisance tree back where I grew up in the midwest - we called it the "Horse Apple Tree". It grows gnarled and full of thorns, which makes it hard to deal with (it also punctures tires easily). It is decay resistant, so the wood doesn't rot (including the thorns!). The wood is exceedingly tough and flexible - ideal for tool handles, bows, and fence posts.

I resawed the block to get thin slabs, hand planed them to thickness, then measured and cut the scales. After drilling, counterboring and prepping them, I reassembled the knife and shaped and contoured the scales. After disassembly, I sanded out to 1200 grit, sealed the grain with Tru-Oil sanding sealer, topped it with three coats of Tru-Oil and a polish with Ren Wax.

TedP









 
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That's gorgeous! I've some Osage staves leftover from a failed attempt at bow making it's such vibrant wood.
 
Looks great. I've used osage orange on a couple of folder scales. Its a beautiful wood.

Ric
 
That looks great. You just gave me an idea. I might have to look for some colored g10 and dress one up for my daughters.
 
This is a Squeak I've had on my bench for a while and finally got assembled today. The wood is a stabilized, dyed Silky Oak from Hawaii (not a true oak) that was purchased from Mark at It's a Burl. I've always liked the varied grain and prominent rays in this wood - there's lots to look at. I'm not normally a big fan of dyed wood, but in this case, the dye creates a bit more contrast than the raw wood has. The Silky Oak was finished with five thin coats of TruOil, topped with a coat if Ren Wax.

I had a bit of trouble with the action on this one - I wasn't able to get it smoothed out after fiddling with it during final assembly. I'll keep working on it and will probably add some teflon washers to see if it helps.

Cheers!
TedP









 
Those look great! I got a few of those pink squeaks when they were $15 as well. Wish I had the know how to make those scales. Great work!
 
If you get tired of some of the ones you made, send em my way. I got a couple squeaks just begging to be dressed up
 
Here's a set of scales for the Squeak I finished last night. This is a delightful knife to work on - as is the Pingo. The construction of these Maniago knives is simple and direct - and the result is a very compact and strong tool. Nicely done, Sal!

I found a block of stabilized marblewood a few weeks back. I've been wanting to work with this wood for a while. It has a very coarse grain that is sometimes interlocked, plus it is very dense and has a noticeable blunting effect on tools. HOWEVER, when it is stabilized, the coarse grain becomes a non-issue and the wood turns solid and strong. Its a joy to work on. Case in point: these scales are sanded out to just 800-grit and finished only a rubbing of Renaissance Wax. No topcoat at all.

And for those of you who might be wondering - I don't own 50 Squeaks. :cool: I'm just a hobbyist, so I bought a handful when they were on sale at an online retailer a while back ($15!) and rotate them. I keep one "sacrificial" Squeak on my bench to use as a construction mule. I build and shape the knife using the Mule (which gets quite scratched up and the scales have registration holes and glue residue). When the scales are finished, I then mount the them on one of the other knives. This way I can build my skills without spending a small fortune. Fun stuff!

TedP









 
All I have to say is WOW!!!!
superb work indeed!!
I take one in burly maple please..... Lol!!!
 
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