Suggestion Box.

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah, I could see in that case, that the tine could get hung up as you are working the blade. I will need to mock one up to enlighten me. My intuition is that the tine hanging down below the cutting edge line could create more issues - though ALL your examples suggest that I've got it wrong.

I don't know what kind of knife Bill Scagel's original idea for the brow tine handle was, but I think it lends itself better to a combat style knife more than anything thing else. My thought on Scagel style knives are I like crowns the best simply because I think they're the nicest looking, antler or stag rounds are the most comfortable to use. You can do more sheath wise with a stag round than you can with a stag crown. With a stag round you can use a pouch style sheath but not with a crown. The flared crowns tend to get caught and pulled on by brush, and sometimes out of the sheath, when you're out hunting. When I first started making knives I carried a small crown stag hunter in a pouch sheath all the time with me when I was out hunting and it was constantly getting tugged on by brush and vines, and I've had it get pulled out of the sheath and had back track to find it.

 

[RayseM]

So then - CROWNS for beauty - TINES for combat - ROUNDS for utility.
ANTLERS are versatile, that's for sure.

 

[Scott Hanson]

Yes, that's a good way of looking at it. I don't know but there's just something about a good stag handle knife that hard to beat.

 

[Pàdruig]

Yes, that's a good way of looking at it. I don't know but there's just something about a good stag handle knife that hard to beat.

Years ago, I used to associate Stag with cheaply made knives from Pakistan - having attended different farmer's markets, faires, and swap meets, there was always a table or two with cheap knives in extravagant designs, soft stainless, and Stag (maybe even faux stag). Needless to stay, it was something that got stuck in my head.

Ever since I joined the forums here and have expanded my own collection, interests, and experience, Stag has become one of my favorite materials. I don't have it on any fixed blades yet but do have quite a few slip joints dressed up in Stag. It is simply a wonderful material.

The stuff you use is some of the best I've seen on knives, particularly fixed blades. I'd love to see what you could do with some patch style knives, using the full tine.

 

[Scott Hanson]

Years ago, I used to associate Stag with cheaply made knives from Pakistan - having attended different farmer's markets, faires, and swap meets, there was always a table or two with cheap knives in extravagant designs, soft stainless, and Stag (maybe even faux stag). Needless to stay, it was something that got stuck in my head.

Ever since I joined the forums here and have expanded my own collection, interests, and experience, Stag has become one of my favorite materials. I don't have it on any fixed blades yet but do have quite a few slip joints dressed up in Stag. It is simply a wonderful material.

The stuff you use is some of the best I've seen on knives, particularly fixed blades. I'd love to see what you could do with some patch style knives, using the full tine.

Yes, patch style knives came up in this thread actually in post #5, a whole single tine with a simple Scagel style spacer pattern has been rattling around in my head for some time now. I think the Civil war/Black powder enthusiasts would take an interest in something like that. IIRC, I think I have some pretty cool black powder style leather stamp in the shop, along with a shit load of antler tines.lol

 

[Pàdruig]

Yes, patch style knives came up in this thread actually in post #5, a whole single tine with a simple Scagel style spacer pattern has been rattling around in my head for some time now. I think the Civil war/Black powder enthusiasts would take an interest in something like that. IIRC, I think I have some pretty cool black powder style leather stamp in the shop, along with a shit load of antler tines.lol

I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Another thought too would be to make smaller patch style knives with smaller pieces of crown. I only thought of this because I remembered that I had a piece that a buddy made me a long time ago. He just used an Old Hickory blade that he ground down and a small bit of Stag with a leather spacer. Crude but it's a great little cutter. I'd have it be just a bit longer so that it would accommodate a full four finger grip due to the crown kind of being in the way in that regard...

 

[RayseM]

That is a particularly nice little knife Dylan, Pàdruig

 

[Pàdruig]

That is a particularly nice little knife Dylan, Pàdruig

Thank you, Ray. I often forget that I have it. I used to do Civil War living history and it was a little knife that I kept with my kit. I just dug it out - it needs to be touched up but it is a neat little knife. My mind is going crazy with all the things that Scott could likely do with something so seemingly simple. The man is an artist, without a doubt.

 

[Scott Hanson]

Actually I think I do have some small crowns laying around, I’ll have to take a look next time I’m at the shop.

Thank you, Ray. I often forget that I have it. I used to do Civil War living history and it was a little knife that I kept with my kit. I just dug it out - it needs touched up but it is a neat little knife. My mind is going crazy with all the things that Scott could likely do with something so seemingly simple. The man is an artist, without a doubt.

 

[RayseM]

Would be fun to see some of your tine /crown selection that could be used for handles - stir the imagination so to speak

 

[Scott Hanson]

Would be fun to see some of your tine /crown selection that could be used for handles - stir the imagination so to speak

My antler collection is kind of a jumbled up mess in two or three different places about half is piled in two different closets in house and the other half is at the shop which is behind my rental property. To make things worse 95% of it is in whole antler form so tit's really hard to see what you have until its cut and in your hand.

 

[RayseM]

Yeah - I get it. Jumbled up mess that will clarify only when the mind requires. I have scraps of wood like that.

 

[Scott Hanson]

Yeah - I get it. Jumbled up mess that will clarify only when the mind requires. I have scraps of wood like that.

I did take a few pics before I went bed last night. I have another metal cabinet, which is even a bigger mess, with more antlers and pieces of antlers I keep around to test staining techniques on before applying it to any actual knife handle. I a nut shell, when I build a knife in my head Figure out what I what to make then make 4-6 blades and then pick out 4-6 handles from my pile. When I get some free time I go on line and replace what I use and throw them right back into the pile. I really do need to get this mess organized. But I probably have every type of stag, antler, fossil ivory, mammoth tooth and musk ox boss and just about every type of exotic wood you can think of.

These photos represent about half of what I have, I don't know if they will be of much help to you Ray but here they are.

For what it's worth I need to haul all this out to the shop saw off what I don't need and keep what I do need, I've been thinking about doing just that for about the last 30 years. But then again why fix something if it's not broken.lol

 

[RayseM]

Funny to see all those. I get so excited finding a shed in my back yard Have found 2 full sets and a skull with antlers over the years but mostly old chewed on pieces. The sets are considered TREASURES

I see pieces of sheds packaged nicely and selling for hugely stupid money for dog chews. A 4" or 5" piece in a bag sells for about $ 10 and 6" pieces with points near $ 20.00 You are sitting on a veritable gold mine of castoffs for the cost of some zip lock bags and a label printer. Actually you don't even need the bag, just an adhesive label.

Thanks for showing.

 

[Scott Hanson]

Ok, I posted three knife pics on Facebook last night of the last 3 knives that I made. My post got 220 likes and there were 100 comments, I took in 5 orders so far and am still getting inquiries about knives. The next build will include at least 2 Randall replicas and 2 hunters for other customers, the steel will be AEB-L with a commercial heat treat with cryo to goal HRc-62 I will have open slots for 2 more knives in this build in this steel if anyone is interested. As far as antler and stag goes if you can find a photo of it I probably already have something similar to it. Ball park figure is I probably have over 300 antlers and over 1000 times to work with right now. If there is anything anyone wants built in this built let me know with in the next 3-4 weeks or so and we'll go from there, or if I can always move down the order list.

 

[Scott Hanson]

Funny to see all those. I get so excited finding a shed in my back yard Have found 2 full sets and a skull with antlers over the years but mostly old chewed on pieces. The sets are considered TREASURES

I see pieces of sheds packaged nicely and selling for hugely stupid money for dog chews. A 4" or 5" piece in a bag sells for about $ 10 and 6" pieces with points near $ 20.00 You are sitting on a veritable gold mine of castoffs for the cost of some zip lock bags and a label printer. Actually you don't even need the bag, just an adhesive label.

Thanks for showing.

I've only found one shed in my life Ray but I don't look very much. I know guys that have garbage cans full of them that they have found, but they walk for mile and miles to do it. I really need to get into my horn supply and sort this mess out one of these days though. Throw some ideas out there, if you see a piece of stag you like odds are I've I've got something similar to it. I'm going to starting another build in a couple of weeks and just got quite a few new orders in.

 

[Mack]

One of my favorite skinning knife designs is the Ruana 28cd. I'm not a huge fan of Ruana handles though.

What do you think of a blade like this in AEB-L and one of your stag handles?

 

[Scott Hanson]

One of my favorite skinning knife designs is the Ruana 28cd. I'm not a huge fan of Ruana handles though.

What do you think of a blade like this in AEB-L and one of your stag handles?

Now that you mention it mack I a similar idea years ago but never finished it. I knew I had the template laying around somewhere, I just had to dig a little. This was meant to be a pocket or back pack skinner with a 3" blade and a Scagel style handle. I just never got around to doing anything with it, If you or anyone wants to play with length or shape, be my guest. I think it could be lengthened to 4" or even 4 1/2" with out too much trouble.

 

[Mack]

You were reading my mind when you drew that up. We'll be talking. 4.5 inches is exactly where my mind was going.

 

[Scott Hanson]

Ok, I’m working the next two nights and I have one sheath to make before the next build, then I can mess around with it a bit. Mack if you or anyone else has any handle ideas feel free to post them here.