Tuna Valley Photography

Rookie82 · Nov 27, 2023

This is a Old Man Norman prototype from 2021. It has "Mystic Sea" acrylic handles.

birdsbeaks · Nov 27, 2023

Rookie82 said:
This is one of the Old Man Norman's in Green Maple Burl from 2021.
View attachment 2399013

Very nice photo! I've got a nail-breaking Phoenix Jack with these covers and you've done a great job at the difficult task of capturing all the color in there - in dim light, you don't see any of that awesome burl action!

Rookie82 · Nov 27, 2023

birdsbeaks said:
Very nice photo! I've got a nail-breaking Phoenix Jack with these covers and you've done a great job at the difficult task of capturing all the color in there - in dim light, you don't see any of that awesome burl action!

Yeah I had to play around a bit to get the camera to pick up the depth of the handle character.

Rookie82 · Nov 28, 2023

Another Old Man Norman prototype. This one with copper bolsters.

birdsbeaks · Nov 30, 2023

Hey

Rookie82 - In another thread focused exclusively on Titusville Cutlery (in which I'd already been warned about posting Tuna pics...

) you asked to see the result if and when I got around to adding an easy-open notch to my nail-mangling Phoenix Jack covered in green maple burl.

I think it came out alright. It's nice to be able to open the blade and still have my thumbnail intact. This is the first such (read: potentially destructive) mod I've ever performed on a slipjoint knife. In a perfect world I would have practiced on a Rough Ryder or similar, but this is not a perfect world and so instead I figured "oh hell, lets just do it live" - fortunately, she seems to have survived the ordeal.

321Bandaid - this may also be relevant to your interests.

Rookie82 · Dec 1, 2023

birdsbeaks said:
Hey Rookie82 - In another thread focused exclusively on Titusville Cutlery (in which I'd already been warned about posting Tuna pics... ) you asked to see the result if and when I got around to adding an easy-open notch to my nail-mangling Phoenix Jack covered in green maple burl.

I think it came out alright. It's nice to be able to open the blade and still have my thumbnail intact. This is the first such (read: potentially destructive) mod I've ever performed on a slipjoint knife. In a perfect world I would have practiced on a Rough Ryder or similar, but this is not a perfect world and so instead I figured "oh hell, lets just do it live" - fortunately, she seems to have survived the ordeal.

321Bandaid - this may also be relevant to your interests.

That turned out really well I would say! Good job. The handles sure are beautiful on that one.

Rookie82 · Dec 1, 2023

Keeping on the Old Man Norman train, here are 2 of the normal production releases. Mammoth Ivory from 2021, and Burnt Stag from 2022.

Rookie82 · Dec 3, 2023

Another production Old Man Norman release, this was the 2021 release in Catalina Wine Mixer bone.

Rookie82 · Dec 6, 2023

This Old Man Norman was a 1 piece special prototype with handles by Mammoth Mike. Yellow mammoth tooth handles, and a rooster shield.

Rookie82 · Dec 8, 2023

This is a production Old Man Norman in Buffalo Horn handles from 2022.

Rookie82 · Dec 11, 2023

I should be on track for showing my entire Tuna Valley collection here by New Years. Only a few handfuls still to go. After that, I'll just post here when I have new ones to show.

Next up, the production run of the Old Man Norman in 2022 in Amber Stag.

Rookie82 · Dec 13, 2023

Another Old Man Norman, this was part of the Cultured Artistry Collection series in 2022. Green mammoth tooth, and a "tree of life" shield. A lot of folks commented that the shield too closely resembled the Boker logo, so no others were made after this 1 release.

Rookie82 · Dec 16, 2023

Here is the last Old Man Norman that I have to show. It is a prototype done by Oiseau Metal Arts with fluted ivory and Mayan art theme engraving.

Rookie82 · Dec 18, 2023

To go along with the previous prototype, this was another prototype by Oiseau Metal Arts done on the Old Man Jack pattern, with the same theme.

drj211 · Dec 18, 2023

I gave one of these away several years back and have regretted it ever since. With the help of

Rookie82 , finally found another!

Rookie82 · Dec 18, 2023

drj211 said:
I gave one of these away several years back and have regretted it ever since. With the help of Rookie82 , finally found another!

That's a beauty. Great chunk of stag for such a little knife!

drj211 · Dec 18, 2023

Rookie82 said:
That's a beauty. Great chunk of stag for such a little knife!

Both sides match very well.

Rookie82 · Dec 20, 2023

This past summer there was a run of new knife picks by a different knifemaker. These were marked "1st Run". They came in 3 different handle types: Burnt Stag, Mammoth Ivory, and Burnt Orange Burl.

Rookie82 · Dec 29, 2023

Finishing out the year showing a few more Tuna Valley knives. This is the newest one to my collection, the last of the Phoenix Jack releases. This one in Gaboon Ebony wood with Raindrop Damascus blade.

Rookie82 · Dec 29, 2023

The last one is this unique 1 piece prototype. It is called the "Pathfinder" and was built on the Phoenix Jack frame. This was a test to try out some possibilities for future runs, including: a small recessed EO to reach the nail pull, fluted/lined bolsters, laser etching on the blade, compass insert in the handle, and a different type of handle material (in this case, compressed hemp wood).