What's happening in the David Mary Custom shop?

[OutdoorsFamilyMan4]

Amazing work, David!

 

[David Mary]

Sincerest thanks!

 

[David Mary]

Good evening friends. Today saw progress on three knives in AEB-L and one in 15N20.

AEB-L: Mini Kiridashi with natural canvas Micarta scales, Spear point ringer with black and yellow layered G10 and black canvas Micarta bolsters, EDBowie with black canvas Micarta scales









15N20: SkinnyFat Bowie with Bocote scales, layered G10 spacer, and black canvas Micarta bolsters



These are, as of yet, destined for the exchange.

And I also textured the scales on the 15N20 EDBowie which will be going to Kevin Cleary and then Jake at Canadian Cutting Edge.

 

[David Mary]

Had a few things on the go today so not as much shop time as I would have liked. Nevertheless, these ones are inching their way to completion:

 

[David Mary]

Today I made a sheath for the tanto which just sold, an Edge-C wharncliffe commission, which used up my last piece of Python Micarta. I nearly finished the spear point ringer, and made good progress on the Bowies. Poor little kiridashi. You'll have your turn.

 

[woodysone]

Are you putting thumb push offs on those David, boy your getting real good on these.

 

[David Mary]

Thanks Martin!

Depends on the knife. Most of my taco sheaths will be getting thumb pushoffs going forward. I don't like to make them too big as they can be uncomfortable in certain types of carry, especially horizontal forward belt carry. And I shape my pancake sheaths with a sort of ramp that acts as a thumb pushoff.

 

[David Mary]

These have been put on hold the last couple days as I have been working on AEB-L orders for which the hardened blanks have come back.

 

[David Mary]

Good evening ladies and gents. There is a change happening for my family which we are transitioning through, and it has slowed down my work somewhat. But here is a little bit of the progress that I have made in the shop this week so far. Most of these are the oldest orders on the books, but a few are miscellaneous items that I have done small amounts of work on in between, for example when glue is curing.

 

[OutdoorsFamilyMan4]

They all look great! That curvy dagger looks sweet

 

[David Mary]

Thanks!

 

[woodysone]

That dagger looks killer David, do you think I can sell my wife on something like that?

 

[CaptPickle]

Wait! Do I see mine?

 

[OutdoorsFamilyMan4]

It kinda reminds me of a rhino horn...

It’s a Rhino Bowie

 

[David Mary]

These showed up today.




And today was sheath day in the shop.

Starting with the Rhino Bowie, which needs special treatment so it can be pulled straight out of the sheath without catching the recurve on anything. So here's how that looked:







And then the rest:


Notice the black handle material taped to the underside of C CaptPickle 's knife. That's to keep a channel open for the blade so it doesn't squeeze through the sheath. A necessity on blades of this style where the handle scale material is not as tall as the blade.

A few hours later...



The sheath for the Rhino Bowie is fairly wide, to allow enough room so the blade goes in and out easily without fiddling.

 

[David Mary]

And after sheaths, etching and sharpening.

 

[David Mary]

Yesterday saw the day in the shop start with a batch of belt clips, as I needed a few for the AEB-L orders (which went out afterwards, all but one). I shape them similarly to Spyderco's G-clip, but I feel the G-clip is not as strong as I would like a belt clip to be, and I also find it a bit too small. SO I make these a bit bigger, and with really thick Kydex (.125" i.e. 1/8").

Here they are on my Kydex/Boltaron griddle.


Here they are after being bent into shape.


Here's how I transfer the hole pattern.


I normally do them one at a time per order, but since I was doing four of them, I figured why not just get ahead on them. I quickly found using the Spyderco G-clip to transfer holes inefficient, so I made a template from G10 which will be easier going forward. I use 1/4" holes, and the Spyderco clip uses smaller holes on only one side, meaning I had to start my holes with one drill, and finish them with another. Now with my new template, I can just chuck the 1/4" drill and zip, zip.

Here's one done. I ship them with the appropriate Chicago screws.



I also made this little one with black paper Micarta, experimenting with handle texturing:



I like it. I can't wait to do it on some layered G10.

I did it on my R&D G10/15N20 Barax next. This knife is amazing in the woods. It's thin 15N20 but it chops hard wood like a champ.




Last week I started a chef knife for my brother who was in town, and finished it today before he left. Sorry, no pics, as he whisked it away before I could think to, but he said he'll text me some.

Then I started the next order today, a filet knife in AEB-L at RC 63. I ground my AEB-L Barax to its near final geometry with 36 grits belts.




I also inherited another Cold Steel Recon 1, so I got the majority of the work done to it, and just need to clean up the handle a bit.




Lastly, I sharpened and etched these, and they are ready to go up on the exchange. I will probably post them Friday.

 

[David Mary]

 

[David Mary]

In addition to the filet knife, I also did some refining on the handles of the Skinny Fat Bowie and the EDBowie, made a quick custom commission of another AEB-L Ringer, started on the handle of the AEB-L Barax... and I got glue all over my hands. Again.

 

[David Mary]

Oh and I took a design consultation call from a new customer over WhatsApp to dial in his commission. He is getting a "Hobbit Warrior" knife, similar to a design used by Spyderco and Rekat. This one will be different. AEB-L at RC 62-63. Hidden tang, no striker pommel, double edged with equal height bevels and plainedge all around, ground to zero. Handle will be layered G10 and micarta. It's going to be rad.