Thread: NOS Herder 49 in Desert Ironwood/G10 with Brass Wedge and Matching Brush

This gorgeous NOS Herder 49 came to me in mint condition, ready to drop into scales with just a little polishing on the jimps and tail. Obviously it deserved something really special, so I went with some really nice desert ironwood blanks I had, epoxied onto black G10 for stability. I tried for a scale profile that complemented the lines of this classic design. I have become smitten with this stunning wood, though it requires surgically sharp tools and much patience; the DI blanks under it will find their way into future projects.


No finish other than its own essential oils buffed to a high gloss, followed by a few coats of Rennaisance Wax


Though it has a commanding heft with that brass wedge, it still flips nimbly and quickly on my stropping test (though I still haven't even honed it yet or used the brush-waiting for a special occasion, I guess). It closes tight and centered in brass collars with NiAg pins.

I got the idea for a brass band from turning duck calls with them, plus I had a couple of previous brushes split in that area (probably from expanding into a too-tight hole).

A before pic; I may have posted this weeks ago in the Workshop. It took me some time to finish with this year's crazy school startup:

The cool thing is that I have 1 more identical NOS 49. I may do that set in black horn, ebony or the like with silver hardware. Thanks for looking! SHD/A-aron