Joseph Rodgers 9/8 Meatcleaver
I did this one for one of our members. It kinda happened by accident because of something unrelated, so he sent it to me to fix it up however I liked.
Interesting side note: I once bid on this one on ebay, only to lose it to the person who sent it to me.
Here are the 'before' pics. Note the hone wear and the goo that had etched itself in the blade. This blade was at one time or another put away with water or lather on the blade, I guess. Or blood... ;)
http://msmvps.com/cfs-file.ashx/__ke...00_Before1.JPG
http://msmvps.com/cfs-file.ashx/__ke...00_Before2.JPG
The only demand that was made was to not use brass pins, so I decided to use the same stainless screws that Butch uses for his creations. I used purpleheart for the scales, which I found extremely nice to work with. It 'abrades' easily.
This is a manly cleaver. I did not want a smooth polished spacer and smooth polished scales. So the wood feels still a bit rough, and I only coated it with antiques wax. This preserves the wood texture. The insides are coated with several layers of CA to prevent moisture creeping in.
http://msmvps.com/cfs-file.ashx/__ke...F00_Closed.jpg
The 'Dutch Rattler' etching was very deep, so I was able to sand the blade without losing it. I managed to grind away the honewear without touching the etching. And the goo had indeed etched into the blade, but not too deep.
http://msmvps.com/cfs-file.ashx/__ke...5F00_Front.jpg
The damage in the tang ran pretty deep, so I did not grind it all out. That would have ruined the shape of the tang, so I just sanded the dirt away and polished it clean. There is also still some micro pitting in the spine on the toe. It is hardly visible, but it runs deep so I had to let it stay.
http://msmvps.com/cfs-file.ashx/__ke..._5F00_Back.JPG
One of the things that I really like about this restoration is the butt spacer. It is a hammered ring of stainless, made specially for this razor by Mike Blue. The rough look is exactly what I wanted for this razor. Thanks Mike.
http://msmvps.com/cfs-file.ashx/__ke...5F00_wedge.JPG