Thread: Fear & Trepidation!

Hi All,
It's been a busy time in my little shop, for a few days now. The result is a really large Joseph Rodgers & Sons(~1-1/4") blade set in Musk Ox horn.
I had never worked with musk ox before, and all the studying seemed to indicate it was rather unstable. However, as my pieces were from last year, and adjusted to my shop environment for almost two months - I could wait no more. I gritted my teeth, and cut. No problems.
I cut for maximum yield so that I had enough material to accommodate this large blade. I included the bark of the horn because I liked the look of it.
Sparing you many hours of details, drilling, sanding through 2000 grit, I began to experiment on the scraps with various finishes.
Deciding to follow a tutorial by gsixgun(thanks much!) I settled on a CA finish. Not a big deal for a lot of people here, but pretty big for me. I'd never done it, and didn't want to ruin my first go with musk ox.
So, it did work, after all. And I'm sure it will be easier for me next time.
A couple small details took a lot of time. The wedge, of ivory, needed to match the contours of the bark, and I needed to make a nyon spacer/rest. I had an item of nylon(or similar) and managed to make a 1/8" tube with a 1/16" hole in it.
All the pieces were put together/ taken apart 30 times, compliments of microfastener gear. But in the end I was going to go with pins and washers I'd domed(more fear).
The result are below. After honing, with a too wide at the heel spine, it is ready for tomorrows' shave.
The blade looks much better in person!
Ed
quicknicker