Thread: My Son's Latest Homemade Knife in 1095 and Cocobolo

As I've shared with a few of you, my youngest son has been apprenticing as a knifemaker for over a year now. He gets a little better with each piece off his bench, gaining confidence in the many skills and techniques required of a custom knifemaker. Having fallen for the Campmaster pattern of his mentor, local professional knifemaker Ross Tyser, I talked him into letting Phillip make a few in this pattern for me and a few others. He just finished up this one in 1095 and a beautiful, highly-figured cocobolo yesterday:


This was also his first file-worked spine.

He worked in finger-grooves to match my grip after roughing out the blanks.

I am very proud of my boy's progress in this craft, and am in awe of my stunning new camp knife, as you can tell. He put a wicked convex edge on this big blade last night, and the bald patches on my leg attest to its keenness.
We took the handles blanks up to a high polish on the buffers, then I hand-rubbed in three coats of paste wax, buffed on a loose muslin wheel-no finish needed!

Now to get a sheath on it so I can take it on a camping trip! Hmmmm, who do I know who works with leather...?

In progress are three wicked skinners in a Sharpfinger style: one for me in black micarta (to get sheathed in kydex and worn on my backcountry trout pack), and maybe desert ironwood and some kind of burl on the other two. I'll post pics when he gets them done. His real test will come this summer when he is supposed to hand-forge his first damascus billet with his mentor (a real damascus hand) for a bowie in sambar stag (which I will no doubt also buy from him!).

Thanks for looking. Aaron/SHD

Outstanding! I really like the patterns in the wood.

Very nice, a true craftman's in the making. Look forward to more of his work.

Beautiful work! Well on his way!

Beautiful wood. He did a great job bringing the pattern to life.

Dave

Very nice work. Love cocobolo. Looks great!