Thread: My latest project

Awesome work Bill. Really nice.

-Nick

man that has got to be the ugliest, darkest, and murkiest mother of pearl I've ever seen.........JUST KIDDING! Looks sweet Bill! What kind of wood? Desert ironwood? Do you recommend African Thuya, cocobolo or snakewood for a razor scale? I know those are popular in knives, but then there's the whole getting wet thing with razors...

Bill don't know if I asked you this before or not, but do you ever get a table at the BLADE Show in Atlanta? I guess the west coast show would be closer, but Atlanta is the big daddy. I'm planning on making it up there next summer, would be cool to stop by and say HI. It would also be cool if you had some razors in between those nice fixed blades lying on that table :-) Jeff

Thanks for all the compliments, guys. They are much more appreciated than they are deserved. I thought most of you knew that these are my desert ironwood scales. I should not have assumed that you knew, and just said something. This batch is some of the prettiest DI I have ever worked on, except for DI burl. That stuff can't be beat. I sliced this stuff from a 1 foot piece of quarter round, myself. I wish I could describe the way the light reflects off of the gold streaks is this wood.

Bill don't know if I asked you this before or not, but do you ever get a table at the BLADE Show in Atlanta?

One of these days I will make it there. You pretty much need to get a table almost a year in advance so you get to be part of the advertising. I don't have enough knives right now. The latest batch of 5 disappeared before I even took pictures. I would not go to a show that size without at least 20. Right now I only have 6 left. So, I either need to make a few completely original straight razors... or some more knives. I'm not quite sure which I should do. Don't know if you guys would be interested in customs or not.

Do you recommend African Thuya, cocobolo or snakewood for a razor scale?

Of those three, I would pick the snakewood first, then cocobolo. Cocobolo is very heavy and very pretty.. and oily. It is one of the most dangerous woods for knifemakers to work on because the dust particles are so small as it is being sanded. They will rip up a set of lungs. I don't care for working with it too much. Rik may have more to offer on that wood. There are a whole bunch of choices for wood that I would choose up top. The getting wet part doesn't matter as long as the wood has been stabilized. (Cocobolo and DI do not need stabilization) I am partial to the dyed spalted maple burls, California buckeye, and spalted box elder burls. Spalted is just another term for soft-ass wood that usually is down in the root system of the tree. Previously, this very pretty wood was useless because it was too soft for any practical use. Now that there is a stabilization process available, it has become very popular. I want to get another couple sets of lacewood for some razor scales... in green. That stuff is cool. It is part of the root system of the palm tree, so I have been told. Where ever the heck it came from, it is outstanding!

I can't believe the Xman hasn't said something about sending his razor to Montana. Somebody must have given me up for the way I kid around...

Who told?

Originally Posted by urleebird

Here is what I did with a razor I bought on eBay for the Xman. Third pin is a green glass bead for the rest stop.

VERY nice, Bill ..... david

Nice, nice, nice!

Do you recommend African Thuya, cocobolo or snakewood for a razor scale?

Bill's correct. Anytime I'm milling exotic woods like cocobolo, paudak, purpleheart, I'm wearing a mask with filtered air pumped into it and nitrile gloves. First time my dog and cat saw me in that setup was very entertaining. The sawdust is nasty.

The oiliness and hardness of these materials creates a sawdust that is a very fine powder. I do the entire milling in one session and then spend too many hours cleaning up even though all the equipment is connected via spiral ducting to a 5hp cyclone dc. If I don't clean up immediately and thoroughly the dust will get everywhere and contaminate other projects. Exotics are the only materials aside from MDF that will clog my shop air filtration system in a single session.

If the colors and results weren't so incredible I wouldn't touch the stuff!

I also agree with Bill in that I would choose snake wood first, cocobolo second, and Thuya last.

Is there a name for this shape of blade?

Bill, those are the most beautiful scales that I have ever seen.

Bill Watkins

Since it's actually older than pretty much all of us I'm sure it's far from virgin steel, but it was our first time together.

Bill said he'd honed it some, but his idea of "some" looks pretty good to me, so I took it for 50 laps on the pasted pocket paddle last night for today's shave. Very nice even shave, but I think there might actually be room for improvement on the edge. Not much though! I'll be gently trying to coax it up to match my Dubl Duck (current keenest) over the next month.

What a weight! It really is a completely different tactile sensation. I've read how the weight can make it seem like the blade is doing the work for you, but never understood how this can be on the last pass against the grain until now. The whiskers have no choice, but to get cut.

And the scales . . . The glisten in the light is unbelievable. They're like Cat's Eye gems! The light dances through them that much. if anyone's considerering those scales from Bill DON'T HESITATE! You won't regret it.

Thanks again, Bill. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You're an artist.

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