About nine years ago I had a nice Atkins crosscut saw tuned and trimmed which resulted in two left over pieces of high carbon spring steel. I held on to the pieces with the hopes of turning out a couple of knives.

Yesterday, nine years on, my son and I drew up a simple pattern and today I cut and ground what I hope will become a knife. So far I am pleased with results emulating a mora scandi grind.

I want to keep the handle really simple and do not want to mess with g10 or any synthetic material. I only have files, hand drill, and a Dremel to shape the handle. Im leaning towards a pinned hard wood handle with a silver soldiered brass guard.

My question is this does anyone know of a good knife supply retailer?


Here's what I got so far:

I'm also considering sambar stag handles, does anyone have experience working this material?

Jantz in OK has a broad selection of parts and options

berryns
Not sure whether to welcome you and congratulate you on starting down this long slippery slope, or to sympathize.

But since you are off and running and blade looking good---congrats.

You live in CO, so why not a piece of elk or mule deer vs sambar stag (which is getting quite expensive)???
Sambar almost always has a large pithy core, but that can be worked with.
Whitetail antler is usually too curvy and forky for me.
Elk and mule deer antler is usually a little more solid in the center.
Caribou antler is quite solid in the center and can finish up to look nearly like ivory.

Dropped antlers can have some color variation and weather checking that look very cool. But they can be more pithy also.
Soak them in a wood stabilizer and fill the voids with epoxy or something similar. A little maple wood stain can really bring
out the weathered look.

As noted Jantz is a good supply house that I use mostly. Also Sheffield and Texas Knife are good sources.

Good luck
Tim

Thanks for the heads up guys. This week i'm going to place an order with Jantz.

As the project progresses I will post pictures. I'm excited about heading down this slippery slope, i've been crazy about knives since I was in grade school.

I have dealt with Jantz for years both from their catalog and FTF when they used to set-up at gunshows, good folks to do business with. I have a Jantz kit folder clipped to my pocket as I am typing this. The saw steel should make a great knife that will take and hold an edge, I made a knife out of a power hacksaw blade when I was an apprentice machinist. Kept it in my toolbox for all kinds of cutting chores around the shop, never even put a handle on it and it required very little in the way of sharpening.

I use Axis antler. Very little pith, some relatively straight sections.

I supplied white tail deer antlers to an Indian knife maker.

I have a couple of extra pieces of canvas micarta 1/2" thick x 2 x ?
If you get me a length you will need, I can see if what I have is long enough.
If they are long enough I will send them to you.

Neat project, keep us informed on how it progresses. On my list of to do's this year is to try making my first knife, similar to yours. Going to try one from an old saw blade (circular) and see how it goes from there.