Knifemaking - Fighter with Psychodelic Micarta Handle
A small and nice fighter for a previous customer that needed this for his work overseas.

Order Details:
-4 1/2" blade, 4" cutting edge in san mai damascus (stainless 304 and 1085 with a 52100 core)
-Micarta handles.
-Mokume guard.
-Leather IWB sheath.

Knife making process
My customer was ready to travel, so I offered this finished blade I had here waiting for a handle. (4 3/4" length, San Mai made with stainless 304 and 1085 with a 52100 core) (Picture 1)

He needed a fat drop point so I reground it to about 4 1/2" length, with a 4" cutting edge. (Picture 2)

He also wanted flat and thin micarta handle in the same pattern as the upper part of the damascus, so I've made that using corn to draw the pattern. (Pictures 3 and 4)

Pretty cool, ah? You can still see some corn grains there. (Picture 5)

Pieces of micarta for the handle along with the blade. (Picture 6)

And since he needed a guard to prevent his hand to slipper into the blade I've decided to use some 1010/1085/copper mokume I had, as the patterns were just screaming to be used here. (Pictures 7 and 8)

Two micarta pieces, already hand carved for the exact shape of the blade's spine. (Pictures 9 and 10)

After gluing them together (either resin or cianoacrilate gel) press with a manual press to make just one piece out of them. (Picture 11)

After it dries, I fill it with the same glue to later place the spine of the knife there. (Pictures 12 and 13)

After it begins to harden, I place it on a vise , making sure to use THICK leather pieces as not to damage the blade. (Picture 14)

Now with the blade completely secured on the vise, I use a screw press (the carpenter type) to achieve a perfect fit with the guard and handle. (Picture 15)

Adding a mokume pin to make the handle even more secure (and to decorate it a little bit more) (Picture 16)