Hello,
This is my first "ever" attempt at building a knife. I bought the kit "Dandy" knife kit off of "Track of the Wolf.com" and was pretty reasonable in price.
The original kit came with the blade, rivets, and Walnut Scales. I purchased a book for an additional $7.95.
I hate to admit it, but I messed up the first set of scales on my first attempt at putting the knife together. The directions told me to clamp the Scales together, drilling the holes thru at the same time. This didn't work. I found it better to drill them one scale at a time. Clamping is necessary!!! Trust me please!
Needless to say. I ordered two sets of new scales, as I wasn't very confident, I wouldn't need both sets to complete my project. So I ordered a bag of 50 Brass rivets, and a set of Mesquite, and a set of Birdseye Maple scales.
In the time between the order and receiving them. I'd done some research on Curly Maple and techniques of getting the grain to "POP". So I decided to try those techniques on my Birdseye Maple scales.
There were two techniques that seemed to work. One. Was to purchase Aqua Fortis and coat the scales in that a few times, heating the scales over heat to get the grain to pop out. TWO... was to use Vinegaroon to do the same thing. I had an ample supply of vinegaroon on on hand for leather work, so I saved my money and did the second option.
I didn't like the shininess of the blade so I coated it with vinegaroon twice, letting the blade dry between coats, and then steel wooling the corrosion off the blade. I then dalloped Apple Cider Vinegar on the blade in areas, letting each side dry, then repeating the steel wool process.
Here is what I have for my efforts, without the handle being completed with a number of coats of Boiled Linseed oil.
Please let me know what you think, and give me any pointers for improvement you might have.