carved knife handles

[Dan S]

Hey Y'all!
I just finnished a little project today. I made a knife with a carved handle. It was a blast. The blade was ground from a straight razor, the handle is walnut and shaped like my thumb. (It freaks my wife out a bit. She says its a bit too detailed...) I thought that as many times as I had stuck a knife in my thumb that it would be approriate. I'll post a photo once I've completed the finish.
My question is, who else has carved a knife or gouge handle and will you post what you did? I think I may try a dragon next...

Thanks,
Dan

[steve brown]

I have carved a few palm handles. You can check them out on my web site, in the tool section. I also have a DVD on carving Gouge Handles.
Steve Brown Woodcarving

[Buffalo Bif]

Dan, looking forward to the pic, the concept of sticking a knife in your thumb makes me laugh, I can imagine your wife's reaction. I've done a couple, my avatar is a knife, the fish shape below is a quick and dirty carving (was not sure I was gonna like the personna blade). I have one in progress, no pics for a bit tho.
We are wood carvers and knife makers, it just makes sense to me to combine the two and personalize your knife handles. I spent years on construction sites as a cabinetmaker/finish carpenter, you could tell a man's trade by the way they fixed their thermos handles- cabinemakers had wooden handles, plumbers had pipe, electricians had twisted wire- carved knife handles are an offshoot of the same mentality I think.

[Dan S]

Hey Steve,
Nice work. Also, I like the price on your dockyard set. I'll most likely be in touch with you about those in a couple of weeks. I need something smaller to satisfy my obsessive need for extreme detail...
Brian, I like the fish. I may have to try one although I'm thinking more of a fat catfish. I need to go scrounge up some more straight razors.

Take care,
Dan

[timberick]

I also make my own knives but I have a particular shape that keeps my arthuritis from hurting so bad. The shape actually uses a squeesing motion that causes the blade to partially rotate removing a shaving. You have to keep the knives sharp to work properly. Once the knife gets dull you are back to having a regular knife motion till you re sharpen.

[Dan S]

Those are good looking knives. I might try to make on as several of the guys in the club, well all o they guys are getting on in years... Perhaps they would benefit.

Dan

[Buffalo Bif]

Myron Compton shows a great carved knife in another thread here, excellent detail-
Homemade cowboy carving knife

[Lightningbolt]

This blog entry on Don Mertzs' website is one of my favorites:
Helvie Knives Collection
Helvie Knife Handle Project

[Dan S]

Finally got time to take and download photos. Here's the thumb knife... If you look closely you will even see the scar where I stuck a knife in my thumb...

[Grayhorn]

Dan, that is so cool and appropriate. A must carve for me now. A great post.