NW Steel

Had this blank in the shop. So I built a handle on it: rosewood and maple with brass pins. 

The blade on this comes from a 10-inch Skillsaw blade. It's cut in the pattern of my favorite paring knife and then hardened and quenched.  The handle is an obscure rosewood with a hard rock maple bolster, hand sanded to 400 grit and finished with boiled linseed oil.  I hadn't put the final edge on it in these photos. 

  A friend of mine is getting into leather craft. He tells me this tool will help his work.

.  This belt knife was largely made so that I can learn how to do these handles. Handle scales are maple, oak & mahogany, with brass pins.  The finger choil is too deep, but that's a feature of the steel I bought (more from the eBay batch).  Much more comfortable for holding for more precise work, with the thumb on the spine, rather than a fist wrapped around the handle. 

I've wanted a Damascus paring knife. The handle is 1095 sandwiched between Damascus sides in a San Mai construction. I didn't forge it; I bought it off of Etsy.  The handle is oak with a black gel stain. It's not as smooth as I like, but it's really comfortable, so I'm not highly motivated to re-do it.  The brass bolster is from a piece of plumbing hardware that I hammered flat, drilled and integrated. I like the touch.

This blade is also from the eBay batch.  Rosewood (I think) end grain scales. I like them. White liners for accent and experimentation (from a yogurt container). Aluminum pins.  Really comfortable handle. Finish is very comfortable. This was presented as a gift to a Royal Ranger leader in Germany.