Wormy Shiv

[tsterling]

While I was on a road trip this summer, the steelworms got into my pile of blade steel, including this little knife that I had partially finished. Damn nasty little critters!

 

4 1/4 inch 1080 carbon steel blade, 8 inches overall. Blued and file-textured blade, Snakewood handle with fossil ivory pins, copper worm (forged in place, and soldered in, for those interested).

 

Thanks for looking!

 

[Henrik Y]

Wow, that looks really cool. And I better check my blades and spray them with some "anti bug" protection

[Janel]

Hi Tom,

 

Could we see a closer in photo of hte carved area? This is quite a beauty. The slender, lively angles of the handle and the blade are well considered, and the snakewood handle is a great choice.

 

Thanks for sharing the photos!

 

Janel

[fkvesic]

That's an intricate carving, Tom, worms notwithstanding. When do they get to eat the handle?

[tsterling]

Thanks for the kind words, folks. Glad you like it.

 

fkvesic, I thought about extending the wormy parts into the handle, with other ivory worms, but in the end decided less is more. I try to keep the Japanese ethic of elegant and subtle in the back of my mind, and that tends to lead me in the "less" direction.

 

Janel, here's an enlargement of the carved area with the worm, all steel carving done with two sizes of carbide burrs and a small drill bit, the worm done by engraving the segments and then carving/smoothing with my smallest burr:

 

[Jim Kelso]

While I was on a road trip this summer, the steelworms got into my pile of blade steel, including this little knife that I had partially finished. Damn nasty little critters!

 

Darn! I hate when that happens! Very cool, Tom. Lovely shape and convincing decadence.

 

Jim

[Janel]

Thanks for the enlargement. That little grub has teeth of diamonds! The less is more concept is a good mantra to recall sometimes. It has worked well in this piece. I understand the temptation to carry the worm damage to the handle though, it is quite easy to imagine that extension.

 

Janel

[tsterling]

Thanks, Jim. Decadence...interesting viewpoint, I think I like it. I'll have to add that to my repertoire.

 

Janel, you're welcome for the enlargement. I may have to revisit this concept in the future, perhaps with a smaller wormy area on the blade and worm damage extending into the handle, with ivory worms.

[Dave London]

While I was on a road trip this summer, the steelworms got into my pile of blade steel, including this little knife that I had partially finished. Damn nasty little critters!

 

4 1/4 inch 1080 carbon steel blade, 8 inches overall. Blued and file-textured blade, Snakewood handle with fossil ivory pins, copper worm (forged in place, and soldered in, for those interested).

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

Tom

Send it to me the high altitude will get rid of the vermin. I will have to keep it in quarentine to make sure

[Don Barnhill]

Love the knife Tom. Guess I need to check my knives and see if any of those nasty little boogers have been at my stuff.

 

Great work, thanks for sharing.