The Shaving Cadre
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Mike's Flintknapping, Blacksmithing, & Primitive Crafts
- Thread starter Blade-meister
- Start date
It sure does my heart good to see that knife draped across the patch of Texas in Red White and Blue! Great pictures Chuck and I love the shooting badge for your association!
That's good to hear Chuck!
Fellow members of the Cadre. Please join me in thanking Mike for continuing his Hobbyist membership. We greatly appreciate his support and look forward to more beautiful items!
jbreakfield
Jr. Shave Member
Awesome!
It's a great thing TSC offers our Hobbyist members! I'd like to see this section grow. I'm sure there are plenty of talented members out there that wouldn't mind showing their creations and selling a few things under the rules of the Hobbyist section.
Thanks for your continuing support Mike!
I posted pictures of the axe sheath in my shaving journal but thought it might be appropriate here too. The story behind this axe is that a very dear flintknapping friend of my passed away and left me a bunch of things. His wife asked me if I wanted an old hatchet of his too so I decided to use his tanned deer hide for a shoulder sheath and rehang his axe on a longer handle + clean it up and make it into an appropriate belt axe. I looked at a colonial artifact axe sheath for inspiration for this design.
The goal here was to make something that would have been made by the average mountain man on his own. Mountain men tended to do their best and make something durable when needed.
The axe handle cants forward as it did in the original colonial sheath. The first time this one was slung over my head and across my chest and I sat down, I realized the canting helped keep the axe handle where it should be.
Here's the axe that rests in the shoulder sheath. I used my draw horse and draw knives to make the hickory handle out of a stave of hickory just like the colonial maker would have done.
Another project I completed was a deer hide bag for my Native American flute. I received the flute as part of a trade for work I did for a customer so I've been learning to play it. Since it's made of cedar it is susceptible to damage quite easily so it really needed a bag to be protected. I plan on painting some traditional plains Indian designs on it like would have been done back in the day. It was quite a project for me, but it turned out well and now the flute can be carried safely over the shoulder when walking to the cabin. There's nothing quite like the sound of an Indian flute wafting through the forest as you sit around a small camp fire.
It's large enough to almost qualify as a quiver! I left the top flap all natural even showing where the hide was staked down to flesh before it was tanned. My thinking is that the extra wide flap would shed rain better. The whip stitch I used to sew it together is normally done on the inside, but I really love the look of it on the outside. The fringe does a great job of protecting the artificial sinew threat.
The goal here was to make something that would have been made by the average mountain man on his own. Mountain men tended to do their best and make something durable when needed.
The axe handle cants forward as it did in the original colonial sheath. The first time this one was slung over my head and across my chest and I sat down, I realized the canting helped keep the axe handle where it should be.
Here's the axe that rests in the shoulder sheath. I used my draw horse and draw knives to make the hickory handle out of a stave of hickory just like the colonial maker would have done.
Another project I completed was a deer hide bag for my Native American flute. I received the flute as part of a trade for work I did for a customer so I've been learning to play it. Since it's made of cedar it is susceptible to damage quite easily so it really needed a bag to be protected. I plan on painting some traditional plains Indian designs on it like would have been done back in the day. It was quite a project for me, but it turned out well and now the flute can be carried safely over the shoulder when walking to the cabin. There's nothing quite like the sound of an Indian flute wafting through the forest as you sit around a small camp fire.
It's large enough to almost qualify as a quiver! I left the top flap all natural even showing where the hide was staked down to flesh before it was tanned. My thinking is that the extra wide flap would shed rain better. The whip stitch I used to sew it together is normally done on the inside, but I really love the look of it on the outside. The fringe does a great job of protecting the artificial sinew threat.
I came across some pictures I haven't posted before so I thought I'd put some in for everyone to look at.
Here's an owl effigy war club I made a few years ago. I was hiking in the woods and found that the creek had washed this tree out of the bank. Not having a saw to cut off what I needed, I found a piece of slate and flintknapped serrations on it to make a saw. The expedient saw worked well and I go the piece home that I needed to make this war club. The head is made from the tree's root ball because it is very hard and durable. The owl effigy was hand carved and the beak is a piece of hand forged steel. Brass tacks form the center of the eyes. I really like this one and hope to make a duplicate for myself some day.
Many don't know this, but spikes on these clubs were purposely made blunt so that the warrior would fracture their enemy's skull and not get the spike stuck in the skull. A sharp point would tend to stick in whatever it struck.
Here's an owl effigy war club I made a few years ago. I was hiking in the woods and found that the creek had washed this tree out of the bank. Not having a saw to cut off what I needed, I found a piece of slate and flintknapped serrations on it to make a saw. The expedient saw worked well and I go the piece home that I needed to make this war club. The head is made from the tree's root ball because it is very hard and durable. The owl effigy was hand carved and the beak is a piece of hand forged steel. Brass tacks form the center of the eyes. I really like this one and hope to make a duplicate for myself some day.
Many don't know this, but spikes on these clubs were purposely made blunt so that the warrior would fracture their enemy's skull and not get the spike stuck in the skull. A sharp point would tend to stick in whatever it struck.
I found a few other things I don't think I've ever posted here that I've made to sell in the past. The below eccentric knife copies a Mayan ceremonial type knife. It's made from white Novaculite flint (same stuff used for Arkansas whet stones for sharpening knives) and is mounted on a deer leg bone. The scrimsaw is copied from a Mayan stone carving so I have no clue what it says. The hafting to hold the blade in is my own pine pitch glue recipe.
Another product I've made countless amounts of are arrows. I've made ones that traditional long bow hunters shoot game with, but most are just wall hangers. Lots of cabins and man caves aren't complete without a real arrow like they made back in the Indian times. I've even made plains style arrow with metal tips (hand forged). I usually use turkey feathers for the fletchings and the shafts are hand straightened with fire. I cut my own arrow shafts from the woods and strip the bark off them.
The most enjoyable arrow order I ever had the privilege to work was for an Indian re-enactor. He wanted a dozen arrows to fill his quiver and the Smithsonian Museum made his costume. The real challenge was figuring out how to mail 12 arrows all at once without damage - got it done and breathed a huge sigh of relieve when he received them all in good condition.
Another product I've made countless amounts of are arrows. I've made ones that traditional long bow hunters shoot game with, but most are just wall hangers. Lots of cabins and man caves aren't complete without a real arrow like they made back in the Indian times. I've even made plains style arrow with metal tips (hand forged). I usually use turkey feathers for the fletchings and the shafts are hand straightened with fire. I cut my own arrow shafts from the woods and strip the bark off them.
The most enjoyable arrow order I ever had the privilege to work was for an Indian re-enactor. He wanted a dozen arrows to fill his quiver and the Smithsonian Museum made his costume. The real challenge was figuring out how to mail 12 arrows all at once without damage - got it done and breathed a huge sigh of relieve when he received them all in good condition.
FarmerTan
Sr. Shave Member
Very well done friend!
Camo Arrowhead...................can you spot it?
This pillow sits in my shop and I laid this point on it while going to get something to drink out of the fridge. I came back and thought "Man, that thing blends right in!" I had a brief moment of panic wondering where the point went. I decided to not notch this point and leave it in this final preform blade stage. Super cool! Just thought I'd share.
This pillow sits in my shop and I laid this point on it while going to get something to drink out of the fridge. I came back and thought "Man, that thing blends right in!" I had a brief moment of panic wondering where the point went. I decided to not notch this point and leave it in this final preform blade stage. Super cool! Just thought I'd share.
FarmerTan
Sr. Shave Member
Yeah, I don't believe in "coincidences" so that was probably God giving you a little treat! He gave you skills and a work ethic and wanted you to be rewarded. That is SO cool my friend!
God given for sure! I don't believe in coincidences either. I'm ordained to be where I am and what I'm doing and none of it is by chance. One of my favorite things to tell people after a good conversation is: "It's no coincidence that you and I ran into each other and had this conversation."
One thing that amazes me to think about is that a particular stone was created by God knowing that I someday would make something out of it.