Well, after pestering you all for months I've actually made a knife! I should have ordered Don Robinson's "My Way" book long before starting this project. I was probably 80% done with this knife when I got the book and so I call this knife "The Hard Way" because I did so many things backwards. I highly recomend Don's book. It'll make my next project MUCH easier. Well, anyway it's done and I think it turned out good for a first effort. It was made as a gift for my father. While I know it's plain looking, there is sentimental value in the scales - they are made from a splinter off the years-ago broken stock of the rifle he taught me to shoot with as a child. He liked it and that was what was most important.
I want to thank everyone here for helping me get started. I've been getting a lot of direct help from Don Robinson, Ray Rogers, Dave (sorry, don't know your last name yet), and many others. My ongoing thanks to all of you. Many of you have also been a wonderful help indirectly - through your past posts and by providing artistic inspiration. I'm deeply impressed by the artistry and craftsmanship many of you share here, not to mention the great community and support.
Well, here's the picture. As you can see I've got as much work to do on my photography as I do on my knives. I'm sure they'll both get better with time and practice.
-Ben
