You can still donate, the damage Richard Carrier has done with his petulance is not undone yet. I cannot afford to donate any meaningful cash right now since I have no income. But I can afford to donate a bit of time. So I am giving this knife in exchange for the highest donation. Details see further.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
Technically it is a hunting & fishing knife since my first customer specifically requested it for angling, but you need not be a hunter for having a use for it. I am regularly using a knife like this when collecting mushrooms or just walking in the forest when it might come handy. It would also be useful as an all-purpose knife for camping. The false edge is sharp, but not cutting sharp. The blade is signed and numbered “2” in Glagolitic script.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
I made a simple leather scabbard, this time symmetrical so the knife can be conveniently fastened on either left or right side since the preference of its future owner is unknown.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
The handguard/bolster has a few dark spots. These are inclusions in the used material (see further).
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
The endcap is fastened over an ornate stainless steel washer into which is the end of the tang peened.
If you are interested, write your bid in comments or per e-mail to affinity (note, I might not be able to post your e-mailed bids in the comments next two days, there is a huge storm coming our way and I might experience blackout).
If you bid from outside of the European Single Market, please make sure that you are allowed to import such things and be prepared to pay for any import/customs fees, duties or other taxes as may be relevant in your region/country/state. I will pay for the postage.
The knife will be sent to you after submitting proof of the promised donation. If the highest bidder reneges on their promise, it will go to the next one in line. The start is 10$ (the cost of materials), the sky is the limit.
The auction will run for two weeks until February 23. 2019 and this post will be pinned to the top of the page until then.
More info below the fold.
The blade is the second of the pair that I made for my first commission. It is circa 11 cm long and circa 2,5 mm thick. N690 steel, hardness approximately 57 HRC.
As is usual for me, I have tried some recycling of old materials.
The handguard and endcap are made from two materials. First was this old bone that hung in our garden to be cleaned by insects and birds for so long it started to grow lichen on it and it cracked on one side. Nevertheless, it was still strong and sturdy when I ground the plates out of it.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
Second I have used metal plates cut and ground from very old keyhole cover (well over 60 years). I have no idea what kind of metal it is. Initially, I thought it is ordinary brass, but it is not. It is evidently some sort of copper alloy, hence the green patina, but when polished it does not have the typical yellow color, it is sort of greenish-silver looking. Maybe some kind of alluminium bronze. It looks interesting, but unfortunately, it does have some inclusions and/or voids inside it. Those are proof of its age, I guess.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
The handle is from jatoba, technically from repurposed firewood. It is polished and treated with commercial teak oil, which can be removed with acetone and re-applied if the need arises at some time in the future. Jatoba wood is extremely hard and scratch-resistant, so some sort of hard-coating or stabilizing of the handle was not necessary. The handle is ergonomically shaped but not specifically fitted for any particular hand size, it should fit in most people’s hands just fine.
And final information – the whole thing is visibly handmade. When looking up close you will find that the blade and handle are not entirely symmetrical, some stitches are a bit off on the backside of the sheath, etc. I do not know how much someone else can notice these little things, but I see them definitively.
Beautiful blade, Charly. I would be proud to own it, as I’ve watched your progress in the blog.
I’ll start the bidding off with $25 (or equivalent in Euros).
Thanks, dakotagreasemonkey, your opinion means a lot to me.
That is a beautiful knife, Charly. Well done.
I forgot to add, thank you for doing this.
It is a lovely blade, and along with the sheath a wonderful whole.
Would it be a good idea to pin this thread so it doesn’t get pushed down by the regular daily threads? It would be a shame for people to miss out because it had dropped off the front page.
Beautiful. €30, if the auction is still going
@friso, thank you. The auction is going until the end of next week.
Charly,
I thought that there would be a bidding war for your knife. It seems well worth it to me, to own some of your artwork/Knifework. As you are donating your time and resources to create such a piece of art, as well as posting to Affinity, I want to raise my bid to 85 euros. That is in the (low) realm of what I think it’s really worth. Your etched Logo, on the knife and the scabbard, and early production of your knives, is well worth it to me.
Let the serious bidders try to take it away from me. That would please me more than you know!
I know this is still a small amount to donate to the FTB Legal Defense Fund, So really, readers, think about what Charly has done!, and what it can do for the FTB Legal Defense Fund.
Start serious bidding! Help make Charly a serious artisanal knifemaker!
Is Charly’s knife only posted in Affinity?
Can we share this post throughout FTB?
This post really needs to get out there, to everybody who uses FTB!
$150 USD
Thanks, lawdyme!
Can we see if we can get a better contribution to the FTB Legal Defense Fund?
I’ll go $175 USD!
This isn’t about the knife, though it is beautiful, and a rare early production example of a talented knife-maker!
It is more about legally defending the platform we use to connect to our worldwide friends, which is more valuable, to me, than I can really say! Without the daily visit with my International friends, I’d lose hope in the world. Through them I see the beauty of many countries, and the dear people who live there, as “Real”, not just a splash on the news!
We need more serious bidding!
On second thought, after checking what my attorney charges, I’ll raise my bid to two hours of his time, which is $300 USD.
We ought to be able to turn Charly’s hours on this art piece, into the equivalent of his time, just to defend FTB.
Really, everybody, we need more serious bidding!
I don’t know how long it took Charly to make this knife, but it was not just 2 hours, so get real and bid!
Thankyou dakotagreasemonkey.
I do not think there are that many knife enthusiasts who can throw money at this around FtB to raise too much. After all, over the last two years most people who could donate already donated, some probably several times over.
I am going to close the auction either tomorrow evening before I go to bed, or on Monday morning after I wake up. That means either circa 21:30 or 8:00 CET.
OK, Charly.
Just let me know what I have to do to make this happen.
I tried my best to get donation bids up, let’s just let it close tomorrow evening, at your regular time. Won’t hurt to let a small bit of time pass, before claiming the prize!
Sometimes, at the last minute, when people have had a bit of time to think, they’ll jump in at the last minute and decide they really ought to do something. Let them think for a bit, yet.
Paying attorney fees for your knife, at a considerable time discount, makes me happy. You’ll now have bragging rights for selling a knife at that price. I hope it helps your business!
Case closed. @dakotagreasemonkey, I will contact you with how to proceed.