Penning

We have been re- vaccinating the last few days.

It is amazing how many pictures I take that either don't come out right, or didn't capture what I thought I was looking at. I've also missed lots of good shots just because I was busy. I'm certain that letting cattle get by me because I've got a camera stuck to my face would be a flog-able offense.

Kim Goldsmith and her camera have been tagging along lately. I will show some of hers when I get a chance to sort through them. She has some great pictures, and from a different angle than mine.

EDC's

EDC, every day carry.
I got these back from the sheath maker thursday, and delivered friday afternoon.

All 4 knives are 5160/8670/15n20 damascus. The little knife on top has amboyna wood for a handle. The others have mesquite, with a stainless steel bolster.

I have all my wood stabilized. This process keeps the wood from shrinking and swelling, rotting, and works and polishes up a lot better. http://www.stabilizedwood.com/wssi.shtml  does all of my wood.
I cut up a little at a time, as I find pretty wood, then send them a box full at a time.

Beautiful Wednesday

Random pictures from today. Mid 70's and horseback is hard to beat.

Headed to the sick pen

Kyle

My seat

A bit I made and never got around to putting silver on

A fly in February! Told ya it was a nice day.

Finished bottle openers

I took a lot of pictures of these, and trashed all but a few.
These are my favorite style spur, followed closely by gal leg spurs.
This style was made popular by Joe Bianchi of Victoria, Texas, and Alfred Smith of Houston in the early 1900's. They are thin and light, for wading around in the east Texas mud, as apposed  to the wide heavy spurs of west Texas.

These bottle opener spurs are hand forged from 1018 steel and pure nickel. They have a 3/8" band, and an 1 3/4" shank, with an 1 1/2", 12 point rowel. The buttons are old solid silver quarters with a copper brand. The rowel pin caps are nickel silver.

Further along

I got quite a bit further on my ladies size bottle openers the last two days. These spurs are made of 1018/nickel damascus, have a 3/8" heel band, and an 1 3/4" shank. The rowels are 12 point, 1 1/2".

To make the bottle opener part of the spur, I make a saw cut 1/8" from the edge, then heat it and drive a chisel into the cut.
 It won't be long now and she will have a one of a kind set of spurs. I don't know of any damascus bottle openers in existence.

Starting spurs

Maybe this post will help out a friend from Marathon, Texas who is trying to figure out how I make my 1 piece spurs. There are lots of ways to build spurs, and more than one way to build 1 piece spurs. My way is geared around damascus steel, but works using 3/8 or 1/2 inch thick plate.

The pattern

Drawn out, and starting the cuts

Roughed out

Cleaned up and ready to make a spur shape

These are ladies size, and therefore a little smaller than a mans. I split these 3 7/8 inches. The hangers are centered 5/8 of an inch off the end.

I heated at the split with a rosebud tip on my torch, then opened it up using the 3 tools on the vice. They are a 1" chisel, a 1/2" rod, then an 1 3/8" rod.
The reason I use the vice and the rosebud is I have had damascus pull apart at the V. This seems to lessen the chance of this happening. On normal steel it's not a problem, and a forge and anvil can be used.
I hope this helps.

Fun at the feeder

Spring time. When a young man's mind turns to the fairer sex.

This is our front yard. Turkeys usually aren't to interesting until this time of year, then they get to be a lot of fun to watch.

I managed to get some knives finished between cow duties this weekend. These where made using 52100 steel, and micarta on the handles. They have a 2.75" cutting edge, and are around 7" overall length. The bone colored handle was ordered, but since I can make 4 as easy as I can make 1, I will have the sheaths made and put them up for sale.

These are handy little knives to carry every day. 

Random pictures from the week

I managed to stay horseback most of the week. Pretty good work if you can get it.

Headed home

Find the bunny

John

This is an older castrating knife made of A2 tool steel. It did 100 calves wednesday and can do 100 more before it will need sharpening. Sorry, just had to brag a little bit.

I'm sure glad there are some young guys on the crew. These two are the best there are to work with, and they didn't seem to mind picking up the slack when I started getting tired late in the evening.

Doctorin'

I've spent the last few days helping out on our wheat pasture.

The gray mare is my way around now. She's a cadillac, plus she's short and easy for an old man to get on and off of.