{NLT marked pieces}
These pieces are what I consider the best pieces that I do, that is why they are marked with an NLT mark. All NLT marked pieces are numbered and dated with the year. On the current pieces you will find the mark, number and date on the bottom of the ferrule. I will show them in random sequence.
Number 5 for 2004.
Antique Elephant ivory. The Southwest blade features a W pattern that was slightly laddered to give a unique effect to the blade. The stainless mountings are engraved with some of my scratching. The ferrule shown is wrapped around the handle material and silver brazed. This gives the strength and massive visual effect without any heavy weight.
2004 Hopes Unicorn
This is an integral. Tears of the wounded pattern on the blade, and gain twist fluting on the antique elephant ivory to resemble a Unicorn horn. You must be pure of heart to see a unicorn. I see them all time running in the fields, then I run out there and saw the horn off of it. The pommel on this one is gold over silver with a bit of carving at the end.
Ants.
This piece has a tight W pattern in the blade. Gold over silver on the guard and ferrule. The handle is a piece of fossil walrus tusk. If you will notice the slot carved in the handle thousands of years ago. It was carved to be a war club. The front was broken off so it was used to do something with, I don t know maybe they clubbed a baby seal or something, no telling, but it was used for club. I left it intact so it would be as close to the original as possible. Then ants and spiders where carved on it then they were covered with gold foil. Neat piece.
English Dirk
This was a tough little bugger. It is patterned after an orginial English dirk. The pattern in the blade is a basketweave pattern that has the smallest basket weave I have ever done. The fluted handle is old ivory and has twisted fine silver wire in the bottom of the flutes. The leather sheath is capped in fine silver as well.
"El Capitan" South West Bowie
This piece has a fern pattern in the damascus blade . Pre-civil war wrought iron for the mountings and a sambar stag handle. Carving on the guard and ferrule and butt cap.
Integral with D-Guard
This is something you do not see everyday. It is a integral dirk with a D-Guard. Ladder pattern blade, gain twist fluted handle, gold over silver on the D with a bit of engraving. The engraving on this piece is the first that I did after studying with a master engraver.
Dagger
This piece is unusual as well. The handle is patterned after the old California style handles. This knife was one of the all silver knives that I did for several years. I did only one a year. This knife picture has been used for the cover of a novel and also used as a "lead in" for a TV mini series in Brasil. The engraving on this piece was done by Jere Davidison and was before I started engraving my own pieces.
NLT Southern Bowie
This NLT piece at I had at Reno in '05. Sheep horn handle, stainless mountings and a unique pattern in the blade.
Rojo Grande
This is my Rojo model all dressed up. Fossil walrus ivory handle, damascus blade and engraving stainless mountings with a touch of 24 kt gold wire. Slick piece.
Spear Point Bowie
This was an NLT also. Damascus, Mother of Pearl, stainless mountings, with engraving, 24 kt gold borders and gold pins. Nice piece.
South West Bowie
Personally I really liked this piece. It just speaks function and days gone by. The blade is ladder pattern damascus, stag handle and the fittings are of pre-civil war wrought iron.
NLT 2005
This Bowie knife has a "Tears of the Wounded" pattern in the blade, a fossil Walrus handle and stainless mountings. The ferrule has thin stainless spacers on either side of a piece of wrought iron that came from a wagon wheel that went from Arkansas to the California Gold Rush of 48 and made is far back as Arizonia when it could go not futher. I had only a small piece of it.
NLT #2 for 2006
[I think]
This SouthWest bowie has the "Bull Pine" damascus pattern. Steel mountings that was heat colored after engraving. Really nice effect I thought. Stag handle.
#3 for 2006
This one has a bit of Persian flare to it. The point is upswept and the handle seemed to flow with the curves of the blade. Even a blind hog finds an acorn on occasions. Antique ivory handle. Stainless mountains. I engraved the side of the guard and both faces as well as the ferrule and pins. Nice piece I thought.
NLT #8 for 2006
Antique ivory, "Tears of the Wounded" damascus pattern, and engraving all in a midsize Bowie knife with a frame handled. Thought you might like this one.
NLT marked #6 for 2006
This is the first NLT marked Sendero. Fossil mammoth ivory and a W pattern blade. Engraving also included some 24kt gold inlaying. This knife has a frame handle and back bolsters. These will be rare with the back bolsters, probally 6 or less each year as they are a pain to make. Call the wife over to the computer and show her this picture. I am sure she would want you to have one similar.
NLT #4 for 2006
This is one of the silver knives that I do. I try to do one a year but dont always make it. The sheath and handle and guard are all out of german silver. The engraving on this one is cattle brands of friends, family and some from the old west as well as a couple from movies and people that I just know. The damascus blade not shown is of a Bull Pine pattern and looks great.
NLT #5 for 2006
Sambar stag handle, pool and eye pattern damascus, stainless mountings with gobs of engraving. Southwest bowie pattern.
NLT #9 for 2006
This Bowie knife has a Dog Star damascus pattern on the 10 inch blade. Fossil Walrus ivory handle, blue steel mountings with engraving and 24kt gold inlays. It was purty.
NLT #1 for 2007
This is another Southwest Bowie. This one is done in stag, ladder pattern damascus and engraved. I make all of the NLT's one of one pieces. It might the engraving is different but they are all one of a kinds. The Southwest Bowie is my favorite large knife pattern.
NLT #2 for 2007
This NLT is a SouthWest Bowie with a ladder pattern damascus blade. The handle is fossil Walrus ivory. The guard is engraved with a row of beads, with the ferrule having leaves engraved on it. The Pommel is dated with the date that I started the billet and a 24kt Gold star inlaid in honor of a friend. That date and star is surrounded with what is supposed to represent Olive branches.
NLT #3 for 2007
This is a dagger of course. It is very plain. Damascus, Mother of Pearl, gold pins and a bit of carving to what is supposed to represent shells on the guard. Interesting knife. It is for a graduation gift for a girl child. That is what she wanted from her parents, one of my daggers. Her brother recieved a sword that I made upon his graduation. His sword is damascus, with Sting Ray skin handle and a sea shell carved on the ending of the guard. The kids mother has a damascus and Mother of Pearl handled folder that I made. So, I made the dagger with MOP and sea shells. Through the daughter I linked the family. All three pieces came from the Sea. The MOP and the carved sea shells and each damascus with different patterns in the blades on each of the pieces as well as the mountings are different on each piece. This is so that though they are linked together each has their own personality in the family. Course the dad just eats plankton anyway, dang old bottom feeder.
Well I forgot to photo #4 but I have partial shots. Sorry about that folks. I can show you what I have though.
NLT #4 Pommel and front of guard.
You would have really liked #4 as it was nice, I just forgot to photo the whole knife.
NLT #5 for 2007
Old Thorny folder
Now before you get too excited here I don't make many folders. This is the first one in seven years. it has mosaic blade of basket woven steels, fossil mammoth ivory scales and the stainless bolsters has deep relief engraving and gold inlay.
NLT #6 for 2007
Gamemaster Hunter
This knife won Best of Show at the Spirit of Steel Show a few weeks before my Micro show where this knife was drawn for right to purchase. It has a left hand, then right hand twist on top then the bottom layer has the Viking Wolf Tooth pattern in the steels. The handle is fossil mammoth ivory the stainless mountings are deep relief engraved and has gold inlays.
NLT #7 for 2007
The Persian
This piece has much Persian influence. The blade sports the same left hand on top of right hand twist steel bands then has the Viking Wolf tooth pattern in the 11 inch blade. The mountings and frame are of 44 layers of twist. The guard is a quad twist, left and right faceing opposite rights and lefts. Then mountings has simple 24kt gold wire inlayed. The handle is fossil Walrus tusk.
NLT#3 for 2008
More pictures to come once I look around and find them.