Primitive Mountain Man Friction Folder with antler handle and decorated leather neck pouch

Primitive Mountain Man Friction Folder with antler handle and decorated leather neck pouch

Blade Material: 80crv2 Carbon Steel
Handle Material: Scottish Stag Antler
Blade Length:  70mm
Blade Thickness: 2mm
Handle Length: 105mm
Total knife length: 180mm

This knife is a small UK legal folding knife that is inspired by Anglo-Saxon and Viking age folding knives found at various archaeological sites around Europe. I aimed to capture a primitive, 'mountain man' aesthetic with this piece, with a carved antler handle and intricately decorated leather neck pouch.

The 70mm blade is hand forged from 80crv2 carbon steel, whilst the handle is made from a single piece of Scottish stag antler with a slot for the blade when closed and a carved relief for the serpentine scroll when open.

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All my knives are forged by hand using traditional bladesmithing methods at Willslock Forge in Staffordshire, England. Each knife has been forged from high carbon steel. I usually use either 1080, 01 or 1095, and sometimes antique historical steels such as crucible steel or shear steel.

I usually forge as close to finish as possible, creating the knife shape and setting the bevels on the anvil. For all of my historical work, my aim is to make my knives with minimal use of power tools, and I take a lot of inspiration from historical knifemaking and smithing techniques.

The handles are all carved by hand and made from locally sourced wood, bone and antler - I avoid using any plastics, resins or synthetic materials.  Wherever I can, I try to repurpose salvaged and upcycled materials in order to create beautiful new knives and tools.  I usually leave a brut de forge, or forge finish, on most of my blades because I like that the hammer marks tell the story of the knife's creation on the anvil, and the forge finish differentiates the knife from all the mass-produced, factory made knives out there.