A Mule project, Awesome craftsman and Friend

[bearfacedkiller]

Outstanding!!!!

I have been on the receiving end of Chad's generosity a few times now and have three sheaths to show for it. While they don't compare to that handle I have to say that his kydex work is excellent as well. I can only echo what Dan said, Chad is a great guy to interact with. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

[Doc Dan]

Wow! Just Wow! That is one of the most beautiful knives I have ever seen.

[Xplorer]

....That is a work of art!

Thank you very much Michael! I appreciate the kind words. :)

However one thing I (IMHO) don't like and that is the pin placed at the very end of the buttend of the knife. But I realize that it couldn't be done otherwise because of the Cu-bar in the grip and the choice of existing holes in the tang

I completely get what you mean toomzz. I also genuinely appreciate that you looked closely and gave the design some critical thought. Your feedback is more valuable to me than you might realize. It was a challenging decision. One of the things that I find most challenging in designing handles for Mules is having to work within the existing holes. They limit the design choices you can make for sure. There was going to be a visual "imperfection" in my mind no matter where I placed the corby bolts once I decided to use such a thick copper band behind the bolster. I chose this bolt placement to maintain some visual symmetry and secure the necessary pieces without adding a hole to the tang. If I had my preference for this particular handle the corby in the bolster would be centered (front-to-back) and the corby in the rear would be the same distance from the butt as the front corby is from the front edge. Thank you for your feedback. :)

Very nice. I

Nice work!

Wow that's impressive.

Another stunner Sir!

Holy cow! That handle deserves a prize.

Thank you!! You guys are too nice!! I sincerely appreciate your kind comments. :D

Outstanding!!!!......I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Thank you Darby! Dan sent me an RWL 34 Mule and to treat his generous gift appropriately I made a handle for it with a design concept reminiscent of Dan's handle but with different colors and fewer time consuming details. It's now my go-to field knife and my sentimental favorite because of the kind way in which it came to me. :) I'll post pics in the "show your Mule" thread on the pics forum in a day or 2. :D :spyder: :spyder:

Wow! Just Wow! That is one of the most beautiful knives I have ever seen.

You're too kind Doc Dan!! Thank you very much for the kind words. :D :D

Best regards,
Chad

[Holland]

Incredible scales! Very well done, thanks for sharing

[Xplorer]

Incredible scales!...

Thank you Holland! You kind words are appreciated! :)

[WorkingEdge]

Wow! That is absolutely amazing! Definitely a candidate for calendar contest in future.

[DigDug72]

Amazing work, thanks for sharing!!!

[Michael Janich]

Outstanding work!!!!

Stay safe,

Mike

[Xplorer]

Wow! That is absolutely amazing!..

Thank you very much WorkingEdge! :)

Amazing work...

I appreciate the kind words DigDug72! :)

Outstanding work!!!!...

Thank you sir! I'm honored to receive such a kind response to my work. :) :spyder:

[Surfingringo]

S-I-C-K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spectacular work Chad. Your best piece yet! (That I have seen anyway)

[Skidoosh]

Love the scales, I have to ask with all the copper how heavy is it?

[farnorthdan]

Love the scales, I have to ask with all the copper how heavy is it?

It has some heft but really not bad at all, feels great in hand. I've been wearing it as a neck knife over the weekend and have forgotten I ever had it on a few times. Love love this knife, Chad is an amazing craftsman. :)

[Xplorer]

S-I-C-K!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Spectacular work Chad. Your best piece yet! (That I have seen anyway)

Thank you Lance!! You are too kind! :D

Love the scales, I have to ask with all the copper how heavy is it?

I didn't weigh it before I shipped it to Dan so maybe he can add more info on that if he has a small scale. I had made a handle with copper liners in the past and I seriously regretted leaving the liners solid. They weighed so much that the knife felt way too rear-heavy...very out of balance. Knowing this would be the case, this time I skeletonized the liners and removed 70% or more of the material before adding them to the knife.


Even with the lightened liners, when I added the copper corby bolts and that thick copper band there was noticeable weight in the handle. The placement of the copper band being exactly at the balance point of the knife helps this one maintain a balanced feel. It's not so heavy that it feels awkward or out of balance but it does feel "substantial" for sure. Although I did not like the feel of the first one I did, I do like the way this one felt very much. Hopefully Dan feels the same... Without question, copper requires you to consider the weight from the very beginning of the design phase because it's seriously heavy stuff. :D

[farnorthdan]

I absolutely love the feel of this blade, it's balanced perfectly. I do have a small digital scale and will get a weight tonight after work and let you guys know.

[farnorthdan]

Alright, put her the scale, looks like 6.58 ounces, not bad, little over an ounce heavier than a GB1 :)

[remnar]

Another great set of scales Chad! It's hard to pick a favorite but the green and copper go together very well, and the sheath is the frosting on the cake. :) :spyder:

[jssaylor2007]

Wow, makes me want to buy a mule just so I can maybe someday get something remotely close to this. Amazing work.

[Xplorer]

Alright, put her the scale, looks like 6.58 ounces, not bad, little over an ounce heavier than a GB1 :)

Cool thank you. The blade was about 2.8 oz so that makes the scales 3.78 oz. Thank you for the data :D . 6.58oz puts it very close in overall weight to the Proficient CF at 6.3oz.

Another great set of scales Chad! It's hard to pick a favorite but the green and copper go together very well, and the sheath is the frosting on the cake. :) :spyder:

Thank you Chad. There a couple of colors that work really well with copper but I think green is first among them. Dan chose the color scheme and as soon as he said he wanted copper and green ctek all I had to do was not screw it up :p :D .

Wow, makes me want to buy a mule just so I can maybe someday get something remotely close to this. Amazing work.

Thanks jssaylor2007. When you get that Mule, send me a DM and we can talk about how to make that happen :D .

[jssaylor2007]

Thanks jssaylor2007. When you get that Mule, send me a DM and we can talk about how to make that happen :D .[/quote]

I will take you up on this. I just ordered a 20 and a 22. Been debating turning the shed in the backyard into somewhere to do projects for a while now, but don't really have any tools or woodworking experience. All I know is I have a fantastic idea for something for my dad as a somewhat belated Christmas present.

[Xplorer]

...I just ordered a 20 and a 22. .....All I know is I have a fantastic idea for something for my dad as a somewhat belated Christmas present.

Awesome! Send me a PM and let's see if we can do something cool for your Dad. :cool: :D :spyder: