I've customized a lot of knife handles for myself, but the Paul is my first custom order. It's named for my girlfriend's father, who wanted a knife to take on his sea kayaking/camping trips. It is an 4.5" Enzo Trapper blade with a thick locust handle.
I've come across a couple of project ideas recently that require the wood to be steam bent. After seeing enough pairs of vintage Adirondack snowshoes to make my mouth water, I now begin my foray into the mysterious world of steaming wood.
A traditional method of shaping wood, steam bending takes a bit of time and patience. But, in the end, it is less wasteful, more efficient, and stronger due to the even grain pattern throughout. I am pretty excited to give it a try and, if all goes well, I've got a couple of surprises up my sleeve for the coming weeks. But, for now, I am getting started on developing a steam box out of some scrap wood and piping remnants I had lying around. Check in later to see how it's coming along...
Welcome! By now I am sure you know that I am a musician, so why beat that with a stick? Here you can get a behind-the-scenes peek at my endless crafting and outdoor endeavors. From hiking to hand planing, fly-fishing to feather stick carving, restored axes to reclaimed woods, my passion for the simplicity and elegance of nature warrants a page of its own. So, check in every once in a while, listen to some music, and share in the adventures and inspirations of a crazy maple-lovin', fly-fishing, fire-roastin', mountain-biking hybrid of a musician!
-Ben
