2014 Commemorative Gouge

I thought I would close out the year with a real bang.  Recently I have been making a lot of custom folding knives with really fine detail work and tight precision.  I thought I would give my carving friends something truly unique that would test my skills as a maker as well as produce a piece of functional art.  This is what I came up with.

 

 

The gouge is a 3/16" #7 with a fluted blade which is highly polished.  The ferrule is fluted copper, also highly polished to keep with the shiny theme.  The handle material is maple burl that has been dyed red and black and professionally stabilized.  The inlayed shield is nickel silver and has the size of the gouge, the year and my initials hand engraved into the bright surface.  I wish the photos could do this tool justice.  I really need to work on my photography skills.  A little over-the-top?  Well, maybe.  But I sure like it and really enjoyed making it.

I have made this piece available for purchase on my "Available Tools" page if you are interested in owning it.  Thanks for taking a look and I would love to hear any comments.