Thanks all for the help.
Detlef Thanks. From looking through old threads and the example in Krieger I had begun to wonder if that handle shape wasn't a cue to date gunongs.
Ian I was not the one who epoxied the handle. I have a few ethnographic knives I have picked up over the years with this problem most are heavier made than the more refined taper to the edge this dagger has. Almost all of them have some play in the handle. I have been thinking one day I will fire up the torch and try to heat them gently to 250 F and see if that is enough to loosen them completely. I am worried about splitting old woods if anyone has any advice on this subject.
I have been thinking a vinegar etch. I have had good results with 5 coats of brushed on strained lime juice with a wash and light polish between coats using a leather buff cloth and cerium oxide as well. Both give a mellow subtle contrast. I am nervous about ferric chloride and as you said I have to ask a friend for a favor for Nital. Plus my sheds get to at least 130-140 F in the summer, and I do not want to store it in my house. If I get decide to use Nital maybe I will dig a hole and bury a 5 gallon bucket with a screw on lid for storage of volatile materials. And cover the whole thing with a scrap of plywood to keep it cool. I have also read that Nital can work its way deep into the softer layers of a blade.
I usually use linseed, boiled or raw depending on the application. I also have tsung oil, and mineral oil laying around for when I need a different look. I have been experimenting on using a blend of tsung and linseed oil lately. My next experiment will be trying that mix with a few drops of turpentine for added penetration. The turpentine usually yellows a bit though. That was a trick to antique maple when I was a kid.
Rick I can see a scar in the guard where the blade used to sit. It seems when many people rehilt an old blade that originally used cutlers resin they do not clean out the old grove enough to allow room for both the blade and the new medium. I use drill rod blanks made into router bits in successively longer lengths to clean the hole.
RobT Thanks for the detailed response. The curved center line can be ground in as well. I did some serpentine blades as a tween that I ground the curving line in using a stock removal process. Next time I see my Dad I will try to snap a photo. What can't be hidden is when an already finished straight blade is modified to be serpentine in profile.
Muradic acid. I have always been curious as to how it would etch steel. I did not know it was the same as hydrochloric acid. It is readily available to remove lime stains from masonry. You no longer need special permission to buy it as it is no longer a popular ingredient in Methamphetamine (20 years ago I got surprised by a localized thunderstorm and stained a freshly laid rock wall and had to try to figure out how to clean up the mess. That was how I learned about the ban on muriatic acid sales and the connection to drug labs.) Does anyone use hydrochloric acid as their preferred etchant? Or as a backup?
I am surprised that no one has mentioned the yellow metal in the occlusions. I found that feature very odd. They can be seen with the naked eye. I just magnified them to make examination online easier.
Thanks again for the advice. It is very much appreciated.
IP
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