20/02/2009 by Paul Carpenter.

As can be guess from looking at my site, I like braiding just alittle bit. One item I have always been aiming to try (mostly because others have said it was impossible) was to braid a knife handle and sheath - both of which are more then possible with alittle imagination!!

Problem was that I could not find a knife good enough to try it on until I came across a website outlining how to make a flint knapped effect knife blade. Easy enough for me and also makes what could be regarded as a blunt decorative knife.

Also it meant I could make a tang good enough to braid on plus the sheath - earlier versions braided sheaths I have made have been slightly to soft but this one is quite stiff and has dried into a shape that perfectly fits the knife.

For my first try I feel it is reasonably good and am glad that I can combine various skills to produce such pieces as shown above.

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05/02/2009 by Paul Carpenter.

Have heard from a few friends and relatives that us up here in the depths of Scotland are not the only one’s getting snow this year. In fact most of the UK seems to be covered in white at the moment.

From experiance as a truckie in the London area in my younger years, it’s not the snow that’s so much the problem (as long as there’s not heaps of it) rather the ice that it produces after a slight thaw. So every one take care out there, in fact take the week off, put your feet up in front of the fire or even go out and concentrate building that perfect snowman you always promised you would as a kid!!!

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