Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

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Galgo
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Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Galgo »

This all started one Friday afternoon when I was with the kids at a school fair. I got a call from a "not so proficient" hunter friend of mine telling me a doe and fawn were making there way towards him. He was hunting with his crossbow on a farm where i got him permission. 10 Minutes later he calls me and tells me he has put the "perfect shot" on the doe and that the fawn was coming back to him too. 10 minutes after that he calls me and tells me he has "smoked the fawn too" and could I come up and help him.

I oblige and change plans with the family and ask him for details at which point he tells me the doe is still standing in the field 100 yards away hunched over now 30 minuted after the shot I tell him that doe is probably gut shot and not to leave his stand but he insists it is hit perfectly and that it is already dead but just does not know it.

I arrive to the field 30 minutes later and he meets me at my car - so much for staying put! He got out of his stand and bumped the doe and how now changed his mind about his shot placement on the doe. he now thinks he has also missed the fawn because there was no sound at impact and he retrieved his perfectly clean arrow.

I suggest we wait three hours then see if we can get that doe. He said there was good blood sign but the combine came into the field while he was bumping the doe and ran over his arrow.

After three hours of waiting we go after the doe and succeed in bumping her twice. I advise him that we will just cotinue to bump her right off the property and that we will have to wait till morning.

In the morning not 10 hours after we last bumped her we do a search. I suggest we search the river because the doe will likely seek water when its hit. Within a few minutes this is what I find:

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The yotes had already done a number on her and we were both very disappointed in the waste. The shot had been a gut shot and we may have been able to recover her had she not been bumped.

A day later I returned to find the yotes had moved her to a better spot on shore and this was all that was left:

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For some reason I took one of her jaw bones and buried it in an ant hill for a couple weeks. This was the "cleaned" Product:

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After having that jaw bone sit at my work bench for the last couple of years I finally figured out what to do with it.

I cleaned it up, cut the ends off it and removed the marrow and make a template of the hollow. The I spent three weeks scouring ebay to find the right blank, here is the blank damascas blade with the template sitting on it.

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Several hours of angle grinding, table grinding and filing later, I reduced the tang as below:

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Once it fit nicely I peroxided the bone and apoxied the blade to its handle. not a pro job by any means but at least I was able to use something from that terrible day. Now I need to learn some leather work to make a nice sheath and thats my knife for net season:

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paulaboutform
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by paulaboutform »

Great story Galgo. Certainly a shame about that doe. Your friend doesn't sound like someone I'd bring hunting anywhere. Very interesting idea for the knife, never would have occurred to me.
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sumner4991
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by sumner4991 »

I like it, in a wicked way.
I'd rather wear out than rust out.
Perception trumps intention.

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Galgo
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Galgo »

paulaboutform wrote:Great story Galgo. Certainly a shame about that doe. Your friend doesn't sound like someone I'd bring hunting anywhere. Very interesting idea for the knife, never would have occurred to me.
You are 100% correct. Did not take me long to figure that out...
agingcrossbower
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by agingcrossbower »

Really Cool! Does not lack for grip. Really nice. :D
mr meat
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by mr meat »

Great looking knife!
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Bullzeye »

Definitely original lol did you glue in the teeth ???
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Dereck
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Dereck »

Sad as it is to lose an animal while hunting it does happen and will continue to happen.
But it was used to feed some coyotes and many other creatures benefited from that animal. So I don't see it as a waste but used in a way not intended. :D

Beautiful knife by the way.
I have a local guy I may get to copy that for me
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Waif
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Waif »

Nice work! Betting your friends hunting improves.
There is a coyote in the snow bank around the corner I,ll be keeping an eye on. A soak in some coffee to stain it after its cleaned up should give it an aged look.
Have made some simple sheaths like fur trade era,kind of taco shaped with a cut out to run belt through, leather from blacksmith sides scraps. Folded and secured with brass tacks bent to hold.Just a couple inches of handle exposed.
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Galgo
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Galgo »

Bullzeye wrote:Definitely original lol did you glue in the teeth ???
Hey Bullseye I was planning on leaving them loose but when I put the epoxy in the cavity most of them glued firm, three were loose and the rest were solid so I removed the three loose ones and glued them in for it to be consistent.

Waif sounds like a great sheath idea!

F
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Kegbelly
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Kegbelly »

Nice work Galgo! Lemonade from lemons... :D
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Ont_Excal
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Ont_Excal »

Beauty of a knife!!!
I'll have a similar project on the go soon!!
Thanks for the idea!!!!! :wink: :mrgreen:
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tammie
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by tammie »

unique :D
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Solid19xX
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Re: Jaw Bone Knife Build (Graphic)

Post by Solid19xX »

Awesome and One of a Kind Knife you got there!!!
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