Not sure how this project landed on my todo list, but it was a great use of leftover hardwood cutoffs. Unfortunately the only hardwood leftover in the shed was mahogany. The "blade" would have looked great in a burled maple and it would have contrasted the darker handle nicely. Despite the lack of multiple hardwoods, this knife looks fantastic!

Let me start off by saying I had no clue how to make a wood knife from scratch. This entire project was a learning experience. I am certainly familiar with knives and know how to use them in the kitchen, but the idea of building the shape and size entire from a cloudy thought in my head was very challenging.

The blade was chalked out of a piece of scrap to give me an idea on where to start cutting. Continually sanding it down on a belt sander, the blade eventually started to look less cartoonish and more realistic.

The handle was modeled by cutting and sanding down another mahogany cutoff. I cut the handle in half lengthwise, chiseled the outline of the blade tang, and glued them together overnight.

I came back the next day to sand and sand some more - starting with 60, 120, and 220 grit and finishing with a wet sanding of 600 and a bath of mineral oil.

It is an absolute miracle that the spine is straight on this thing and I’m honestly not sure how this worked out as well as it did. It was a fun challenge and will be well used with our upcoming family birthdays.

One thing not pictured is the massive yellow-jacket queen I slayed while being laser-focused on sanding. I may have screamed like my two year old daughter and peed myself similarly. Not my best moment, but I’m very proud that I emerged victorious!