Life is good

[Pappy]

Ready for the tempering in my red neck forge, and another knife started from the other have of the file while the first was in the oven.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Out of the over cleaned up and scales glued up. The deer season is over in Tennessee but a good friend that hunts KY. came in with a big doe and wanted to know if I wanted her, so of course I said yes, just thought I was through skinning and fleshing and cutting up meat. I never turn down a deer. This was the biggest doe I have seen 141 lbs and fat you would not believe. So I skinned her and saved the fat to render and also the hide to flesh and tan. It cut into the knife work but well worth the time. He killed it with an old solid fiber glass bow he got when he was 12 years old he is 50 now and it pulls 35 at his 28 inch draw. Who says you need a heavy bow to hunt deer.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

The hide ready to flesh and the fat rendering, Sister smelling the fat. Little John showed up to hunt but with the rain decided to work on a knife instead.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

 Chuck showed up for some bow work. Good to see him, he has been working a lot lately.Brandon wanted to make a handle for an old head that was his Grand Fathers so I got some Osage and BigA and I helped him split and lay out the handle. While I was going to the barn for Osage, I carried the deer carcass  from the doe I skinned, while at the place I dump them I picked up some supplies.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Hide Fleshed and fat rendered. Shawn working on re fletching some old arrows and Brandon hard at work on his ax handle. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Handle finished on first knife and handle fitted on the second, it is ready to shape the blade and temper. Shawn finish tillering his latest Osage bow.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Brandon has the head almost fitted and has done a really good job on it. The rendered deer fat cool and ready to put away for later use. Big A cleaning the Squirrels from the hunt, then we had a big meal and called it a night. Hope yall had a good weekend also. Life is Good.
 Pappy

[Chief RID]

Wow! That was a good weekend. What are the usual uses for the rendered deer fat? You guys sure are amazing. Thanks for keeping the old ways alive and promoting archery. Most of all thanks for including us and showing us how it's done.

[chamookman]

Thanks Pappy  ! Bob

[Pappy]

Chief it is good for many things, it is like lard and I use it to lube things, rub on broad or knives to keep rust away, use it when making pine pitch glue and some of the muzzle loader guys use in on guns and patches, guess you could cook with it also although I never do. You are welcome Bob
glad you enjoy. Was planning on racking the hide I fleshed Saturday this morning but it's 18 with 10mph N wind so I think I will wait a day or so
to do that. Supposed to be in the low teens for lows and low 30's for highs the next few day.Burrrrrrr. Not as tough as I use to be.
 Pappy

[DC]

Pappy, what is the little notch at the handle end of the blade for?

[KHalverson]

Pappy, what is the little notch at the handle end of the blade for?

its there so you can sharpen all the way back easier.

[KHalverson]

pappy.
knives are looking good.
is that lace wood for the handle.
interesting way to temper.
how are you judging temperature ?
color?

[DC]

Pappy, what is the little notch at the handle end of the blade for?

its there so you can sharpen all the way back easier.

Thanks

[Chief RID]

Thanks Pappy. That is the most fat on a deer ever. You have enough to supply the club needs for the next year for sure. That fat was white too. Ours is usually yellow from all the corn. That old doe was a dinosaur. Wonder what they eat in Kentucky to get that big. Congrats to that hunter. He did a good service killing that one.