Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: cutfinger on April 06, 2012, 11:55:51 pm

Title: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: cutfinger on April 06, 2012, 11:55:51 pm
I put this knife together with a blade my dad brought back from the Philippines in 1948,made from a U.S. jeep spring, I brought back the wood  from the Philippines in 2005 on a visit with my mom, it is called camagoonge (spelling probably wrong) a heavy ebony type wood.The sheath is made with 3 layers of wood and covered with a snapping turtle tail (skin), was a huge one, maby 50 lbs.The blade is 10 1/2" and the sheath is 11" long.Tough rawhide!!!
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: cutfinger on April 06, 2012, 11:56:56 pm
another pic
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: bryan irwin on April 07, 2012, 01:03:50 am
cool knife like the tail on the sheath.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: jonathan creason on April 07, 2012, 12:13:40 pm
That's awesome!  The turtle skin looks awesome. I've only seen one other person use it on a sheath before.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: Pennhawk on April 07, 2012, 12:34:19 pm
Cool looking sheeth, great looking knife!
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: SA on April 07, 2012, 02:33:38 pm
very cool , man if that blade could talk.  the wood is kamagong "ironwood" it's used for making fillipino arnis sticks and other weapons ,some tough stuff wish i had some i would make me a set of sticks  :D
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: cutfinger on April 07, 2012, 05:22:41 pm
i will ask my relatives if they can get some.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: Sparrow on April 08, 2012, 01:21:56 am
Great looking rig. That turtle skin really shines.  '  Frank
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: flungonin on April 08, 2012, 01:29:46 am
I like that sheath. If it was laying in amongst some leaves, I would bet you would be backing up and wondering what it was. Both, your knife and sheath are impressive. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: mullet on April 08, 2012, 09:33:23 pm
Cool knife and sheath. I'd make a set of sticks, too if I had some of that wood.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: criveraville on April 08, 2012, 09:51:01 pm
That's a nice looking knife. I'm gonna have to skin a turtle now  :laugh:

Cipriano
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: GregB on April 10, 2012, 02:53:12 pm
What a knife, and story behind it! Very cool!
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: Jake Allen on April 10, 2012, 05:42:51 pm
That is sweet man! Good job.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: Pappy on April 11, 2012, 07:15:46 am
Love it,yall know how I love knives . :) :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: swamp yeti on April 11, 2012, 10:53:33 am
Dang that is nice,good looking combo.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: bowtarist on April 12, 2012, 10:25:06 pm
Good memories knife!!  That turtle tail is RAD.  What out road kill snappers, I got my eye out!! dpgratz
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: mcginnis6010 on April 16, 2012, 12:07:17 am
This is really interesting i catch Alligator Snapping Turtles all time and i just eat them but i have never thought about using the skins. Around here i usually catch 25-35 pounders so they are kinds big. Thanks for getting me thinking! :)
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: cutfinger on April 16, 2012, 10:59:54 pm
The skin from legs also can be used for many projects, the tails are split on the underside and skinned out, some times the pull ok, otherwise you need to carefully cut between the meat and the skin. I am looking for turtle (snappers) or alligator tail skin which i do not have one yet, Could you skin an extra tail for me, dry it with a little salt or borax (20 mule soap) and mail it to me? It would not even have to be tacked out. I would make a trade you might like. I have staves, ash,ironwood,bear bones for knife handles,some knife blanks, green river carbon steel, write me via email please.. tim
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: mcginnis6010 on April 17, 2012, 01:35:57 am
yea i can do that im actually going to set out some lines tomorrow so ill let you now when i get something. Alligator snapping turtles have very similar looking tails to the common snapper. Both are edible and both are meaner than hornets.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: Bevan R. on April 17, 2012, 03:01:24 am
You got some tips on cleaning snappers? I have done a couple and it aint easy.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: mcginnis6010 on April 17, 2012, 04:10:23 pm
Yea they aint easy but the easiest way that i have found is to make an insicion(think i spelled it wrong) and use air or water to help seperate the tough hide from the muscles and tissue. Even then you need a very sharp knife to cut into their tough hide.
Title: Re: new knife and sheath from turtle tail
Post by: cutfinger on April 18, 2012, 12:46:37 pm
once you get a turtle and chop off the head. it will take many hours for the nerves to die as the legs keep pushing on the knife, BUT you can skin and gut one right away if after removing the head you insert a stiff wire like a coat hanger wire into the spine at neck and completly destroy the spinal cord, push it all the way to the tail, the legs will shoot straight out and then relax, now start to work, tie up by tail to a tree, remove the undershell, gut and remove meat, saving skin and do the tail last, excellent meat and rawhide.Remove all the yellow fat,enjoy,tim