Custom Folding Knife with Elk Naturally Shed Antler Handle

That’s one nice looking knife!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Another beaut. Mark. Very nice work. mike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Very cool. I like the turquoise.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Mark,

This is a beautiful knife. The antler handle adds a unique element to the knife.

Thanks for the post.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Mark fantastic job.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

great job Mark ….oh yes …

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

Mark;

I love it! I think you need to create a catalog, (even if it’s an online catalog), of your numerous pieces, as they’re quite beautiful and definitely unique.

I would suspect if promoted enough it would fill in your slow spots very well.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

great posting MARK

I like your presentation.

Very fine work.

-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever

The slow spots seemed to have been filled lately. Now, I’m working long hours trying to keep on top of what I said I would get done. My biggest hurdles have always been finding enough money per hour on a project to pay the bills that came in during the time I was working on something. Bidding correctly is my biggest hurdle.

I’ve never run out of work completely. Last fall, there were a few tense times when the end of one project was nearing, with nothing in line coming after it. But, then something always showed up just in time.

I could tell more about how that happens, but that would take me into the danger zone of the new posting rules.

Oh, yea, another aspect of my work is that there aren’t copies of anything. Doing a catalog makes people think that this stuff is sitting on a shelf. It is all made one-at-a-time, one-of-a-kind. In fact, the more something is “new” to me, the more creative and fun it is for me. The most a catalog of my work would be is a list of things that could give an idea to someone about something else I could build. Like taking things they like in a knife handle and getting a cane handle done the same way. I am not looking to do repetitive work, not the type of legacy I want to leave.

Each knife and cane, and such get a unique serial number, not a catalog number. There are websites already that have ordering codes for imported factory, made walking canes for instance. This works for some people, as they can wave at the other people at Wal-mart that have the same cane. I’m looking for those unique folks that want to be the only one that has the cane they are carrying. It’s not the best business plan for a cultural mindset in the industrial-age, and the get-it-cheap-by-abusing-foreign-craftsmen era but it is who I am, so that’s what I’m doing. There are enough people asking for my work to keep me busy at this point.

thanks,
M

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com