That's great Peter.

Really Sharp, Peter. The knife and your handle addition.

I have had that design idea in my head for years. Great minds think alike and im glad to see it come to fruition.
I had the additional idea of leaving enough material to taper into the hilt and counterboring and I.D. chamfering the end for a slight recess for the cap. And deeper finger grooves with no break through and slight palm swell. It would result in a fater than usual handle but I always thought it would look great. I just never attempted it.
Good job!

Great job Peter! I would love to see Randall Knives be innovative like back in the day and offer things like that from the shop.

Thanks for all of the nice comments guys. I like to tinker in my basement and had thought about this for a while. I had a lot of fun making it, and I still have a big piece of the micarta and may try a version with some grooves in it.

Peter

Easy question:
I took my 5" Model 18 out for quick trip down to the Everglades.
It went in its' sheath and was not needed for any survival duties.
Or I wasn't creative enough to find a use for it out in the swamps.
But of course, when I got home, the bladed was smudged from handling and going in and out of the sheath and the Brass Handguards had fingerprints all over them.
It took just a few minutes with some Flitz to get it back in it's more acceptable, spotless condition.

Am I the only one who, after using my 18, re-polishes it after even the shortest handling, much less even using it to cut something?

Don't have the same problem with my Kitchen Duty Model 10's!

I clean, sometimes polish, and always put a light coat of Ren Wax on all my knives after any use or trip outdoors.
I only polish with Flitz if there are spots or stains.
Tony

Tony, Is Flitz bad for Light, occasional use only?
My 5" 18 is not a stainless blade, so I am aware it needs to be kept clean and dry.
The handle is stainless?
The Brass Hand guards will discolor/tarnish in a heartbeat if they are handled and not cleaned..along with the buttcap.

I guess that's where the coatings come in for a real hard-use 18..like it was made for.

Or...let it show it's nicks and scars and chalk it up to "character"" like the rest of us?

Well, I think Flitz is slightly abrasive, so I do use it sparingly.
The handle is stainless. Brass will always darken a little, even in a presentation case. A little Flitz or other metal polish
will bring it back easily.
If it's a regular user ... don't sweat it. It will get a little "character" over the years and be fine. As long as it's "used and not abused."
Tony

This product was mentioned in another thread. Tom Glassco uses it.
I will give it a try. Seems to be less abrasive than Flitz.
http://www.maasinc.com/products_metalpolish.aspx