Artifact fossil knife handles

Hopefully this will be fun and a good time to discuss fossils and artifacts. They are different however.
Fossils are the remains of living things (plants, animals, people), not of things that were made. Artifacts are the remains of things that were made, not the remains of living things.

Still confused? Let's see a few examples.
Here's a few artifacts repurposed by the ancient Inuit's as net weights.
No question these were tools of the trade back in time.

Several of these were artifacts that I eventually used for knife handles.

Excuse me as I pull my desk into the classroom.
Looks like this will be interesting.
Walker

Here's an artifact that was used as an ice tester. James turned it into a cool 5th pocket knife.

Warren

Love every piece of FI on your knives. You have a superb collection.

Happy July 4th.

Excellent FWI Warren.

Thanks much fellas. More to come.

Bro.
All super nice.
Hurry up,I'm older than you!!!

That is a great looking pocket accessory. Warren, you have a great eye.

This is just plain COOL !!!

Coach,

It may be cool but this one's HOT. Double firebowl fossil. Probably the most impressive firebowlx2 I've ever seen. This must have been a workhorse back in the day.

So a first look might suggest a firebowl but more likely a multi tool. One edge is a sharp chisel. The main purpose was likely a bearing block for a bow fire starter. This is the block held to support the fire stick. There is no evidence of any heat discoloration. The size and shape just look right for a hand bearing block.

How bout a sled runner? Yup, the Inuit's had many uses for walrus ivory. There's been lots of knives made from sled runner ivory. When you think about it, the Inuit tribes were pretty resourceful and crafty.

Warren,

Great topic!

Bought this Artifact FW Chopper from Capt. Chris for a RMK/BMK Faisal Set. Hard to find large piece for big knives never mind a matched set of big knives from one piece. James and Cap did a fantastic job on this set.

Tom Flynn

Warren,

BMK Sub-hilt Wharncliffe Fighter with FW Artifact handle.

Tom Flynn

Warren,

Next knife rehandle is the Artifact FW Netweight (bottom left in the picture).

Tom Flynn

Tom

Great looking ivory. The Faisal set is awesome. Thanks for posting those here.
I'll be posting a set that was also made from a single cut piece but the halves are completely different. Great work, keep us posted on the new project.

Grant and James had just returned from a show in Eugene, OR where they scored some really nice handle material. The top piece in the first pic was large enough to make two knives. Best we could tell it resembled some sort of a mashing club. Both ends are completely different and you'd never know they came from the same piece without the pic.

Great thread and fantastic knives. My question is whether the Inuits made the tools before the material fossilized or after? I'm thinking that they must have been made before fossilization because the fossilized version would likely just shatter when worked. Anyone know? Also, how old is the FWI? There are large quantities of fossilized bones in FL -- mainly fish bones and teeth but also dugong bones (manatee relative) -- that I believe are in the 1 million year old range but I believe it "only" takes a few thousand years for bone to fossilize. Thanks.

Technically, it's not fossilized. Mineralized may be more accurate. Fossils are organic matter encased in stone. These tusks have laid in the permafrost for a long time collecting color from the soil.

It's at least hundreds of years old and more often 1000's. Pretty stuff.

It sure is pretty stuff!
Walker

Thanks for the correction Mitchell. Do you think the tools were fashioned before the ivory became mineralized?

Here's another that was just too pretty to cut; lots of green color and character. We could certainly have made 2 knives from this piece pictured in the middle. This was another that was likely a chisel on one end and perhaps a bearing block. The dimple was just too small to be a firebowl.
James said "it's going to need a big blade to tame that handle" Well indeed it is and 3/8" forged stock too.

Jim, I would guess before, but I don't know. It would make sense that they would harvest the tusks when making a food kill.

Thanks Mitchell.

Warren -- For me that last one is the best of the bunch in terms of the FWI. Really nice.

Thanks Jim. It has the best color. They're all unique in their own way.

Triple fire bowl

Awesome pieces for sure.
Walker

Yeah I do remember that one bro. Thanks for sharing.

Amen to that!!!

Warren,

Awesome BMK Heavy there 3/8" blade and that handle is fantastic. Where's the Mud sheath?

Tom Flynn

Chief,

Never saw a triple-firebowl piece; great colors in that handle.

Tom Flynn

Tom,

The double clip SW Bowie and the Sasquatch were done at the same time. They both got Warlander leather.

Warren,

Beautiful work by Amy; love the canteen snaps.

Tom Flynn

Me too Tom. They are solid.

An awesome pair of knives and sheathes.

Thanks Steve. I posted these a while ago on the other thread.

Warren,

On the Fossil side this pair of Crosscut Mammoth came out pretty good another Capt. Chris/BMK collaboration. There will be a third one as soon as I get it out to BMK with the piece that I got from you on an RMK-11-5.

Tom Flynn

Glad to see you're putting that piece on a great blade. Can't wait to see it done. Thanks for the update Tom.

Tom, those are beautiful for sure.
Walker

Walker,

Thanks; pretty special when you think they are over 10,000+/- years old!

Tom Flynn

Amen to that! WOW!!!

Sunday, 60 Minutes replayed an episode about a climatologist in Siberia that is working with a DNA researcher to bring them back to trample the snow into the perma-frost and thus save the world from methane and carbon poisons.
Scientists try to re-create the Ice Age to combat a climate problem in Siberia - the project to revive the extinct woolly mammoth using DNA.
Google Search
Episode 40
60 Minutes episode (season 51, episode 40)
Available on CBS for free

1st picture actually got my eye !! is the cover of that knife is self made or bought?