Hi everyone,
Just thought I'd share my first attempt at a rolled handle. I'd started this ages ago but had been too intimidated to move forward for fear of making a mess of it. I'd skipped forward in the Masterclass Courses to find advice on how to execute this and I'm so glad I did!! I definitely don't think I would have done a good a job of it otherwise.
I actually found the emu (I don't think its ostrich (?) but I really don't know) at an opshop for $10. I thought it must have been fake, a print or highly damaged but it turns out they just didn't know what they had. It's much thicker and stiffer than ostrich I've worked with in the past so if anyone has any insights, I'd love to hear them.
Beautiful handles! Well done, they look very neat well finished.
That Emu, or whatever it happens to be, looks very interesting. I've never seen a surface pigment finish that isn't the same colour as the inside. Normally it's aniline dyed through.
These may be B grade tan/ brown hides that have been refinished with a black pigment to hide blemishes, or something random like water damage. That might explain the firmness and price.