I have always wanted to make knives since I was a kid but dad squashed that with not letting me make a forge. Since then many other hobbies have taken over. I went to a F&I Marketfair and saw a guy selling blanks and bought a nice utility, drop pointed working knife I'd like to carry hunting. Its blackened already and I would like to keep this look.
What I am confused with is when I epoxy and pin the handle I have to sand it. Sanding it going to remove all the black on the tang. How can I prevent that or reblacken it? I assume I can't do it with oil without burning the epoxy and wood.
I had some cherry blurles from my fire wood pile I saved and I cut them up 3/8" thick on the table saw.