Searching For Stone Knife Handles (Pursuing A Dream) 

On behalf of my fellow Arizonans, I want to thank you for having _good_ things to say about your trip to our state!

Kyle’s enthusiasm is infectious! It’s also really great to see more of Josh and Mom Royer! Great work as always 🍻

In Mexico I have seen a beautiful obsidian with gold glitter in it, it was out of this world

Kyle, for the white marble maybe contact someplace in your area that does custom counter tops. They may have some broken pieces you could get for free or at least cheap. Not sure about using obsidian for knife hilt panels, it may be too brittle. Quartz can DEFINITELY be tricky to work with (I did rock tumbling and carving many moons ago).

As someone who is just teaching myself jade carving, diamond tools are a must have

It’s no wonder your creations are pieces of high art, picking through the materials like a Sushi chef at the Tokyo fish market. Wish I could afford one of yours

Focus Kyle! Focus Kyle! Oh look at the pretty birds ! 😆 awesome man

I'm totally ignorant of stone work, but it will be fun going on the journey with you, watching you work with this new medium. Cool camera work on the trip Josh. And it was great seeing Mom make an appearance too. Go Team Royer

Stones and minerals have more beauty then I had imagined 😃

That's a new rabbit hole you've gone into! Can't imagine how you resisted buying almost everything you saw, but also can't imagine how many knives you'll handle with what you bought. You have your work cut out for you, that's for sure.

It's obvious that danger gave you more than the inspiration for a stone handle! I can see design inspiration in the inlay and quilions. Such a beautiful piece

Hey 👋 guys nice to seeing you back Kyle strike back with elegant touch 👌 blessings 👍 🙌 🙏 ✨️

I love your mom, not camera shy at all and looks she's funny like you xD

Looks like you had a great time checking out all that stone, looking forward to seeing what you make with it. You have a great Mum, she always takes such a keen interest in what her boys are doing and gets involved 👍. Nice family!! Regards from Down Under.

Guys! This video really effected me. Thank you! Not a day goes by that I don't miss my Mom. You boys are such an inspiration.

My Dad was born in Missouri, I was born in Mesa, Arizona, glad you liked Arizona. It is a very geographically diverse state.

Petrified wood could be so cool and ultra unique. So many cool choices. You were like a kid in a candy store. Mom's deserve all the credit for everything they do. Shout out to all the under appreciated moms.

The passion and creativity you emit is very inspiring!

Just take my breath away 😮

My dad's a geologist, he has a lot of rocks and minerals on shelves. The lapis lazuli is in a glass cylinder to prevent it reacting with the air, I remember being told it would change colour or fade. Just thought it's something you may want to keep in mind

The whole Royer family has the exact same smile. It's easy to see you got it from mom there. :)

Rocks and gemstones are like an emotion. Telling a story of who you are. Pick the stone who you are making the knife for.

UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME!!! I WANT TO GO THERE SOOO BAD!!!! THE FOOD!!! The rocks were ok too.

I really hope you gain a lot of subscribers because you probably are the best knife maker I’ve seen on RU-vid. And video quality is also up to par with people that have millions of subscribers. Truly great work. I watch every episode you make and I’m always astonished at the work you produce hopefully I can afford a knife from you soon

The show is legend.

Can't wait for the results, bet they are going to be amazing as always

😮 wow ... This will be a journey and I'm going to enjoy watching every thing you make ... I can't wait to see it all come together soon ..

I love that you treat bladesmithing as a family business. Very interesting rocks and minerals.

I look forward to (possibly) a knife build with stone handles. Realy cool.

It will be great to see what you come up with. Can’t wait.

Man, it's a personal dream of mine to go to the Tuscon Gem and Mineral show, but I fear that I would spend WAY too much money there. I went to an estate auction a few years ago and came away with an incredible box of rocks and minerals for about 250 dollars. It had a purple fluorite octahedron that's about 3 inches from tip-to-tip, as well as a couple smaller ones (not quite an inch wide - one's pink, the other clear), some positively massive garnets (a couple of 1.5 inch almandines and a 0.5 inch gemmy pyrope), a 2 inch barite rose (from Oklahoma, obviously), an inch-long watermelon tourmaline, a 2.5 inch hand sample of blue celestite crystals, a 5 inch tall, chunky quartz termination...and much more. So, for a mineral lover like me, the Tuscon show would be extremely dangerous. Labradorite is one of my favourite minerals, btw. I made sure that when my parents were looking for a stone countertop for their kitchen, they gave serious consideration to (and ultimately purchased) a couple of slabs that were just riddled with 1 to 3 inch pieces of it (I'd say the countertop is more than half Labradorite), displaying that characteristic blue flash in an otherwise fairly dark (almost black-looking) matrix. It looks amazing (they thought so too, otherwise they'd have bought something else!). I'd love to go up to Labrador myself some day and find some type specimens of the stuff (as a Canadian, I generally forget that Labrador even exists most of the time, as people just refer to our 10th and final province as "Newfoundland" without giving it its proper name "Newfoundland and Labrador"). I'd have to plan the trip for like...late September though, to avoid mosquito and black fly season. Oh, and you should note that jade actually refers to two separate minerals (I'm sure your book goes into a lot of detail on this) - jadeite and nephrite. The Guatemala (and Burmese) jade is jadeite; the British Columbia and Wyoming (Edwards) jade is all nephrite. The minerals may share a common name, but they are actually quite different (jadeite is a pyroxene, with a Moh's hardness of 6.5 to 7.0, while nephrite is an amphibole, with a hardness of 6.0 to 6.5), and so you shouldn't expect them to behave the same when working them. And just a safety note - whenever you are cutting, shaping or polishing silicate minerals, wear a mask rated for fine particulates, otherwise you can permanently screw up your lungs.

One more thing, when shopping for Lapis always carry a small bottle of nail polish remover and a small cloth. A lot of the material is dyed and the dye only goes a short way into the rough stone. Just dampen the cloth and rub the stone, if it comes away blue find another dealer

The Jade will be a challenge and you will want to use diamond tools for that. The Lapis is much softer and will cut/form quickly. The Charoite is fibrous and is also soft like the Lapis. And yes, on day 1 you spent some serious $$$$. Labradorite is also on the soft side. When it's striped like yours, I heard it called Tiger Stripe Labradorite. There is a mountain in Oregon where you can pick up as much Obsidian as you can carry. Glass Buttes. Obsidian will be a good one to start with as it's hardness is between the others. Also, if you're not happy with the clarity of the Quartz, you can look into Optical Quartz. They take natural Quartz and melt it down, then let it recrystallize back into blocks of perfectly clear Quartz. Optical Quartz can also be knapped like Obsidian unlike natural Quartz. I look forward to checking out more of your videos.

I was way too happy to watch him catch the jade bug, ONE OF US, ONE OF US.

A stone handled knife sounds really cool :O Have you considered doing something with transparent aluminum at some point? I think it would be really interesting to see some aluminum damascus where parts of it are transparent, if that is even possible. Can't wait to see how the knife turns out.

It will be nice to see these stones used as epic knife handles.

Thanks for the sharing sharing, can't wait to see your stone handles

Can't wait to see these on a finished knife or sword.

I can't wait to see what you create.

I know a lot about minerals. I traveled 4 years around the US finding, buying, and selling. I can tell you many that would work great for scales/handles.

I can't wait to see what you do with stone. Im very excited.

For the decorative tang idea you could carve a roses and thorn vine design and inlay it with gold.

One day you should embed black opal into a handle "maybe a black opal direct Collab"

If you ever decide to try obsidian, I have an extremely rare variety that is loaded with silver needles and is very chatoyant when cut and polished. I'm an old Rockhound and Gem miner with some fairly cool materials.

Jade is similar in composition and structure to Asbestos. Fibrous structure. Make sure you wear a respirator when you carve that! That being said, can't wait to see the results!

I just got labradorite counters in my kitchen, my absolute favorite stone of all time, the fire in it is just so gorgeous!

I have marble I could send you, love your videos always an inspiration to watch how much you love the craft and dedicate yourself to it's perfection

"Scored some beautiful, beautiful rocks..." "THEY'RE MINERALS, MARIE!"

Thanks for the inspiration!

For the tenth time Marie, it's a MINERAL!

Thats super cool you brought your mom. I brought my dad to BladeShow 2022, and oddly we ran into you at the Art Knife booth.

I love rocks !!! I'm excited to see what you do.

I'm from BC and was surprised to see they had BC jade down there, I wish you good fortune on your projects.

Thats gonna be gorgeous!

Such beautiful stones!

Can't wait to see how you would use the stuff you bought ❤

Hoped you had fun in my hometown. Love your work. Thanks for taking us along.

I’m excited to see what you do with your treasures. I know that you’re efforts will be jaw dropping.

Glad you enjoyed your trip to Arizona!

If you search for a local Granite/Marble countertop fabricator in your area... They usually have dumpsters for scraps... You should be able to find literal tons of nice handle materials.

I'm eagerly awaiting your stone project.

Thanx Kyle 👍👍

That hotel convention was insane, I've never seen anything like that.

Looking forward to seeing the beautiful creations your sure to make with these materials! 😁

7:06 I can't get distra...ooo look at these birds...🤣🤣🤣

Few notes as a petrologist: As your book may indicate, there are two separate mineral varieties that are often described as "jade." Historically speaking, "true" jade is the sodium aluminum silicate jadeite, which is within the pyroxene mineral class. However, a number of amphibole varieties (a more complex mineral class, with a notably softer hardness), have also developed the trade name "jade." This DOES NOT imply that one jade has greater value, or that they cannot both be referred to as jade, rather that there are true mineralogical differences between the two, both quantitatively and qualitatively, which may be useful to keep in mind for practical reasons (e.g. the latter jade will be easier to cut and polish). Given your purple color preference, I would also recommend looking into some material know as "Turkish jade," as it has a great soft purple color that may be to your liking. And out of personal interest, I think using some amygdaloidal basalt, mylonite, or cataclasite could also make for some extremely impressive handles. (Apologies for any redundant information). Great video (and content in general) - Keep up the good work!

That quarts though! I would make a Quillon dagger or a parry dagger make the handle out of the quarts. Awesome finds at the show.

Good Old Mesa Gateway! Allegiant really is the cheapest way to travel!

I watched a 2 hr long video on one of these mineral/stone events and there just too many to see even if you are there for a few days. The one that stuck in my head was the Opals. OMG the play of colour against the black is gorgeous. You can buy white Opals which are found in chalky cliffs like Dover but because of the white they don't POP at you however you can chemically treat them with acids ect and then they go completely black and all the colour is stunning. Doing it this way means you can acquire Opals at an affordable price instead of paying $30,000-70,000 per stone, and the play in colour is still exceptional.

Nice journey with family.

You should make multi-angular damascus where instead of stacking all the plates horizontally some might be placed vertically or you could have wedge shapes to get fun angles that would certainly turn into something spectacular

Wow. This will be interesting

dude awesome. i'm a Tucsonan and its an amazing town. glad you got to see it and especially the gem and mineral show. every year its a big deal for us. hope you got to eat at el charro

Just remember, particularly for jade, always work with it while wet or with a very good respirator. While not as obviously fibrous as asbestos, it is still a similar formation of stone and the tiny little mineral fibers and shards can become airborne and won't ever leave your lungs once they're in there. In general, all minerals should be polished or cut under flowing water or in a water bath if only to prolong the lifespan of your abrasives, but also because breathing stone dust isn't good for you. Labradorite is a beautiful mineral, but it's also relatively soft, so it may not make an ideal handle material. Some minerals that are considered fragile due to their tendency to cleave can sometimes be stabilized by resin impregnation. Jade is often stabilized in such a way to ensure that it maintains its color and luster, though jade collectors severely frown upon this practice for the stones they appraise.

While others are cheaping using resins you are out there getting the good stuff. I’m excited to see your new projects.

I love the Charolite stone, purples my favorite color and its also my birth stone color. This knive is going to be insane looking when you're done. But of course it will from a blade smith master like yourself. Have a nice day Royer family.

Love it! I'm in Tucson and the Gem and Mineral Show is so cool to go to. Let us know next time you're coming in and it's easy to give you a tour of the best places to go AND the best places to eat!! :)

I can’t wait to see what you do with the lapis lazuli

Can’t wait to see your journey as it’s something I’d love to do one day as well.

It was with great pleasure that I watched the video on the manufacture of the stone handle. And it got me thinking. What material can combine both beauty and practicality and durability? Your knives are undoubtedly a work of art. The highest perfection can be achieved by such a model, which combines the maximum of possibilities. This is the shape of the blade and the material from which the blade is made, as well as the shape and material of the handle, sheath. If there are no financial restrictions, any materials and technologies available to mankind can be used. Rare and precious metals, precious stones and precious woods. If we are talking about a work of art, then such an object should live for a long time. I will not talk too much about the material of the blade, it is clear that carbon steel will last even in favorable conditions for a maximum of several thousand years. But most likely hundreds of years. It is not enough. How to replace steel? Complex issue. Perhaps some platinum metal alloys could be used, or a recently developed alloy of gold and titanium. These materials can have hardness and elasticity equal to or better than the best steels. But what about the handle? Any organic material is not suitable. Maybe you should pay attention to the fossils? The bones of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals may well combine both attractive appearance and strength and durability. In general, this is a great field for reflection.

I love this wholesome channel 😊 Hello from Finland.

Cool how they used the hotel rooms. As a event manager at a large resort in the past we have used hotel rooms in many capacities but never like this.

👍 top quality weiwing as usual. I love this channel !! Thank you. God bless 🙏

Men, I am really excited to see what you are going to do with these stones!

Never realized you guys where that close to me love the work you guys do shout out for Pittsburg Kansas

I cannot wait to see you craft these pieces into beautiful works of art

damn those all look so beautiful

A local tip for the gem and mineral show is go on the last day. The vendors will discount their stuff immensely!

This should be super cool, I've watched a number of both amateur and more professional knife making channels in the past but I don't think I've ever seen a stone handle or at least not gone into in much detail (usually the handle scales are brushed over in knife making videos I've watched).

My family has been going to that show for years and years. Father is a retired Geologist.

If you want white marble... Have a look at Greek White Marble! Like Naxos with beautiful Cristal stars or Dionysus White ... The Parthenon is made with it... Paros White also ! Look also for Tinos Green ... Unique and beautiful !

Obligatory "Jesus Christ, Marie! They're minerals!"

You may be able to find the white marble not only from countertops but also tile. It may be a specialty piece from a local shop but they may have broken pieces they can’t use that you could get cheap. Are you planning on trying to slice some of the pieces into scales? Will that require a specialty saw/ equipment? If you are planning on drilling through and then using a pommel to hold it in place, are you going to have to glue in a liner for the gem to protect it from over tightening and splitting?

I can't wait to see what you make with these.

To me there are some materials that are so rare/valuable that are only for the qualified. You are definitely qualified.

Upping your game here, i've worked with stone before and it is both incredibly rewarding and absolutely frustrating lol. I'd start "safe" with a part of one of the larger slabs you have, so mistakes wont cause that you sacrificed a stone you only have enough of for one handle. I know you're a patient man, and that will work in your favor when working stone, rushing will lead to failure, so take it slow and methodical :) Lastly, i LOVE the idea of stone handles, but making them is an art on it's own, yet.. i am sure you got what it takes to do it! good luck and more importantly, have fun learning a new skill :D

If you like labradorite Kyle, check out peristerite, like labradorite it's a variety of feldspar but its a bit different in the schiller that it presents, mostly blues and slivers, thought peristerite can also have chatoyancy.

There are a few rock shops in town also. Also a few lapidary shops down the street from me. Desert museum has high end pieces.

I'm glad you took a liking to the jade. Also good taste, wyoming sages and black is yummy! Jade is hard to work and carve but should make the best handle material because it's the toughest and most fracture resistant type of stone on earth.

Nice stone video. Ever tried Snakewood for a handle? (Brosimum guianense = Piratinera guianensis) It is as hard as glas, polishes into something phenomenal. I always use it in my classical guitars for fretboard, and made some Snakewood knive handles to. To me, it is the most beautiful wood on earth (Probably also the most expansive). And it has some "stone like" features.