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Along Hell's Canyon

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On the face of a cliff [with trails] at Idaho's Hell's Canyon I found a cave with some drawings on the wall. I had been hunting birds. There was no evidence of recent visits. In that cave I found an old piece of wood of a species I knew did not come from that area. I took it home, had it checked by forestry experts in Boise. I was informed that no such wood grew in Idaho, However one person reminded me that there was an old Indian trading trail from Mexico, through Arizona and up to the Snake River. I made a knife with slabs from that wood which I now believe is Desert Ironwood. I loaned it to my wife's step-dad who promptly lost it. Three years later we found the knife in a bucket of dirty cleaning water in his garage. It had a bit of pitting on the blade but otherwise it was no worse for wear. Rather than the customary brass, I shaped the guard from a section of pretty bison horn. It became, and still is, my personal patch knife. I hope you can see the details and the bison horn guard in one of these photos. You can see that the wood is perfect [small cracks were there when I found it] after about 43 years. I sure would like more but I am too old to drive from Oklahoma to Arizona and back. :dunno: Polecat
 

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