Strawberries: Healthy and Delicious

    Almost everybody loves strawberries. But did you know that these delicious little treats also have amazing health benefits? Scientists have discovered that strawberries may help in the prevention of cancer. They also contain a compound that helps protect organs that are commonly damaged by diabetes. Another benefit from strawberries is that they have vitamin C which helps strengthen the immune system. Teeth getting a bit dingy? Strawberries are a natural teeth whitener. With all of these great benefits and excessive yumminess, many people like to grow strawberries in their home gardens. Chandler strawberries are a good choice for this, because they are high yielding and produce large berries. Now is the time to plant strawberries for next year. Here at Dove Creek we are currently selling strawberry plugs. If you want some you better hurry before they all get bought up by other strawberry lovers!

Tomahawk: The Come-Back Kid

    Tomahawks have been used in almost all of America's major wars. During the Revolutionary War, they were issued to soldiers for usage as a weapon and a tool. Soldiers even carried tomahawks before the Revolutionary War. In the Korean War soldiers would take their standard issued tomahawks and grind the handle down into a spike to make them better for fighting. In World War II many G.I.s carried them and used them during combat. However, tomahawks are most known for their usage in Vietnam. The Vietnam Tactical Tomahawk was designed by Peter LaGana and from 1966-1970 sold around 4,000 of them to Armed Forces members. They made a comeback around 2000 when Andy Prisco got premission from LaGana to begin remaking them. The Vietnam Tactical Tomahawk is very popular with modern soldiers. The US Stryker Brigade in Afghanistan, is one of the many forces that use it. In fact, every Stryker vehicle comes with a Tactical Tomahawk in the “Modular Entry Tool Set”.

SOG Tactical Tomahawk, Fusion Series F01T-N

The Making of a Knife's Home

    Here at Dove Creek we take great pride in our knives. We think that a beautiful knife should have a beautiful case. All of our knife cases are hand crafted out of solid wood. We would like to share with you some of the processes in which we make these lovely cases.

First, all of the pieces are sawed down to correct size and sanded. 

The next step is adding red felt to the inside piece in order to protect the knife from scratches.

 

Then all of the pieces are ready to be assembled.

We then make up a putty out of the saw dust, to create an exact color match, and fill in the nail wholes.

When the case is completely assembled, the knife's name is burned into the lid for an added touch.

The final step is polishing the case.

Rather than using a stain we use mineral oil to bring out the natural beauty of the wood.

 Here is our finished product with the knife fitting safe and snug in it's new home. This case was made out of walnut to perfectly match the knife's walnut handle.

    We hope you enjoyed seeing how are cases are made. We sure enjoyed making it. This knife and case, as well as many other products, can be purchased at our online store.  

Origination of Labor Day

    Labor Day is the workingman's holiday and pays tribute to the contributions of American workers. It originated due to the awful working conditions in the late 1800s. At that time the average work day was 12 hours long and the work week was all 7 days of the week. The workers weren't given enough breaks, didn't have enough fresh air, and work in very unsanitary conditions for little pay. Labor unions began appearing to form strikes and rallies protesting the poor treatment of workers. 10,000 workers took unpaid time off of work on September 5, 1882 to hold the first labor day parade in history. They marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City. The idea of Labor Day on the first Monday of September caught on and many states began recognizing it. However, it wasn't until 1894 that Congress made it into a federal holiday.

    From everyone at Dove Creek Outdoors, we wish you a safe and happy Labor Day.

The Rippling Water Blade of Damascus

       In the ancient middle east there a was legend of  an incredibly strong blades made in Damascus. The metal was strong enough to slice through another sword and sharp enough to cut a hair falling across the blade. These powerful blades had a look of delicacy. Many poets compared it too rippling water. The art of making these beautiful blades has been long lost. However, for decades scientists, historians, and smiths alike have been searching for the ancient technique to making Damascus blades. Although the exact method is still unknown, modern Damascus blades have been made since the 1970s by a method called pattern welding. In this method, steel of different carbon contents are folded and twisted together until the blade is solid. It is then ground and polished to reveal the layers of folded steel. Next, the blade is treated with an acid to give the steel layers more differentiation in color. The blade then has the rippling water effect of the ancient blades.

Custom Damascus Skinning Knife

    This knife will be added too our inventory at http://www.dovecreektradingcompany.com/ soon. Keep checking back for more information about this and our other custom Damascus knives.