A knife is far more than what it looks like, or even how it feels in the user's hand. The soul of the knife is in the materials used to construct it, and how those materials are prepared and assembled. Many people are unaware of what kind of materials were employed in the creation of their favorite knife.
Of course, it's easy to see a wood handle, but has that wood been stabilized? Should it have been for the knifes intended use?
They see pins in the handle, but did the maker take the time to peen those pins for a good mechanical bond? Or, did he/she simply rely on the adhesive to hold the parts together?
What about the all important steel? A large number of people are unaware that there are dozens of different steels used in knife making worldwide, and many are very poor steels for this application. When a buyer thinks he got a bargain at the gun show on his new $10 knife that looks really cool, he probably didn't. If it's that cheap, and they can still make a profit, it's almost a 100% certainty that it's junk! Even the touted 'surgical stainless' or '440 stainless' are less than desirable as knife steels. Surgical cutting tools are almost always single use and not made to last as a knife should be. 440 is only good for knife making if it is 440C, and if it is 440C it will be clearly marked as such. I would assume the any knife marked as 'surgical stainless' or '440' without the 'C' is an inferior knife, particularly if it is factory made in an Asian country.
Knife steels must have enough carbon in the mix to permit it to be hardened. That's the minimum requirement. After that, it's a question of intended function and desired traits that lead the maker and the buyer to a particular type of steel. Maybe a highly corrosion resistant blade is in order for a scuba diver. Perhaps it's a big outdoors knife that needs to flex a great deal without breaking. Maybe it's just a light use pocket knife that needs maximum edge retention, because the buyer hates to sharpen knives. There are steels and heat treating methods for each of these needs and many, many others.
The steels I like:
I use carbon steels and tool steels which are excellent for making high quality knives. My most frequently used steel is 1095 carbon steel. This is a great all around steel that is very cost effective for those who want a high quality general purpose knife.
I also use high grade tool steels such as L-6 and O-1. I buy precision ground O-1 at considerably higher cost, but it is an excellent choice for a heavy duty knife.
If the buyer wants a stainless knife, their are very good steels to choose from. 440C, as mentioned previously, ATS-34, 154CM (nearly identical to ATS-34), CPM 154, and S30V. There are others, but these are the alloys I am currently prepared to work with. Frankly, this selection will fill any stainless need I can imagine. High performance stainless steels such as these are more costly to obtain and to heat treat, but they are well worth the money for the customer who needs the best.
For those 'higher-end' projects, I have a variety of pattern-welded steels (commonly known as 'Damascus'). Most of my damascus billets come from Matt Walker of Tennessee. Matt is a very highly regarded smith whose work has graced many publications including the cover of the Knives Annual. I usually have some of Matt's steel on hand. I also buy exotic billets from other smiths if something catches my eye. Each is a unique challenge, but the results are worth the considerable effort and expense.
Heat treating:
This is where steel becomes a knife. Only through proper heat treatment can a steel reach its potential. I heat treat all my own blades either in my atmospheric forge or my Paragon KM-24 digital heat treating furnace. For most knives, I shoot for maximum hardness in the quench and temper it back to about 58RC. All blades are tested on a 'Rams Rockford' benchtop Rockwell-type hardness tester.
Handles:
Natural handles are made from a variety of hardwoods, such as cocobolo, desert ironwood, ebony, maple, zircote, box elder burl, and many others. I also use many types of horn, antler, and bone. Premium natural materials would include giraffe leg-bone and ancient mammoth ivory. I have also developed a new found love for ancient kauri. This is the oldest workable wood on the planet. It is mined from prehistoric peat bogs in New Zealand where it has been resting in an oxygen-free environment, suffering no decay for more than 50,000 years! The grain is uniquely figured and blurred by 50+ millennia of water circulation in the wood. I'm very excited to use this extremely rare and quite expensive wood on a knife! The worldwide supply is running out fast!
For tactical, military, industrial, and other types of knives, man-made materials may be the desired choice for a handle. I like phenolic material such as G-10 or Micarta in a variety of colors and textures. These materials are extremely tough and durable and cannot be surpassed for field performance!
Putting it all together:
I create all my knives and sheaths from raw or recycled materials and assemble them by hand. Great attention is given to the details at every step. Every knife I heat treat is tested after hardening. Every pin is peened. Every leather sheath is stitched, and tooled and dyed to match the knife. I would never want someone to look at the construction of one of my knives and doubt the blade's ability to perform to the limits of its intended function and beyond.
Here to help!:
These options are all discussed when a knife is ordered. I am here to help you create a knife that meets your cutting needs while exhibiting a custom look that makes friends say, "Where did you get that?"
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