The Process
The Blade
My knives are all hand made. I draw the outline of the blade on the a 440C stainless steel bar and cut it out with a grinder/cutter, then shape it with a variety of files and sanders. A flat grind is used for the cutting edge area and then the grinding marks are smoothed out by hand. This part of the process is the most time-consuming. I start with 120 grit and finish with 2000 grit for a mirrored surface.
Once the blade has been shaped, smoothed, and polished, it is sent off to Texas for professional tempering. Each blade is tempered to a Rockwell hardness of 58-59. The blade is hard without being brittle and will hold a keen edge. Once the tempered blade has returned, I clean the scale off the blade from the tempering process and polish it again. Polishing the blade at this stage requires three buffing wheels with black, white, and finally pink polishing paste. This gives the blade a mirror finish, although some very minor tool marks may still be found.
For a variety of reasons, many people prefer stainless steel knives over ones of carbon steel. They both have their good points. When I didn’t have access to my kiln for a time, and could only find a professional to temper stainless blades, I switched to making my knives from 440C stainless steel. I get my stock from Jantz Knifemaking Supply, the steel I use is made in the USA. The blade chemistry is C1.00, Mn .45, Si .30, CR 17.00, Mo .50.
The Handle
Now the blade is ready for a handle. I have spent most of my life working with wood so this is also an enjoyable part of the process for me. I prefer to make wooden handles and mostly use durable hardwoods for this purpose. My favorites are zebra wood, jatoba (Brazilian Cherry), purple heart, tigerwood (Coula edulis), desert ironwood, ipe, and walnut for their beautiful grain patterns and durability. Having said that, I also like to use found and salvaged woods. I started out using Madrona (Arbutus) and Yew wood from my property and slices off a chuck of California oak destined for firewood. Various people will occasionally drop off assorted pieces discarded from their workplaces. If the wood has a nice grain pattern, but is somewhat soft, I will use a penetrating hardener solution before finishing up with a Tung Oil rub.
Since I prefer full tang knives, I will trace the handle section of the blade on a board, cut out the blank on the bandsaw, clamp the wood to the steel and drill the pin holes. Each handle scale will be epoxied in place and pinned with a brass (usually) pin insuring a permanent adhesion. Once the glue has dried, I use wood rasps and electric sanders to rough out the shape. The finished shape is done by hand sanding, starting with 120 grit and finishing with 320. Tung oil is then rubbed into the wood to further protect it from the elements.
The Edge
Now the knife is ready for sharpening. Originally, I used a full set of stones to do this. Now, I use the slick little Edge Pro sharpening system to put the perfect angle grind on both sides of the cutting edge. This edge is then touched up with two paper wheels mounted on a grinder motor. If a steel, or ceramic rod, is used after each time the knife is used, the edge should hold forever.
The Sheath
Each of the hunting/camp knives come with a handmade sheath. These vary according to type of knife and my mood. Knives without a bolster (usually brass) usually come with a leather pouch sheath which is form fit to each particular knife. Knives with bolsters normally come with a snapped securing strap. All sheaths are hand-stitched and riveted. Some are dyed. The sheaths are usually quite simple and basic. I have also begun to make sheaths out of Kydex, but prefer making them out of leather at the moment.