STEEL ...

the heart and soul of a knife is the steel. i pick my steel with care. my current preferences are ATS-34 and D2. damascus is used a lot in my shop too and i am always on the lookout for a good pattern, well executed and with good contrast.

both D2 and ATS-34 show superior edge holding ability and i like the hardening and tempering properties. i use ATS-34 quite a bit, especially for folders.

i prefer 5/32" to 13/64" stock for my hunting knives because i hollow grind my knives and this range of thicknesses is good for giving strength to the back and shows off the visually pleasing hollow ground bevel. It also allows me to grind my blades thinner without losing blade strength.

when crafting a folder, i use either 1/8" or 5/32" thickness, both precision ground. i pay more for the precision grind but it insures that the blade will line up properly and work smoothly when complete.

THE PROCESS ...

the first thing after picking out the piece of steel is to cover one side with layout dye. this creates a coating which  allows me to more easily see the profile lines that i now scribe onto the steel.

this complete, its onto the metal-cutting band saw where i cut to my profile lines as close as i can. from there, my 2" by 72" bader grinder comes into play to bring the edge right up to the grind lines.

i drill the holes for the handle pins and the guard pins if i am putting on a guard. this completes the first session of my process.

the blade blank is now ready for grinding. i hollow grind my blades which gives a real tough working blade when complete. i take my time so that when i am done the blade is straight with matching grind lines on each side.  i limit my blade grinding session to only one blade.  an effective and visually pleasing grind requires mentally putting my mind on the edge if the blade and imagining what metal is being taken away as each grinding pass is taken.  carelessness in my concentration will lead to a blade that goes in the trash.

i then lightly grind the tang in preparation for heat treat. I'm a fan of full tangs on my sheath knives since they are the strongest and longest lasting way to construct a knife. some makers believe in tapering the tang to perfect the balance.  i prefer to gain the same result by drilling a series of holes in the tang in a honeycomb pattern.  it also allows for greater surface area of coverage by the epoxy to handle bond.

each knife is wrapped in foil to minimize scaling during the heat-treat process. i usually treat four to six knives at a time. it is a 12 hour process using my electonically programmed evenheat heat treating oven and the power meter really spins.  so i want to get as much efficiency as i can both in time and power usage.

out of heat treat, and after two tempering cycles to insure ideal martensite transformation, the blades are ready for final grinding and polishing which rockwell tests at 59-61.  this range gives the best balance between cutting perforance and edge holding ability.

care is needed during the final grinding process to keep the blade cool. this insures that i don't lose my temper or burn the carbon from the blade. my fingers are always on the blade and when i feel too much heat i cool it in the water bucket next to my grinder.

this final grind is a fun part of the process because it is when the blade comes alive. it begins to shine when i finally get down to my 2400 grit belt. the polishing wheel brings out the mirror finish that i love to see, as do my customers. the more polished the blade, the easier it is to keep clean. and thie is the end of the second phase.

the third phase is putting on the guard and handle. i use step pins that screw into each other as well as epoxy to fasten my handle slabs to the knife tang. this process insures that the slabs are on for good. the pins provide a mechanical joint and the epoxy joint helps hold the slabs in place as well as keeping out moisture and other contaminants from lodging between tang and handle.

when the epoxy is completely cured, which i let happen over 24 hours, the handle is ready for final shaping and polishing. i use only the finest handle materials and prefer natural materials (wood, horn, pearl, ivory, stag etc....  i have a lot of favorite handle materials and use them all.

when i create a knife as i have expalined above, the final product has real soul and is something we can both be proud of. i bond with each knife that i make and there is a piece of me that will live for a long time with each one that i send out.

finally, i make a sheath from 10-12 oz cowhide. i have always enjoyed working with leather and this holds the most fun for me. my sheaths are pouch type and my current design has evolved over the years. the sheath is heat impregnated with a combination of waxes and oils (SheathCoat^TM) and is hot molded to the knife that will be its mate. SheathCoat^TM is available in the "SheathCoat treatment" area of my website if you are planning to make a durable long lasting sheath.  i am confident that the sheaths that mate with my knives will match the lifespan of the knives they are made for.  i still have sheaths that I made over 30 years ago which are still serving their purpose well. 

that's the process in a nutshell.

the folder process is similar but with a lot of extra steps and fine tool work. i am in the process of writing a complete book on the knifemaking process for both folders and straight knives. i will share all the secrets i have learned in my past 38 years of making knives. it will be offered on this site as an ..ebook.. so keep an eye out for its debut. i hope that it will encourage you to give it a try. after all, we both love the knife, one of the oldest tools of man...

........... Pete