hand forged custom knives
I hand forge these knives from 1095 high carbon steel. This is the same steel that most good quality American made files are made from, and I do, in fact, from time to time, make knives from worn-out files.
This steel is vastly superior in it’s ability to accept a very keen cutting edge easily and stay sharp for a long time in use. You may be able to remember your grandad’s knife that he could sharpen to a razor edge with just a few strokes on a whetstone and whittle with all afternoon without dulling.
All that was before somebody figured out that stainless steel got “fairly sharp”, was easy to make into a sparkly knife and wouldn’t tarnish on the shelf before it got sold. It made life a lot simpler for the knife companies, but the keen edges were and are a lot harder to obtain and keep with the stainless steels in use today. Sharpening is a lot harder and more time consuming with stainless steels, too.
These knives are hand forged so that the thickness tapers VERY gradually from the spine to the cutting edge, then ground to the rough shape before hardening and tempering. They are then cold-ground to shape and fitted with mesquite wood or other handles, then given a final sharpening and the handles finished with an oil finish.
I have found that most knives from the factory have the leading edges of the blades finished with an abrupt taper almost like a cold chisel. This can’t cut very well at all, and if one expects to make a good sharp knife that will cut anything out of it, the blade must be thinned out near the cutting edge with a hone before final sharpening. It’s a long process that most folks won’t bother with and shouldn’t have to mess with anyway. My blades come ready to CUT!
Expect to see tool marks from my hammer in the thickest parts of the blades, just like you would have in knives from the 1700’s and 1800’s, made by the village blacksmith. The handles are held on by peened bronze pins, not epoxy. The mesquite handles are not stabilized wood, nor do they need to be. Mesquite is one of the most stable woods in the world, shrinking only 2% from full green to bone dry. I cut the trees myself into the small scales I use for the handles. No compromises are made on these knives towards “bling”. They are cutting tools of the finest order, made to work long and hard and do the jobs they were created for.
You can spend $300 to $1500 on a knife that will break your heart with it’s beauty, but it will be a showpiece. If you forget and leave it in a beer cooler full of slowly putrefying food scraps, THAT will break your heart, too. So will the scratches on the blade the first time you have to sharpen it.
As with all the tools I make these are guaranteed for life, with repair or replacement free, but, be aware that that is MY lifetime, not yours. I’m a spry and healthy 64 years old, so you should have a number of years of use behind your knife before the warranty and I both expire…..Joe.
I'm going to start listing knives individually with pictures here, but bear with me, 'cause it takes a while. In the meantime, if you want to ask about any of the type knives you see in the above picture, or ANY knives, for that matter, you can contact me by email or call 1-800-840-2434 between 8 AM and 8 PM mountain time. All orders, regardless of how large, will incurr a single $7 shipping charge inside the lower 48 states.
The knife below is a deep skinner and general use knife. It's 9 1/4" long, 1 3/4" wide, with a 5 1/4" blade and a 4" handle, pinned on with three bronze pins. Steel is 1095 high carbon, 1/8" thick at the spine. Sheath with belt loop is from heavy leather, about 1/8" thick with right handed belt loop. Price is $68 for knife and sheath. 
I just filled an order for a knife similar to the one below, so I made a couple of extras. It's 8 1/4" long, 4 1/4"" blade, 4" mesquite handle. Steel is 1/8" thick 1095 high carbon, hardened and tempered to aprox 58 rockwell. Instead of a full taper, this blade is tapered only about 3/4 of an inch back from the edge. Three bronze pins retain the handle scales. Hammer marks removed by customer request on the last one I made, so I did this one the same. Right handed sheath with belt loop. This model is often in stock but I'll also make variations, and the price is $68.
To buy the drop point hunter with leather sheath, just click the above button.
This next one is a camp knife. Good for all sorts of things like butchering, repelling boarders on your yacht, dicing up giant veggies, you know the drill. It's a full foot long, 1 5/8" wide, with a 8" blade and a 4" mesquite wood handle. The belly is wide enough that you can even touch the rear of the blade to a cutting board without pinching your fingers between the board and the handle. The blade is tapered all the way back to the spine and there are hammer marks in the side. I can't really imagine anybody wanting to tote this thing on his belt, so there is no sheath included, but if you want one, I'll provide it for an extra $15. A truly great knife for camp or kitchen
This one and many more like it have been sold, but if you want one, they are $80.00. Just click the button above.
Below is a favorite of mine. The guy who ordered the fist one described it for me, and I had my doubts, but when it was finished, I was in love! It hangs on a thong around the neck, inside or outside the shirt, in a Kydex sheath that I make individually to perfectly fit each knife and retain it. It takes a fair pull to free the knife from the sheath, so it's not prone to falling out, but can be pulled out with one hand, in an instant! This knife avoids most concealment issues, because the blade is slightly less than 3" long Overall knife is slightly over 6" in length and blade width is about 1 3/4". As always, Mesquite handle scales and hair-popping sharp!
The neck knife with sheath is $57. To buy the necknife with Kydex sheath, click the above button.