Knife collecting is an extremely rewarding experience for knife enthusiasts. There truly is a knife for everyone. Many increase or hold their value throughout the years, making collecting knives something to pass on to the next generation of knife collectors.
These beauties look as good to the eye as they feel in the hand.
Synthetics have made great strides in knife handles and rightfully so. They can be tough, ergonomic and attractive. But there’s something about the innate beauty and warm feel of natural handle materials that synthetics, try as they will, probably will never duplicate—not that they won’t keep trying.
Michael Deibert: Curly Maple
A curly maple handle on the steering end of a 6-inch ladder-pattern damascus blade gives ABS journeyman smith Michael Deibert’s hunter a rich natural look. The guard is stainless steel. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Denis Tyrell: Maple Burl
A maple burl handle fluted and wire wrapped and a 10-inch blade of spectacular Ocean Sunset damascus forged in a collaboration with Rick Hall top off Denis Tyrell’s dagger. Overall length: 16 inches. (SharpByCoop image)
Anthony Stovall: Sambar Stag
Anthony Stovall opts for a Sambar stag handle and a bronze guard and buttcap for his hunter in a blade of Robert Eggerling damascus. Overall length: 9 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Scott Gallagher: Biggs Jasper
ABS master smith Scott Gallagher goes what for him is a different route with the Escalante, a lockback folder in a mirror-polished frame of 416 stainless steel and inlay of Biggs jasper stone. Blade and closed lengths: 3 and 4.5 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Frank Edwards: Mother-Of-Pearl
A handle of mother-of-pearl with 24k-gold borders and nitro-blued liners and a 4-inch blade of feather damascus highlight an automatic folding dagger by Frank Edwards. Closed length: 5 inches. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Jim Perkins: Stabilized Maple
An orange stabilized maple handle and a 9-inch blade of a damascus of 272 layers of 1095 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels complete a Filipino barong by Jim Perkins based on one his wife used as a child. Overall length: 13.5 inches. Blade grind: convex. (SharpByCoop image)
Casey Vilensky: Koa Wood & Mammoth Tooth
Koa wood and a mammoth tooth bolster complete the handle of Casey Vilensky’s gyuto. The 12.5-inch blade is carbon damascus. Casey’s list price for a similar knife: $4,000. (SharpByCoop image)
Learn what the latest BLADE Show custom knife award is all about.
Some people are familiar with “Mack Daddy,” the 1992 Sir Mix-a-lot album with the smash hit “Baby Got Back.” On the other end of the cultural spectrum is the Mack truck, the reliable American long-haul vehicle revered by truckers and country songs. Knife enthusiasts may also be familiar with the Bobby Darin’s classic Mack the Knife: “O the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear …” Just now coming into the knife culture is the idea of a “M.A.C.K” knife, which stands for “machine assisted custom knife.”
Custom, Production And M.A.CKnives
Savvy BLADE® readers know the difference between a “custom” and a “production” knife. A custom knife is made by a craftsman using a combination of skill, experience and tools. The maker grinds the blade, polishes it, installs a handle and fittings, and so forth. Custom knives are often made one at a time or in small batches. Sometimes portions of the process are outsourced, such as waterjetting blade profiles or using a professional heat treater. In general, the maker’s name is prominently featured on the blade, such as Tom Overeynder, Gary Langley, etc. The price of custom knives can be quite high, particularly as the complexity of the knife and the magnitude of the maker’s reputation increases.
By contrast, a production knife is made in bulk using modern or traditional manufacturing techniques. Blades are made by the hundreds or thousands, ground and polished by machines, and assembled in a factory or large production shop. In general, the name of the company is prominently featured, like Case, Benchmade, White River Knife & Tool, etc. Sometimes a production knife will feature the name of the designer, such as the various CRKT production knives that have BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Ken Onion’s name. Production knives may be expensive but are generally more affordable than custom knives of similar materials and construction.
Princeton Wong has a five-axis waterjet in his machine shop, so he makes everything but the screws. An example of his work is this award-winning knife from the 2021 International Custom Cutlery Exposition, now known as BLADE Show Texas. (Caleb Royer image)
In between custom and production is a vast world described by the umbrella term mid-tech. It describes knives that use both production and custom techniques or methods in varying proportions. Some would say that any knife that has production techniques like waterjet is a mid-tech, while others would argue that as long as a person does the final assembly and fit up, a knife can be called a custom.
It takes talent, practice, education and skill to make a knife by hand. Many makers of such knives have no problem with using machines like a band saw, 2×72 belt grinder, manual mill or pantograph. At some level, almost every modern handmade, aka custom, knife is “machine assisted.” At the same time, the industry recognizes that when it’s primarily the maker’s dexterity and artistic vision that makes the knife, the label of custom or even “handmade” applies.
It also takes talent, practice, education and skill to program a series of CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) waterjets, grinders and mills to make a knife by machine. Custom guys often make “polished turds” and “boat anchors” at the beginning. Beginner machine guys break tooling and crash expensive machines. In neither case does a person wake up one Tuesday and immediately become a competent knifemaker.
Think about the amount of variability in custom/handmade knifemaking. Each steel, each belt, each grinder speed, each brand of sandpaper, and every variable changes the process. If you heat treat your own steel, you must master temperature control, soak time, quench speed, decarb, warpage and tempering, and must use a different formula for each steel. After dealing with all that, is making a knife by machine any easier?
Princeton Wong operates the CNC mill. It can cut complex 3D shapes in metal and handle material.
Not according to M.A.C.K. knifemaker Princeton Wong. In CNC you deal with the geometry and composition of various cutting tools, plus the speeds and feeds at which you apply them. You must figure out fixturing to hold your workpiece, and how to work the tool in a way that leaves the desired surface finish. “It’s the same idea as using different belts or different files for each task,” Princeton explains, “but the variables are infinitely more complex. And then on top of that, you still have to learn and master all of the different hand-finishing techniques.”
So how does the knife industry show respect to the skills and talent of the makers who artfully combine programming with handwork? How do you showcase the ability of a maker who can run both a HAAS CNC mill and a belt grinder?
Defining M.A.C.K. Knives
BLADE Show 2023 included for the first time an award category for M.A.C.K. knives. According to the category rules:
The knife must be of the folding/locking, non-slip-joint, EDC variety that is first and foremost a cutting tool. It must be functional, beautiful and have great ergonomics, yet still have practical applications and uses. It must consist of both at least one handmade feature—such as hand-ground blades, hand-contoured scales, manually machined parts, etc.—and of automated features such as waterjet-cut liners/scales, CNC’d handles, etc. The judges will assume that the knife’s parts that are not handmade are made through a machine-aided process.
What background education and experience does it take to make a quality M.A.C.K. knife? Just like with any other skill set, the path is quite diverse. Take Princeton for example. Knifemaking for him growing up was a passion.
“As an Asian kid into martial arts, I’ve always had a love for bladed implements,” he notes.
A waterjet machine uses a high-pressure stream of water and abrasives to cut profiles in flat stock. Princeton Wong uses his waterjet here to cut Timascus™ for folder handles.
He bought a Sherline mill after high school that had been converted to CNC, and learned by trial and error from there.
“After years of fiddling with stuff, breaking endmills and crappy software, I finally started figuring it out,” he observes. But for Princeton, learning wasn’t all trial and error. He studied mechanical engineering and graphic design in college. He had jobs in print, web, graphics and fabrication. Eventually, he started his own machine shop serving automotive and architectural clients. In 2018 he decided to use his machining skills to make knives.
“I didn’t know the knife industry or knife people but had a machine shop, so I gave it a shot,” he recalls. “I didn’t own a ‘real’ belt grinder until I was two years into making knives. I had a 4×36 from Lowe’s but was able to do very close work on the CNCs. By focusing on an intentionally machined look, I was able to get by.”
Princeton has a five-axis waterjet in his machine shop, so he makes “everything but the screws.” Earlier in his progress, he would bandsaw blanks and then fixture them in his CNC mill.
“I never had a need to outsource, but most people don’t have 70 amps of 480-volt three-phase electricity to run a $100,000 waterjet,” he says.
A waterjet cuts steel and other plates into shapes, “but it doesn’t make knives.” It’s a highly efficient profile-cutting tool.
Bridging The Gap Between Custom And Production
Most people don’t take Wong’s path and start out as fully equipped and capable machinists when they begin making knives.
Consider the precise fitting and complex geometry of the joints on Jared Oeser’s “Tachi” folder. Integral bolsters and Westinghouse Micarta® come together quite well.
M.A.C.K. knifemaker Jared Oeser started like many makers, with a mentor, a few tools and a new hobby. As a homebuilder, his business took a hit in the 2011 recession. Faced with spare time, he took up knifemaking. After a few fixed blades he moved fairly quickly into slip joints, merging modern materials into traditional designs at a time when that was a new thing. He continues to push the limits and bridge the gap between traditional designs and the “modern” folding knives.
About five years ago a friend needed a place to store a CNC mill. Oeser agreed to store it in exchange for lessons and use of the machine in the meantime. By the time the friend needed the machine back Oeser was hooked and bought his machine shortly thereafter.
After five years, he considers himself not good enough to make a knife completely on the machine. Coding for CNC is quite a different skill set, far beyond traditional knifemaking.
“I don’t want to go 100 percent machine,” Jared says. “I like the hand work, and I’ve gone about as far as I want toward machine-made. Everybody kind of finds their ‘spot,’ but the key is to disclose it, to say it. Don’t say ‘mine’s handmade’ if you’re afraid to say how you did it. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be good at hand work and have a skill set to make a quality knife.”
Handmade Vs Machine Assisted Knives
So what’s the difference between a “custom/handmade” and a “machine assisted” knife?
Wong suggested that a machine assisted knife should have a bit more precision than the typical custom knife. Because you can machine to exact tolerances and fit, there’s less room for error. He also suggested that the maker should try to push the boundaries of the machine’s capabilities. Just like there are a few knifemaking operations that can only be done by hand, such as Wolfgang Loerchner’s amazing hand-filed creations, there are also machinable features that people wouldn’t realistically try by hand. Creativity isn’t limited to hand tools.
Jared Oeser’s “Eagle” is a four-blade slip joint. This one has mammoth ivory handles and a 14k-gold shield, combining modern techniques with traditional materials.
According to Oeser, “Among the makers and collectors I know, we’re OK with whatever a knife is, as long as you honestly disclose how you built the knife.”
He considers his knives machine assisted. On a slip joint, he uses a HAAS CNC mill to cut out the shapes of the liners, the shield inlay pocket, and to profile the blade and spring. Even though he uses a CNC mill that is squarely in the “machine assisted” category, using it primarily to cut profiles is pretty much the same thing as a waterjet.
Taking The Plunge Into M.A.C.K.
As a mostly one-off knifemaker myself, I was curious what it takes to build a knife that falls squarely into the M.A.C.K. category.
After talking with some M.A.C.K. makers, I found the process seems to typically begin with waterjet cutting. Either the maker has used a waterjet before and has his or her own CAD (Computer Aided Design) files, or the contracted machine shop will have a CAD expert on staff. Experienced CAD folks can work from a drawing or PDF for things as simple as profiles, and may use modeling software for contours and handles.
Princeton Wong checks the tooling on a CNC lathe. The lathe cuts precise round stock, such as screws and folder pivots.
Typically the liners are cut and the holes spotted, or are occasionally fully drilled and tapped. Pocket clips and backspacers come pre-cut. Handle profiles and contours are cut with a ball end mill, leaving a fairly clean finish. Sometimes this finish by itself is sufficient, while other times more hand polishing is necessary to achieve the final effect. Blades are typically delivered cut to contour, and the maker often does the bevel grinding by jig or by hand on a traditional belt grinder. Other times the blades come with machined bevels at varying degrees of surface finish. Once again, it’s up to the maker to decide if the machined finish is sufficient or if further hand work is necessary.
If you’ve ever used waterjet or milled parts, you know that the edge finishes are not precise. If you’ve had holes spotted but not drilled, you still have to drill and tap the holes. All in all, even in a knife that comes to you in a bag from a machine shop, there’s more to a cleanly finished M.A.C.K. knife than just assembly. If you want to be a winner in the M.A.C.K. category, you’ve got to have the hand finishing techniques down pat.
If you want a firsthand look at a quality M.A.C.K. knife, check out the applicable tables at a BLADE Show. Whether you prefer the events in Atlanta, Texas or Utah, there’s no doubt that “M.A.C.K. is back in town.”
A bonnie blade to be sure, Kemper makes a statement with his Scottish dirk.
Derick Kemper celebrates his Scottish heritage with his sprawling reproduction of a Scottish dirk. It’s overstated to salute the legend and lore of his Scottish Highlander ancestors who fought so valiantly for their independence from Great Britain, beginning with the Jacobite rising of 1745.
The edge of the stunning damascus blade is a simple twist pattern of W2 carbon and 15N20 nickel alloy steels. The three bars above it are Derick’s version of Robert Eggerling’s paisley pattern—a modified twist of 203E carbon steel for the bright section and W2 and 15N20 as well.
The habaki has Derick’s Damselfly Forge stamp of two damselflies and his initials in the middle engraved on one side, and the white rose of Scotland’s “Bonnie Prince Charlie” (1720-1788) on the other.
Derick Kemper
The chess-piece-like handle is oversized as well, with the pommel engraved in Latin, Qui Optime Regnare Ius Habet. The English translation is “Who hath best right to reign,” a slogan that appeared on the flags and accouterments of many of the Highlanders in the 18th century.
Barry Wood’s split-handle folder inspires Darriel Caston’s clever keychain knife.
Inspired by the split-handle folding knife made famous by the late, great custom knifemaker Barry Wood, the Imp by Darriel Caston is a clever keychain knife ideal for EDC.
Like the Wood folder, the blade opens by pivoting one of the scales clockwise and closes by pivoting the same scale counterclockwise. At the same time, slots at the ends of the Imp’s scales accept a keychain when they’re open and form an enclosed elliptical oval to hold the keychain when they’re closed.
Instead of a ball detent affixed to the blade to help hold the knife open and closed, Darriel uses magnets affixed to the handle. Darriel and his daughter, Bella, were trying to come up with names for the knife when she observed that it was “a little booger,” and he said, “Yeah, like a little imp.” And another knife name was born.
The Imp Specs Blade length: .82” Blade steel: M390 stainless Blade grind: Modified compound tanto Handle material: Titanium Closed length: 1.75” Maker’s price for a similar knife: In the $185-$200 range
When BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Bill Moran reintroduced knives with damascus blades at the 1973 Knifemakers’ Guild Show, little did he know how much damascus would evolve, redefine itself, expand into new media, and no telling what other recreations and rebirthings it has experienced in the half-century since that fateful weekend in the Muehlebach Hotel in downtown Kansas City.
On this page are some of today’s reincarnations of the material in its various forms, methods, materials and more. What’s staggering to consider is there are so many more variations—not only now but also to come. It is a phenomenon that is truly unique to the custom knife industry and should be celebrated and promoted whenever possible.
David Lisch Templars Mosaic
David Lisch’s spectacular art dagger features a 12-inch blade of his Templars Mosaic Damascus, a blackwood handle with gold wire wrap and a guard of pure iron covered in melted gold. Overall length: 17.75 inches. The knife comes with a stand that includes an embellished templars’ cross and one carved in the base as well. (SharpByCoop knife images)
Sporting a pattern ABS master smith David Lisch christened Templars Mosaic, the blade for his dagger is one he forged from 15N20 nickel-alloy and 1080 carbon steels and etched in ferric chloride.
“I was aiming for a bold, bright pattern that had a cross-like shape but wanted it to be a bit organic,” he wrote. The Templars’ cross also is represented on the guard and the finial, and there is one on the stand that holds the knife as well. “All these parts are pure iron covered in melted gold,” he noted. The dagger also has a domed gold spacer between the guard and Dragon Thunder damascus spacer that the fluted-blackwood-with-gold-wire-inlay handle butts up against.
“I made this dagger out of the love I have for creating art with no concern about how long it took or how much money I would make from it,” David stressed. “I did the handle twice and I did the big finial twice. I sold the piece for $10,000 and will not be making another one like this. You can be sure that the love I have for creating will take me to a new dagger, sword or bowie knife that tries to fill the void in me that can only be filled by creating art.”
Jeremy Yelle Jellyroll Mosaic Turkish Twist
The steels for the jellyroll mosaic Turkish twist pattern damascus of the collaborative bowie by Jeremy Yelle (right) and Alex Houle (left) is forged from 1080 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels. Blade and overall lengths: 10.25 and 15.5 inches. Their list price for a similar knife: $2,600. (Jocelyn Frasier knife image edit)
The blade damascus of ABS journeyman smith Jeremy Yelle’s and SBK Cutlery’s stag bowie is a positively electric jellyroll mosaic Turkish twist pattern Jeremy forged in a collaboration with his friend Alex Houle of SBK. Alex forged the collaborative damascus into a blade and Jeremy made the handle.
“We began by welding a billet of alternate layers,” Jeremy wrote of the forging process. The pair drew the billet into a bar and jelly rolled it. “Then we squared it up and welded a four-way incorporating some 1-inch-square 1080,” he continued. They welded the billet, drew it out to ¾-inch square, cut and twisted it, and made a Turkish-twist stack that Alex forged into a blade. “You can also see the ‘fish mouth*’ weld Alex did so the edge bar and the spine meet properly,” Jeremy wrote. “He did a wonderful job making the blade.” Jeremy showed Alex how to work with stag and they finished the parts. Alex revealed the beautiful pattern via a two-step etching process using a solution of ferric chloride and finishing the etch with a coffee-darkening soak and hot wax finish.
Zane Dvorak Multi-Bar
The 4.25-inch blade of Zane Dvorak’s hunter is a multi-bar damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels. Overall length: 9.25 inches. His price for a similar knife: $2,400. (SharpByCoop image)
The blade of Zane Dvorak’s hunter is a multi-bar damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels. Zane forged the blade/tang of four twisted bars of a twisted-bar pattern, and forged welded the guards and bolsters on with the same pattern. He bird’s mouthed the blade tip and rewelded it back together to create flowing outer bars. For etchant he used Gator Piss Acid from Baker Forge & Tool.
Bird’s mouthing is a process done on multi-bar, mosaic or other types of damascus patterns. According to Zane, it involves cutting a triangle out of the end of the rectangular parent bar—the shape of which somewhat resembles a bird’s mouth—then bringing the steel of the edge and spine back together to form the point of the blade. By doing so the blade exhibits a better consistency and overall flow of the pattern.
Andrew Blomfield Alternate Pattern
The mosaic damascus for Andrew Blomfield’s sub-hilt fighter is a combo of two separate billets welded in an alternate pattern. Blade and overall lengths: 9.5 and 14.5 inches. Blade grind: flat. Andrew’s price for a similar knife: $3,000. (SharpByCoop image)
The material mid-blade of Andrew Blomfield’s sub-hilt fighter is a combination of two separate billets of mosaic damascus welded in an alternate pattern. The edge is a straight feather pattern forge welded around the edge. The blade is a combination of pieces from three separate billets. The steels are 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel alloy etched with ferric chloride.
The integral sub-hilt is 1020 low-carbon steel hot salt blued to a deep black finish. The handle is desert ironwood. The knife is of a full takedown construction.
Frank Edwards Palm Leaf Mosaic Pattern
The Palm Leaf mosaic damascus by Frank Edwards is an interweaving river system of straight lines. The handle inlay is black-lip mother-of-pearl. Blade and closed lengths: 3 and 4.25 inches. His price for a similar knife: $1,900. (SharpByCoop knife image)
The multi-bar damascus of Frank Edwards’s folding dagger blade is in a Palm Leaf mosaic pattern. Starting with a billet of straight lines, he reduced it all into a square and then biased the squares, four-waying the billet into a 1.5-inch square.
As Frank explained his recipe, “Forge weld another billet of straight lines, keeping them straight as possible to .5 inch by 1.5 inches. Add that to the previous billet and forge weld and reduce to a 1×1-inch square. Then four-way it again. This will give you the frame around the palm leaves. Keep repeating that until you achieve the size of pattern for the knife you’re building.
“The key to getting good mosaics is a slower reduction [of the steel]. We have presses and power hammers that help but they can move too much metal too fast, which will destroy a mosaic in a hurry. The slower reduction allows the billet to stay uniform throughout the length of the bar.” To expose the pattern he etched the blade with a four-to-one mixture of water/ferric chloride in 10-minute cycles, using 2,000-grit sandpaper between cycles.
Jackson Rumble Stunning Pattern
The 8-inch blade of an integral chef’s knife by Jackson Rumble boasts a mesmerizing and at press time unnamed damascus pattern forged from 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels. The handle is African blackwood. Overall length: 13 inches. The maker’s price for a similar knife would start at $2,500. (SharpByCoop knife image)
The technique for the stunning pattern on newly named ABS master smith Jackson Rumble’s chef’s knife is what he calls a “pretty standard process” of four-way welding and re-square cycles. Not bad for “pretty standard,” eh (page 28, top left)? The initial stack has large sections of both light and dark steels interspersed through the alternating layers, and Jackson added extra-light steel to the billet in the later stages of the forging process.
“Finally, I used the Filicietti Flip method to transfer the pattern to the face of the billet,” he wrote. “For the etching process I used ferric chloride followed by coffee.” OK, Jackson, so what’s the “Filicietti Flip method”?
“I’ve heard the Filicietti Flip called other names like the Ferry Flip, or just tile welding,” he explained. “Basically, after you’ve finished building the pattern in the end grain of the billet, you take it to a bandsaw and cut slices off the end at a 35-degree angle. This makes a bunch of pieces in the shape of parallelograms or tiles. The tiles can then be rotated and forge welded back together to form a new billet. Instead of having the pattern showing on the end of the billet, the pattern will repeat itself along the face of the billet.”
We’re glad we asked.
*Also called fish lips, fish mouth is when the tip of the billet begins to curl up on either side during rough forging to resemble a fish’s mouth or lips, thus the name. It is an easy fix for knowledgeable bladesmiths such as Alex Houle.
What to look for in a custom hunting knife and some sharp examples.
For outdoorsmen, a knife of some kind is almost a constant companion. Most carry a knife that falls into the category of a hunter.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hunting knife as a large, stout knife used to skin and process game. When I started judging custom knife competitions at knife shows 30 years ago, the category with the greatest number of entries was always the hunter. Why? Because there are so many interpretations of what a hunting knife is. Often the judges refer to their own experience using knives in the category. Entries generally range in blade length from 2.5 to 5 inches. I have seen knives entered in the category with 10-inch blades.
Blade Lengths
Blade lengths are often designed to process a particular bird or animal. Smaller blades in the 2.5-to-3-inch range are primarily used for dressing birds. The short blade length allows the hunter to quickly extract the bird’s breast meat. The most common blade length is 4 to 4.5 inches, a length that will dress out most game hunted regularly in North America. The dropped hunter/drop-point hunter designed by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Bob Loveless (page 26) is the world’s most copied hunting knife. The standard Loveless drop point features a 4-inch blade.
One of the more popular skinner designs is the Nessmuk, praised for its all-around versatility in the field. Luk Kuberski’s Nessmuk Hunter features Sleipner stainless blade steel with an impeccable satin finish and a mesmerizing handle of maple ash burl. (Luk Kuberski image)
Nessmuk Skinner Maker: Luk Kuberski Blade Length: 4.75” Blade Steel: Sleipner stainless Blade Finish: Satin Blade Style: Drop point Handle Material: Ash maple burl Overall Length: 8.6” Sheath: Leather pouch/belt model by the maker Author’s Comments: Full-tang construction; excellent balance and handle ergonomics; serrated thumb ramp enhances control Maker’s price for a similar knife: $350
When dressing out larger game such as moose or elk, many hunters prefer a longer blade because of the animal’s size. Why is the 5-inch blade the limit? The idea behind the hunting knife is to dress out the animal without losing control and cutting into the animal’s vital areas. Going much past a 5-inch blade can affect the average hunter’s ability to control the cutting edge.
Blade Steels
Materials for hunting knife blades are primarily stainless and carbon steels, though damascus has been gaining in popularity in recent years. The environment the hunters will be in and their skill level at resharpening a blade will enter into the choice of steel.
Wood is a popular handle material for custom hunting knives. Josh Fisher opts for curly maple on his drop-point hunter. And how about those skulls on the tooled-leather sheath by Bob Bobbert? (Robertson’s Custom Cutlery image)
Drop-Point Hunter Maker: Josh Fisher Blade Length: 4.5” Blade Material: 1084 carbon steel Blade Style: Drop point Guard Material: Stainless steel Handle Material: Curly maple Overall Length: 9” Sheath: Tooled-leather pouch/belt model in a skull motif by Bob Bobbert Author’s Comments: Excellent handle ergonomics and balance; Josh is an ABS master smith Maker’s list price for a similar knife: $625
Each steel has its advantage(s) concerning rust resistance, ease of sharpening and edge holding. Carbon steels such as 1084, 5160 and 52100 provide an extremely keen edge and can be easily resharpened. They do, however, require more corrosion maintenance. Stainless steels such as 440C, ATS-34 and CPM 154 make up the bulk of stainless steels used on custom hunters. These can be reasonably simple to sharpen and more forgiving regarding corrosion.
Whichever steel you choose, the blade should be cleaned after use and a light coat of oil should be applied. It is best not to store your knife long-term in a leather sheath, as the tannic acid found in the leather can rust your blade. Additionally, leather does hold moisture, which can hasten the rusting process of the steel. It is best to store knives in something other than their leather sheaths.
Handle Materials
A wide variety of handle materials are used for hunting knives. A favorite among makers and outdoorsmen is Sambar stag, either in its natural color or dyed to create amber stag. Stag is favored not only for its looks but because its contours provide an excellent gripping surface, even when wet. Another handle material gaining favor is elk and much for the same reasons. Two advantages of elk are it can be found in larger sizes and is less expensive.
Sambar stag and elk are favored for their looks and because they provide an excellent gripping surface, even when wet. Mike Malosh’s Elk Hunter 23 custom hunting knife features elk scales. (Robertson’s Custom Cutlery image)
Elk Hunter 23 Maker: Mike Malosh Blade Length: 47/8” Blade Material: W-2 tool steel Blade Finish: Satin Guard Material: Stainless steel Handle Material: Elk w/black Micarta® and stainless steel spacers Overall Length: 9.5” Sheath: Leather pouch/belt model by the maker Author’s Comments: This knife is built for serious work; excellent balance and handle ergonomics Maker’s price for a similar knife: $395
Desert ironwood, curly koa, California buckeye burl and curly maple are among various kinds of popular handle woods used for hunters. Other popular materials are synthetics such as G-10 and Micarta®. The main advantage of these materials is that, for the most part, they are impervious to the elements. As such, they tend not to shrink and crack as some natural handle materials can do over time.
Guards
Guards are made primarily from either 304 or 416 stainless steel. If the knife features a hidden tang design, the joint between the guard and the blade should be soldered. Sealing the guard helps keep the moisture away from hidden tangs. Because their softness makes them prone to damage, along with their additional maintenance requirements, brass and nickel silver generally are not used for guards.
Blade Styles
The drop-point hunter is the most commonly made hunting knife. The drop-point blade maintains its thickness along the spine and then gently slopes to the point. Generally, the drop point is slightly thicker than other hunting blade patterns at the point. The blade thickness provides the drop point the versatility not only to skin but to disjoint and pry. These advantages can be critical to the hunter when dressing larger game.
The slightly raised blade spine/hump extends the curved part of the semi-skinner blade for skinning while maintaining the drop point to avoid puncturing the abdominal cavity. Brant Cochran covers the pattern in a sturdy lightweight version of 80CrV2 carbon steel and walnut in his custom hunting knife. (Robertson’s Custom Cutlery image)
Semi-Skinner Maker: Brant Cochran Blade Length: 4.25” Blade Material: 80CrV2 carbon steel Blade Finish: Satin Guard Material: Stainless steel Handle Material: Walnut Overall Length: 9” Sheath: Tooled-leather pouch/belt model by the maker Author’s Comments: 80CrV2 is a carbon steel that is both tough and provides outstanding edge retention; excellent balance and handle ergonomics; sturdy lightweight knife, perfect for your next hunt; Brant is an ABS journeyman smith Maker’s price for a similar knife: $300
The idea of a skinner is basically to remove the skin/fur from the game. The skinning blade shape features a slightly thinner blade and edge meant for a specific purpose. The skinner is designed for elongated cuts and better control of the blade, ensuring the game’s fur maintains its integrity. While primarily intended to remove the fur, a knife with a skinner blade can be used to dress game out, too. One of the more popular skinner designs is the Nessmuk, praised for its all-around versatility in the field.
The semi-skinner blade is the middle ground between the drop-point and skinner blades. The slightly raised blade spine/hump extends the curved part of the blade for skinning while maintaining the drop point to avoid puncturing the abdominal cavity, which could taint the meat of the animal.
Conclusion
Picking the right edged companion for your time in the field should require some research. As noted, hunting knives come in various shapes and sizes. This variety enables you to choose the right size, steel and handle material necessary to get the job done. It would benefit you greatly to hold the knife in your hand, primarily for sizing. You must always be able to control the blade’s edge.
The drop-point hunter is the most commonly made hunting knife. A George Romeis drop point features CPM 154 stainless blade steel and a black G-10 handle. (Robertson’s Custom Cutlery image)
Drop-Point Hunter Maker: George Romeis Blade Length: 3.5” Blade Steel: CPM 154 stainless Blade Finish: Satin Guard Material: Stainless steel Handle Material: Black G-10 w/stainless-steel-lined thong hole Overall Length: 8” Sheath: Leather pouch/belt model by the maker Author’s Comments: Full-tapered tang, excellent balance, very comfortable in the hand Maker’s price for a similar knife: $300
Remember, the rifle or bow harvests the game but the knife creates what becomes dinner and the trophy.
Peyton Ramm uses the 3D printing process for canister patterns to make his dream knife.
It was ABS journeyman smith Peyton Ramm’s dream to make a knife themed after his favorite childhood TV show, Dragon Ball, and the new 3D printing process for canister patterns provided him with the perfect vehicle to do so.
“Before I heard about 3D printing, I dreaded the idea of paying someone to wire EDM every single dragon ball out, but my good friend Ron Hardman introduced the idea,” Peyton wrote. “I sent him pictures of Gohan [a prominent character in the Dragon Ball series] and the dragon balls, and asked him to recreate the image in the best way possible to forge down. His students at Kilroy’s Workshop got a rough draft for me and once I approved it, they printed and sent it.”
Peyton stated he had to build a new forge just to do the canisters, as he only had a vertical forge and it’s important to forge weld lightly on the two end caps first before welding the sides.
“My first billet fell apart because of this, a mistake I didn’t [repeat],” he wrote. He combined the two images with a flower mosaic he made with a damascus of 1095 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels to break the pattern up, and finally had his damascus. From there he matched the blade and bolsters as best he could so it would look like an uninterrupted transition.
