Knifemaking is the building of a knife, which includes the blade, handle and other accouterments. Blades are made by either removing metal from a steel blank via a grinder – known as stock removal – and the forging to shape of hot steel into a blade in the process known as bladesmithing. Other parts, including bolsters, guards, pommels, etc., are needed to complete the finished knife.
Stuart Kerr just can’t help meddling in the affairs of dragons with his custom straight razors.
Priced out of the custom straight razor market, Stuart Kerr figured he’d make his own. A lucky plunge for anyone who appreciates quirky and unique takes on the ol’ cut throat.
The Australian Knifemakers Guild member’s Cu Mai Dragon is a grand example of his deft and distinctive style. Kerr crafted a 2.56-inch blade from Baker Forge & Tool Tsunami Chevron Copper San Mai and offset it with a FatCarbon Dark Matter Purple Marble carbon-fiber handle. Striking enough as it is, but memorable thanks to the dragon scale on the spine and tang.
However, the proprietor of Boxer Custom Razors is darkly playful in much of his work.
“The concept of the dragon motif evolved from a couple of non-folding razors I made years back that were based on human bones. I was asked to design a razor with a handle that looked like a human spine,” the Queensland, Australia, resident said. “This inspired me to push the artistic envelope further and eventually evolved into the Dragon Tail and Dragon Spine razors.”
Kerr got his start restoring vintage straights, and when he made the jump to crafting them in 2011—aside from know-how—he started somewhat from scratch.
“I had a background in metal fabrication prior to studying to be a mechanical engineer, so I had the tools required to make my first belt grinder out of some plywood and an old pump motor,” he said.
Stuart Kerr and Zeus the boxer.
Requiring an edge meant to split hairs, Kerr’s honing process on his razors is meticulous, to say the least. After the grinding is done, he works his way through whetstones with grits from 1,000 to 16,000. Then it’s a few laps on balsa loaded with chromium oxide.
“Final step is stropping on a kangaroo hide strop,” he said.
A very Australian finish, indeed.
Check Out More Cool Customs:
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These slip joint knives overcome the mechanical challenges of the style to qualify as works of art.
The slip joint is the most recognized of any folding knife design. Variations on the theme continue to guide the custom knifemaker and the consumer through a journey of creativity and craftsmanship that is indeed endless.
The latest slip joints are true to this standard and don’t disappoint in looks or legs—easy on the eyes while walking and talking at the same time. They complement their makers’ personalities and demonstrate their skill sets in fit and finish, as well as mechanics. They provide pure inspiration for collectors and buyers alike, setting their own standard of excellence.
Standley Caldwell Five-Blade Cattle Knife
“The five-blade cattle knife is a very difficult build,” Stanley Burzek confesses. Not only are aesthetics at play, but mechanical aspects, such as the blades clearing frame and timed right, not to mention executing multiple grinds. Tackling more complex slip joints has been a natural progression for Stanley. The Texas maker began with single- up to three-blade stockmen but saw the more difficult projects as pushing his craftmanship to the next level. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
A slip joint maker for 18 years, Stanley Buzek of Caldwell, Texas, brought a beautiful five-blade cattle knife to life recently. Featuring a CPM 154 hollow ground blade with 416 stainless integral bolsters and liner, along with stag handle scales, the knife was a particular challenge.
“The five-blade cattle knife is a very difficult build, getting all the blades timed and working properly with everything flush in all positions,” Stanley explained, “and getting the blades to clear inside the frame in such a small area. The multiple offset grinds and the dagger grind of the awl blade make it especially challenging.”
Tackling the cattleman works right into the increasingly difficult projects Stanley has pitted himself against—even if it was a daunting proposition. “The five-blade was just a natural progression from the single-blade trapper, two-blade, three-bladed Stockman, and so on, to push myself to the next level of knifemaking,” he confided. “Actually, the hardest part was just getting over my fear of screwing it up and getting started on the build. It is an intimidating knife to build, having to pack so much into such a small area that you can paralyze yourself with the fear of getting started.”
Buzek got the pattern for the five-blade from Tim Robertson. He drew inspiration from the work of Tony Bose, whom he credits with bringing the pattern back. He has also seen photos of Reese Bose’s take on the pattern.
“I have received help from many great makers through the years,” Stanley reflected. “Bill Ruple and Rusty Preston were a huge help, and the South Texas Slip Joint School that I went to back in 2011 really increased my knowledge in how slip joints actually work. Right now, a lot of credit goes to Tim Robertson for pushing me and helping me with problems and us bouncing ideas off each other.”
Buzek makes all his slip joints with integral liners and bolsters accompanied by jeweling on the interior. He prefers slanted bolsters while gravitating toward natural handle materials such as jigged bone, mammoth and stag. “I think the single-blade slip joint will be the most popular for a long time for ease of carry and ease of build in the custom world,” he predicted. “Multi-blades, though not as popular, will push makers to step outside their comfort zone and show collectors and the general public alike the technicality and perfection and precision at which some of these pieces are made and will help makers improve their overall methods.”
Ted Friesenhahn Two-Blade Trapper
Like most custom makers, the most challenging aspect of the slip joint for Friesenhahn is getting the rise and fall of the blade correct. Add in embellishments, like the delicate vine filework down the center of his trapper’s handle, and the project becomes a taxing undertaking. (SharpByCoop image)
When Ted Friesenhahn took up the task of making his two-bladed trapper, he chose to make the second blade a “simmy” skinner. “This is the most popular slip joint, especially in Texas,” said the resident of Seguin, who has been a toolmaker since the age of 18. “I’ve worked in several different tool shops and have had the pleasure of teaching mill classes at hammer-ins.”
For his trapper, Ted chose a hollow ground blade of CPM 154 with a 416 stainless steel frame and bolster and a jigged bone handle. He added, “All of my knives have integral liners, and in this knife, the center is left standing. I have had this idea in my head for a while before I finally did it. I wanted something different and to be able to embellish it, so I chose to do vine filework.”
The most difficult aspect of the slip joint for Friesenhahn is common to most custom knifemakers—getting the rise and fall of the blade correct and flushed at closed, half stop, and open positions. “Of course, the walk and talk are key after all that fit and finish,” he said. “My first knife was an Old Timer Stockman that I had when I was growing up in the country. I have always carried a pocketknife, so like most makers and knife enthusiasts in this area, I had heard of Bill Ruple.
Ted Friesenhahn in his shop.
“Many years ago now, Johnny Stout and [ABS master smith and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame® member] Harvey Dean put on a hammer-in at Johnny’s shop in New Braunfels, Texas, where I first met Bill Ruple,” Ted continued. “He was teaching the slip joint classes, and he had a jig he came up with to measure the rise and fall of the blade and spring. It came to be called the Ruple jig … I still use this jig on every knife I build.”
Interestingly, Friesenhahn sees variations on patterns as emerging in popularity. “The current direction is in patterns being turned into different patterns,” he said, “in multi-blades like the stockman lockback whittler and sowbelly whittler. There seems to be a craze with the whittler, and of course, I have one of these variations in the works.”
Bill Burke Single-Blade Trapper
“This knife came about as a class demo for slip joint folders that I taught at Jim Poor’s Flatland Forge in Tuscola, Texas,” said Bill Burke of his single blade trapper, with a 3-inch stainless damascus blade and blacklip mother-of-pearl handle scale. (SharpByCoop image)
Master smith Bill Burke of Boise, Idaho, recently produced a handsome single-blade trapper with a hollow ground 3-inch blade of stainless damascus steel, blacklip mother-of-pearl handle scales, and 416 stainless integral bolster and liner.
“This knife came about as a class demo for slip joint folders that I taught at Jim Poor’s Flatland Forge in Tuscola, Texas,” said Bill. “The pattern for the class was the ever-popular large single-blade trapper. I added my personal preferences of filework and bolster fluting to this knife, as well as incorporating a piece of Jim Poor’s waterfall pattern damascus into the blade. The only guide I had was a pattern drawn on a piece of paper and e-mailed to me by Luke Swenson.”
Burke has found the most challenging aspect of the slip joint to be mechanical, sharing that observation with other makers. “The most difficult part of any slip joint, at least for me, is getting the timing right so that the spring is level with the frame/liners in all three positions, closed, half stop and open, while also keeping the end of the spring even with the end of the tang in the closed position,” he commented.
“I made my first slip joint folder in about 2001,” Burke continued. “It was a large trapper like this knife. I traced a friend’s knife on a piece of paper and used calipers to measure the dimensions of the tang. This knife was made because I had carried a slip joint pocketknife with me since I was about 5 years old. I can remember sharpening a pencil for a first grade teacher with my pocketknife.
“Over the years, I continued to make slip joints, and they did get better,” he observed. “But I always struggled with the spring timing. Fast-forward 16 years, and a friend of mine from Australia, [journeyman smith] Bruce Barnett, and I went to visit the maestro of the South Texas Slip Joint Cartel, Bill Ruple. We were at Bill’s shop for four days making slip joints. While there, Bill taught me the proper use of the Ruple jig, that little contraption he had put together to make timing of a slip joint something of a science instead of a swag. This little bit of knowledge changed my slip joints from being functional to well-working tools that I am proud of. Bill Ruple and Luke Swenson continue to motivate me to make better slip joint knives.”
As a master smith and forger of knives, Burke sometimes takes on that dimension completing the slip joint. “The only challenge is forging the steel, whether damascus, carbon or stainless, which is not commonly forged,” he advised. “Most people who do forge do not actually forge folder blades but instead forge the steel and then stock remove the blade from the forged steel. There are some who will forge damascus folder blades to get a specific pattern of damascus to follow the curve of the blade shape. This can be seen in the knives made by Owen Wood, Tim Foster, [master smith] Mike Quesenberry and a few others.
“I have forged san mai and damascus folder blades to shape when circumstances made it necessary but do not commonly do so,” Burke concluded. “The challenge making a slip joint knife from forged materials in my opinion is no different than doing stock removal with the possible exception of san mai blades and springs where careful attention has to be paid to ensure the hard core of blade and spring line up precisely so the components stay in alignment, keeping the spring from wandering off to one side of the blade. If this happens and is not corrected, eventually the bolsters will be forced apart and the spring will continue to wear on one side of the blade making the knife useless.”
Bubba Crouch Single-Blade Trapper
Bubba Crouch points to the influence of Slip Joint Cartel icon Bill Ruple in his career. More than anything, Ruple taught him to “make the next knife better than the last one.” Crouch’s pearl-handled trapper demonstrates that the knifemaker has taken this lesson to heart. The natural scale presented concerns in chipping, shattering, and even burning. (SharpByCoop image)
Bubba Crouch has been making knives in Pleasanton, Texas, since 2001 and lives just down the road from his friend and mentor Bill Ruple. While Ruple is the leader of the South Texas Slip Joint Cartel, Crouch is a founding member and revels in the lively exchange of ideas and the friendly banter that it provides.
Ruple’s influence is pervasive among slip joint makers, and Crouch is no different. “Bill taught me everything I know about knives,” commented Bubba. “I guess the most important thing he has taught me is to make the next knife better than the last one. That is hard to do!”
Recently, Crouch completed and sold the featured single-blade trapper to a resident of Philadelphia. His available knives sold out in two days during the last 10-day Las Vegas show, and the demand for his work is on the rise. This particular trapper features a 3¾-inch hollow-ground blade of CPM 154 stainless steel, an integral 416 stainless steel frame, and handle scales of pearl with an abalone arrowhead inlay.
“I do all 416 integrals,” Bubba noted. “So, I mill my liners instead of spot welding or soldering, and I have had a lot more luck keeping them flat and even. That makes a better knife, I think, and the integral frame prevents issues with warping and that type of thing.”
The biggest challenge in creating this trapper came with working in pearl, a natural material that presents concerns in chipping, shattering, and even burning. When working with the pearl, Bubba uses a thin liner material glued to the surface to stabilize it, and with the final grind, he removes the liner material while shaping the pearl to fit the handle space.
Bubba Crouch at his grinds a blade.
“If you look at the pearl on some knives, you can see a yellow edge from the heat sometimes,” he said. “I fit the pearl in the handle and then remove it, shaping it to the bolster to avoid the heat before putting it back in. When I’m sanding the pearl, I wet sand, and when I drill, I squirt water on it after starting the hole.”
The abalone inlay gives Bubba’s trapper a distinctive flair, and the process of inserting it is relatively simple. “I have a pantograph machine and use templates to cut the abalone and cut the pocket for it in the pearl,” he said. “You’ve got to be careful and don’t want to pop it in and out too many times. I drill a hole through the pocket that is pretty small and comes out the liner to test fit.”
Crouch enjoys building what he likes, and for now, that is the single- and two-blade slip joint. Multi-blades don’t have great appeal. “My clientele is the everyday carry guy,” he concluded. “So, I build those knives. I don’t see the slip joint market getting soft. It’s traditional and will stay stable. It’s what your grandpa and your dad carried, and as long as there are memories like that, there will always be a market for the slip joint.”
Demand doesn’t seem to waver with the slip joint, and today’s makers are eager to oblige the marketplace.
The thumb stud is reliable, time-tested and add dynamic dash to these customer folders.
Aside from the good ol’ nail nick, thumb studs are among the most enduring opening systems for folding knives. Why not? Typically ambidextrous, easy to manipulate and lightning fast, the reliable deployment feature has a lot going for it. Not to mention, on these custom knives, they add equal parts dash and traditional appeal.
Michael Raymond: Ziura folder
Forty-nine 24k gold inlays set into a 6-4 titanium frame elevate Michael Raymond’s Ziura folder. The swedge-ground Bohler M390 blade measures 3.53 inches with an 8.08-inch overall length. (SharpByCoop image)
David Beaver: Shogun Horizon Folder
Vintage red linen Micarta scales and a hollow-ground Damasteel Baldur on Damacore blade highlight David Beaver’s Shogun Horizon folder. Blade and overall lengths: 3.75 and 8.5 inches. The maker’s price for similar knife is $1,800. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Cody Hofsommer: Mammoth Ivory Folder
Mammoth ivory scales and mosaic damascus bolsters define a sole-authorship flat-ground folder by Cody Hofsommer. The 1080/15n20 mosaic Damascus blade measures 3.375 inches with an 8-inch overall length. (SharpByCoop image)
Kirby Lambert: Augustus Mini Folder
A hollow-ground Damacore blade and mammoth ivory scales distinguish the Augustus Mini folder by Kirby Lambert. Bolsters are titanium and 2IRC damascus. Blade and overall lengths: 3.25 and 8 inches. (SharpByCoop image)
Brian Milinski: Paratrooper Elegante Linerlock
Nitre blued Rietveld damascus and fossilized walrus tusk scales characterize Brian Milinski’s Paratrooper Elegante linerlock. Joe Mason engraved and inlaid the matching bolsters. Blade and overall lengths: 3.25 and 7.75 inches. The maker’s price for a similar knife is $3,400. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
KC Gray: Titanium Folder
A 3.5-inch SM100 blade paired with vintage Micarta scales defines this 8-inch dress locking folder by Tucson maker KC Gray. The titanium frame includes marble carbon-fiber pivot collars and a black anodized clip. (SharpByCoop image)
Sean Alonzo: Ani
Sean Alonzo’s Ani 3.2 linerlock features armadillo carapace, warthog ivory, and a hollow-ground Yggdrasil Damasteel blade. Blade and overall lengths: 3.2 and 7.8 inches. Maker’s price for a similar knife $5,500. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Aesthetically and mechanically challenging flipper designs that shine.
The flipper folder is one of those knife designs that continues to delight its makers and its owners with incredible vitality. Not only do the most recent flipper folders fill the traditional bill with great materials, mechanics and mesmerizing beauty, but they further garner high praise with an inherent level of energy.
Combining the attributes of excellence that set standards for custom knives with the sheer pleasure of smooth operation, the latest flipper folders hit the mark in quality and bring attention to their makers amid an ever-growing level of interest in the marketplace.
Scott Gallagher: Feather Damascus
Scott Gallagher says he’s seen an upswing in the interest in flippers in recent years. It makes sense with works like his feather damascus flipper. The feather pattern defines both blade and bolster, and is complemented by a fossilized mammoth ivory handle. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Scott Gallagher recently completed a beauty with a 3-inch feather damascus flat-ground blade complemented by a damascus bolster and fossil mammoth ivory handle. With an overall length of 7¼ inches, Scott’s flipper folder features an upswept curve for fantastic visuals and intricate filework along the spine.
“I am receiving more requests for flippers right now,” commented Scott. “They have become very popular. I think the reason why is because they’re fun to use, kind of like a widget—they’re functional, they can be embellished and they are easy to carry.”
The single attribute of fun helps set the flipper folder apart from other designs. Anything incorporating fun into the knife equation is sure to gain increased attention. Still, Scott makes his flipper folders with exacting specifications and attention to detail. “A quality flipper should have a blade steel that performs well—good fit, finish and symmetry,” he explained. “The blade should close in the center of the frame. It should be fast opening and close easily without a sticky lock.”
For Scott, achieving the proper mechanics involves a combination of precise construction with materials that work in concert with each other. “Making the flipper tab is a matter of incorporating it into the design of the knife in the design phase,” he related. “In the closed position, the tab has to sit higher than the frame so your index finger can access it. I use bearings on my flippers. They are ceramic and very fast. To avoid pinching the user’s hand, I use a small tab. It’s only exposed enough to open the blade. My flipper tab is hidden in the frame in the open position. I have finger grooves designed into the frame to avoid fingers slipping forward.”
Alan Hollerbach: Spectre
There’s something ominously attractive about what Alan Hollerbach achieves with this knife. Christened the Spectre—an homage to the nemesis organization of James Bond—the wasp-wasted flipper gets right to the point. Baker Forge TigerMai steel for the blade and Fatcarbon Dark Matter scales add to the knife’s dark good looks. (SharpByCoop image)
When customers consult with Alan Hollerbach on the attributes of a quality flipper folder, his response is straightforward. “Look for high-quality materials—hardened washers and bearings, a smooth action and a solid detent,” he offered. “I don’t take orders. I make knives I like and hope others do as well.”
The degree of knifemaker proficiency is tested somewhat further with the flipper folder in comparison to other designs. Alan welcomes the opportunity to put his skillset to the test. “It takes some more designing up front to get the layout and how it looks and the action correct,” he related. “The tab needs to be in a comfortable position for one-handed opening, tall enough to engage easily, but not too tall it looks out of place. It needs to have a strong detent to allow proper pressure to fire the blade and a smooth action with the bearings to allow the blade to open with minimum friction.”
Alan achieves his technical and aesthetic objectives in a handsome flipper folder model he has christened the Spectre, in reference to the James Bond feature film series. This example includes a 4-inch hollow ground blade of Baker Forge TigerMai Chevron damascus steel with jeweled and anodized titanium liners and Skiff bearings with hardened washers. Handle scales are Fatcarbon Dark Matter with 18 inlays in nine different sizes of Space Coral. The backspacer is also Fatcarbon Dark Matter, and the screws are black anodized titanium.
Rising interest in flipper folders is a matter of likes and style, as Alan sees the buying landscape these days. “I think it is a personal preference,” he commented. “I like the flippers for easy one-handed opening, but you can do the same with most other ways. It takes some more designing up front to get the layout and how it looks with the correct action. I like the lines as clean as I can make them, so tabs are just to open the knife, as I try to hide as much as I can when the knife is open, just for aesthetics.”
The addition of a hole in the Spectre blade gets attention as well. “You can open the knife with the hole, but it was designed for aesthetics mainly,” Alan noted. “I wanted to smooth the lines of the knife in the closed position and show with the curves of the cutout it was done on a pantograph by hand.”
Robert Champion: Dark Wind
Robert Champion spends plenty of time perfecting the placement of the deployment tab. On his Dark Wind, he employs a low-profile tab to avoid pinching when the blade is deployed. Also noteworthy on this knife, the knock-out engraving by Dale Bass that takes the work to another level. (SharpByCoop image)
Examining the locking mechanism is a must for those contemplating an investment in a quality flipper folder, a tip Robert Champion emphasizes. “A 3-point constraint is better than a 2-point constraint,” he said. “A 3-point will lock the knife more securely in the open position as well as in the closed position. The blade should lock solid, not be loose and never have a sticky lock.”
Robert’s Dark Wind model exemplifies his perspective on the flipper folder. Its 6-inch blade features hollow ground Dragonskin Damascus steel from Shaya Forge, while the furniture is in 416 stainless steel and the handle scales are fashioned from giraffe bone. Dale Bass’ engraving complements the piece in its entirety.
“I’m receiving more and more requests for flippers,” Robert remarked, “especially the more dressed and upscale models. Their popularity seems to be trending up. They’re easier to deploy and in regions where automatics are not permitted, the flipper is a great option. The flipper tab is an integral part of the tang design that is easily roughed in while profiling the blade. Thumb pegs and discs are separately fabricated components that require drilling, tapping and a turning process on a lathe. Then, they are attached to the blade. Tab location is important when designing a flipper. Placing it too far forward or too far back on the tang will cause inefficient deployment.”
Bringing all these components together in proper tolerance with respect to the look and feel of the finished product provides a worthy test for the makers of flipper folders. Like any folder, smooth deployment and ease of carry rise to the top. However, the flipper aspect brings another dimension to the requirements for optimal performance.
“Depending on the size of the knife, I use good-quality stainless or ceramic ball bearings,” Robert advised. “I tend to use stainless bearings on my smaller models, but that is just a personal preference. I also use dry slide oil lubricant. I design a low-profile tab to prevent pinching and currently make single-tab models. In the future, I plan to make flipper daggers that will have more of a guard-type tab.”
John Curran: Alpha 3
John Curran has focused much of his work on flipper folders and his experience in this design shows in his Alpha 3. Clean and complex, the knife pairs a titanium handle with an Elmax steel blade, featuring caged bearings for absolute, buttery-smooth deployment. (SharpByCoop image)
John Curran created a flipper folder in a model he calls Alpha 3 with a flat ground 3-inch blade of Elmax steel and an overall length of 7½ inches with a titanium handle and frame. The flipper design has been a mainstay of his work for some time.
“I’ve predominantly built flipper-style folders over the years, though I’ve done my share of thumb-stud and thumb-hole deployments as well,” he related. “In terms of trends, I haven’t noticed interest in one style rising or falling dramatically. What I have noticed is that customers are spending more carefully. People know what they want and they are choosing their purchases very intentionally.”
As John tries to fulfill his customers’ expectations, he watches the intricacies of the flipper folders he constructs carefully. “From my perspective, flippers don’t necessarily hold an advantage over other deployment methods,” he commented. “It really comes down to personal preference. Some customers want a classic flipper, others ask for a flipper paired with a thumb stud and some want a hole cut into the blade as an alternative opening method. There is no single best option, just what feels right in the user’s hand.
“The complexity of the build depends on the design more than the deployment style,” John continued. “I spend a lot of time sketching concepts only to discover during mock-ups certain ideas don’t translate well in hand. I typically prototype in G-10 or even wood to check ergonomics, mechanics and overall fit. That stage tells me a lot about whether the knife is going to meet my standards.”
John’s basic components include caged bearings and hardened stainless washers for smooth action. “If a customer wants to keep the cost down, I can build the knife without bearings and use phosphor bronze washers instead,” he advised. “Ceramic bearings undeniably offer the smoothest action, but bronze washers still perform well. It ultimately depends on what the customer values most. Milling pockets for the bearings adds time and labor and is reflected in the final price.”
Design concentrations on clean, reliable opening mechanisms and functional finger guards when the blade is deployed are hallmarks of John’s finished product. The challenge is always in the “tweaking” to solidify the geometry, but the result is worth the investment of time and effort.
The flipper folders emerging in the custom knife market today offer diverse profiles, materials and interpretations along with a wide range of price points. Each of these factors influences the consumer and makes the genre vibrant.
Bark River Knives owner Mike Stewart took to Facebook to admit to closure and the use of Chinese steel in Made-in-U.S.A. labeled knives.
Bark River Knives of Escanaba, Mich., has officially ceased operations following a public admission by owner Mike Stewart that the company utilized Chinese steel in blades marketed as American-made CPM 154. The announcement, made via Facebook on March 23, confirmed that the long-standing fixed-blade manufacturer concluded all business as of March 20.
In his statement, Stewart took full responsibility for the deceptive labeling, characterizing the use of imported steel as a measure intended to keep the company afloat. Stewart argued the alternative steel met his internal testing for toughness and stain resistance, with edge retention nearly matching that of Crucible Industries’ CPM 154. He further claimed that because the knife blanks underwent more than five distinct operations in the Michigan shop—including grinding, reshaping and etching—they technically met his interpretation of “Made in the U.S.A.” criteria.
It should be noted, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) standards mandate a product must consist of “all or virtually all” domestic components to carry the label. Stewart admitted the steel was definitely mis-marked on the following models:
Camp Bolo
Fox River Trailing Point
Highwayman 4
Mini-Manitou
Gladstone Hunter
Bitterroot Caper
Select recent Club Knives
The closure follows a period of increasing pressure from collectors and dealers, alongside significant financial litigation, Outdoorlife.com reported. Stewart noted in his post that the shutdown was “long overdue” and should have occurred two years prior.
Stewart announced that his son, Jim Stewart, will open a new, 100 percent independent knife company. Notably, Jim Stewart has agreed to take over the warranties that would have normally been serviced by Bark River. Mike Stewart clarified that he will have no hand in the new entity and intends to exit the industry entirely after 50 years. Mike Stewart emphasized that his dealers, his wife Lesley and Jim Stewart were entirely blameless in the decision to substitute the blade steel.
Specially engineered for knife blades, the two alloys are at the cutting edge of metallurgy.
Editor’s note: The genius behind MagnaCut—arguably today’s most popular blade steel for both custom and factory knives—the author has helped create two new blade materials that he fully expects to meet with wide-ranging acceptance as well. Following is his story on his latest voyage into his favorite subject.
I pitched the idea of MagnaCut steel to Crucible Steel and Niagara Specialty Metals in 2019. I said I had an idea for a steel that would match the best of the non-stainless powder-metallurgy steels in terms of wear resistance and toughness. This would be a big deal because there has been a longstanding gulf between the performance of carbon steels and stainless steels. My team and I successfully turned the idea into MagnaCut, released in 2021, which had a microstructure like a non-stainless steel while being stainless—offering the best properties of both.
I intentionally sought balanced properties with MagnaCut so it was both tough and wear-resistant, similar to non-stainless grades such as CPM 4V, CPM CruWear and Vanadis 4 Extra. Knife enthusiasts, especially those into folders, often seek higher-wear-resistance steels for maximum edge retention. Instead, I tried to push for a more balanced set of properties so knife buyers could see the benefits of having high toughness in addition to good wear resistance. This can allow knives to be made with thinner edges for better cutting ability, because toughness helps thinner edges resist chipping. In my edge retention tests with the CATRA (Cutlery Allied Trades Research Association) edge testing machine, thinner edges with smaller angles lead to larger differences in edge retention than the steel choice, or even the heat treatment! It seems many knife buyers have seen the light as MagnaCut has gained quite a bit of popularity since its release.
MagnaMax Steel
Nonetheless, I also knew knife enthusiasts would ask for something more wear-resistant. The folder crowd is not as worried about toughness and are seemingly always asking for greater wear resistance and edge retention. However, when the wear resistance gets too high, the steel becomes “unbalanced,” and the toughness becomes a significant issue. I see images of broken folders semi-regularly from the most extreme wear-resistance grades.
MagnaMax shares the same high corrosion resistance and good hardness potential as MagnaCut, but has higher wear resistance at the cost of some toughness. Because MagnaMax shares a similar microstructure to non-stainless steels, its toughness level for that high wear resistance is excellent.
The “sweet spot” for higher-wear-resistance products seems to be in the family of non-stainless alloys such as CPM 10V, Vanadis 8 and K390. In particular, K390 has been building in popularity through Spyderco knives in recent years for its excellent combination of properties. I had actually proposed to Crucible and Niagara way back in 2019 that, after we were successful with MagnaCut, I had another idea I was calling stainless 10V at the time.
This led to a new product called MagnaMax, a higher-wear-resistance steel in the same family as MagnaCut. It shares the same high corrosion resistance and good hardness potential as MagnaCut, but has higher wear resistance at the cost of some toughness. Because it shares a similar microstructure to non-stainless steels, its toughness level for that high wear resistance is excellent.
Two of the highest-toughness stainless powder-metallurgy steels before MagnaCut were CPM S35VN and CPM 154. MagnaMax matches the toughness of those grades while being much more wear-resistant. In recent years, one of the more popular folding knife steels has been M390, and MagnaMax has over twice the toughness and substantially higher slicing edge retention. Spyderco used the second prototype heat of MagnaMax in a series of its Mule series knives intended for enthusiasts to try out different steels. A Spyderco Forum member known as vivi said he cut 325 gallons worth of cardboard strips with one of these knives. He reported, “Even without adding the numbers up, I can say this steel has the best edge retention of any steel I’ve tried.”
The author (left) and his father, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Devin “Hoss” Thomas.
The development of MagnaMax was not without its issues, however. The first two test heats of the steel were made by Crucible, a longstanding U.S.-based steel company that unfortunately went out of business in 2025. Crucible is the company behind many of the industry’s leading knife steels like 154CM, S30V, S35VN and 3V. Crucible is the company that invented powder metallurgy itself, a significant innovation providing the excellent properties of all the “CPM” (Crucible Particle Metallurgy) grades. Crucible went under basically right while it was making the second test heat of MagnaMax. A couple of slabs were even recovered from a pile of scrap after the company was dismantled so my team could test it. We made the first test heat of MagnaMax back in March 2023, and we are just now approaching the product’s wide release.
Niagara Specialty Metals (NSM), the company that hot rolls, anneals and distributes the majority of the leading steel grades, has played a key role in keeping these steels alive. Crucible relied on NSM for hot rolling the high-end, complex grades, as it is the only facility in the United States capable of processing them.
Niagara had already assumed an active role in the knife industry many years before, taking over the distribution of blade steels over a decade ago after Crucible’s first bankruptcy in 2009. It pushed for new grades like CPM S45VN, and without NSM, I’m not sure MagnaCut would ever have been made. Niagara is working with other suppliers of powder-metallurgy steel, including Carpenter and Erasteel, to ensure these grades remain available. My team has been working closely with these partners on the development of MagnaMax, but that also means we almost had to start over after Crucible’s unfortunate demise. The good news is I have been testing MagnaMax made by Erasteel, and the properties look excellent, at least as good as the Crucible-made material. And it’s actually looking a little better.
Pop’s ProCut Steel
Perhaps sometimes I get carried away working on new knife steels that push the boundaries for wear resistance. Some knifemakers are looking for simpler grades that are easy to forge, grind and finish.
Pop’s ProCut’s toughness matched that of steels like 8670 and 5160, known for their excellent toughness. The edge retention was better than the majority of forgeable grades outside of ApexUltra, a high-performance forging grade.
Joey Berry of Pop’s Knife Supply contacted me in March 2024 asking for an improved version of Pop’s most popular grade, 80CrV2, which is known for being very easy to work, high in toughness and low in cost. I told Joey I would need to think about it because I had no idea off the top of my head what version of 80CrV2 would fill the niche of bladesmiths who want something inexpensive and easy to work. However, I have always enjoyed working with Pop’s Knife Supply, so I gave some serious thought to what kind of steel would be ideal for Joey’s request.
Pop’s is growing rapidly and has been a big supporter of mine, selling copies of my books—Knife Engineering and The Story of Knife Steel. It has been expanding its steel offerings and its steel education base to better serve customers, and I knew a steel along these lines would be a good fit for it. One of the trade-offs with knife steel design is when you add some elements like vanadium in significant amounts, things like forgeability and finishability go down. How could I make something new and exciting without pushing so much it becomes difficult for knifemakers to work with?
I thought about how high-nickel steels like 15N20, L6 and 8670 are known for their excellent toughness—at the top of my charts—but also have very limited wear resistance. I also knew some relatively rare steels like Blue #1, V-Toku2 and Wolfram Special have small additions of tungsten and vanadium for wear resistance. In grades with higher amounts of those elements, I start to see complaints from makers about the difficulty of working with them, though they seem to be at a place where they hit the right balance before forging and hand sanding become issues. These tungsten-vanadium steels are relatively challenging to find, often expensive when you do, and their toughness is much lower than the high nickel grades. As a result, the idea was to combine the high nickel approach for toughness with the controlled additions of tungsten and vanadium for wear resistance.
The author (left) and Joey Berry of Pop’s Knife Supply.
Another major factor for this development was the ease of heat treating. Often, steels like 1084 are recommended to novice makers for heat treating in a forge because it is dead simple to harden—just heat it to nonmagnetic and dunk it in oil. However, these grades are also very easy to overheat; they come out hard, but the toughness is greatly reduced. Only a few seconds in a forge past nonmagnetic can lead to a reduction in toughness.
On the flip side are grades like 80CrV2 that have chromium and vanadium additions to limit grain growth, so overheating isn’t as much of an issue. But the chromium also means you must heat past nonmagnetic and hold it there to ensure the carbides dissolve. The chromium slows everything down. However, I thought if we kept the chromium content very low the new steel could still be quenched from nonmagnetic and achieve full hardness, while the tungsten and vanadium additions would create tiny carbides that “pin” the grain boundaries so overheating and grain growth are not issues. This would make the easiest-to-heat-treat knife steel ever. Just heat it past nonmagnetic and quench it, and you will get high hardness and toughness every time.
My team and I got a steel company to agree to try the composition I proposed and waited (im)patiently for the steel to arrive. This was a major investment for Pop’s Knife Supply, and there was no guarantee the new steel would work just because it sounded good on paper. Fortunately, however, when we tested the steel, its toughness matched steels like 8670 and 5160, known for their excellent toughness. The edge retention was better than the majority of forgeable grades outside of ApexUltra, a high-performance forging grade I developed with makers Marco Guldimann and Tobias Hangler. And in testing the heat-treating range, we found it could be quenched anywhere from 1400°F up to 1750°F—over 300°F! This met our target of making a steel that is easy to heat treat.
Reports from makers have been very positive for Pop’s ProCut. They have praised the ease of working as well as the tested performance. Dawson Knives related: “We found it to be an excellent steel that 1) Offers a razor-sharp edge on par or better than other modern steels; 2) Holds that edge cut after cut; 3) Displays excellent lateral strength (it flexed close to 20 degrees in either direction and returned to true); and 4) Extreme impact resistance (edge resisted chipping, cracking or rolling when driven into a piece of steel Unistrut with a sledge hammer). We are able to get our edge hardness to Rockwell C of 62-63 and still retain superb flexibility.”
Kurt Glatt forged Pop’s ProCut and ApexUltra steels for the damascus blade of his chef’s knife.
Another exciting aspect of ProCut is the high nickel content (2 percent like 15N20) allows it to be used in pattern-welded damascus as a “bright” layer. This gives a new, higher-edge retention steel for use in damascus. As noted, previous high nickel grades have very low wear resistance. It can even be used in combination with other high-wear-resistance grades to make superior edge-retention damascus. I have seen a couple of knives using both ProCut and ApexUltra for some excellent-looking and performing damascus.
More To Come?
I’m constantly working on new ideas, though it’s hard to predict which projects will pan out or when they’ll be released. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the steels I’ve developed used by top knifemakers and major knife companies, and to hear from end users who genuinely love them. When my dad, BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Devin “Hoss” Thomas, took me to my first knife show as a teenager, I never would have thought I would be working on such cool stuff.
Follow the journey of Iranian bladesmith Masoud Hashemabadi, AKA Apurak, as he masters the art of the X-Rhea knife.
In February 2020, after months of contemplation and with the support of my wife, Maryam, I embarked on my journey in bladesmithing here in Iran. And I finally answered a long-standing urge within me—to delve into the world of forging and knifemaking. I was drawn not simply to the act of shaping steel but to the intricate, multifaceted craft of bladesmithing. Bladesmithing demands a convergence of skills: precise forging, material management, heat treatment, bevel grinding, understanding edge geometry, honing razor-sharp edges and more. Handmade knives, though ancient tools, continue to captivate enthusiasts today, representing a connection to human history.
Each of my works bears the mark Apurak, also my handle on Instagram where I go by apurak.co. The word translates to “The Maker” in Pahlavi or the Middle Persian language—an ancient language.
I began forging with basic tools: a steel block as an anvil, a simple hammer, a homemade coal forge, an angle grinder, a hand drill and a welding machine. I spent six months making additional tools and immersed myself in every piece of content I could find on forging. My first knives were rudimentary—simple full-tang and hidden-tang fixed blades. They were decent, but they didn’t fully satisfy me. During this time, I experimented with different designs, including the old blacksmith’s knife (sometimes known as the Viking knife). None of them quite captured my imagination.
Masoud (left) began his blade smithing journey in 2020 after much contemplation and the support of his wife, Maryam (right). The desire to endeavor upon the multi-skilled craft of making knives had been longstanding in Masoud, he recounts.
Then, about a year into my journey, I came across ABS master smith Lin Rhea’s X-Rhea design on his Instagram account. This design—seamless, balanced and powerful—struck a deep chord within me. I knew I had to learn to forge this knife, so I respectfully reached out to Lin for permission. I watched his videos, analyzed every detail and eventually began my own attempts at creating an X-Rhea. This journey marked a new chapter in my life.
From Inspiration To Learning
No one can create a truly unique knife design early in their career. We all start by holding onto something, following established paths until we understand our own direction in the field. For me, the X-Rhea was this guidepost. My early attempts were crude and far from perfect—out of proportion and visibly flawed. But I was thrilled to make progress. With each X-Rhea, I learned more, not only about the design but about the fundamental techniques of forging. This process fulfilled me in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
Regular feedback from Lin himself was invaluable. We communicated frequently through Whats-App and Instagram, discussing various approaches to forging, hammer techniques, and the finer points of knife-making. Lin became more than a mentor; he became a friend, generously sharing his knowledge and guiding me through my early missteps.
X-Rhea Process
Masoud Hashemabadi maker’s mark, Apurak. The word is from Middle Persian and means “The Maker.” The numbering, seen on the spine of his work, is the year it was created according to the Cyrus Imperial Calendar.
The X-Rhea has a unique shape, but the process of creating it is what makes it truly special. Unlike most designs, which often involve templates or precise measurements to envision the final product, the X-Rhea requires a different approach. You start with a rough sketch and rely on imagination, skill and a sense of flow to bring the knife to life. Each hammer strike must be deliberate and you visualize the end result throughout. This approach makes the final product feel like a true reward, a direct extension of the maker’s vision and hand.
For me, the X-Rhea became more than a knife—it became a pathway toward mastering my craft. Unlike conventional knives, which can incorporate multiple materials like wood, Micarta or stag, the X-Rhea is a single piece of steel. This simplicity, however, does not mean it’s easy to make. Achieving a knife that is functional, strong, ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing in a single piece requires foresight, skill and an understanding of the material’s properties.
Lin and I often spoke about this unique forging process. He explained how the X-Rhea or one-piece concept demands a cohesive flow of thought, a continuity that aligns with the uninterrupted structure of the knife itself. “There’s no breaking point,” he said. His words perfectly captured what I was experiencing in practice. This concept aligned with my personal philosophy: as makers, we should focus more on our skills and presence than on the tools themselves.
X-Rhea Of Tradition
A look at Masoud’s tools he made in his early journey into knifemaking, including (top from the left) a bench vise, coal forge, (below going clockwise) belt grinder, clamps and a heat-treating oven.
Throughout history, craftsmen have created extraordinary works with simple tools. When we look at the objects in museums, we see artifacts made with skills and techniques that, even today, seem nearly impossible to replicate. These craftsmen weren’t limited by the tools of their time. They relied on their presence, creativity and mastery, developing techniques that allowed them to reach incredible levels of precision and artistry. With the X-Rhea, I felt a connection to this tradition. Using only the most essential tools, I was able to engage deeply with each piece I crafted.
In today’s world, technology allows us to create faster and with greater efficiency, but it also risks overshadowing the maker’s role. Many makers, when faced with limited tools, may consider certain tasks impossible. Yet through my experience with X-Rhea knives, I found that fewer tools could offer a sense of creative freedom, encouraging me to explore what’s possible with technique alone. Each knife became a unique testament to the skill, discipline and power of traditional craftsmanship.
Working with Lin, I learned to view knifemaking through a different lens. He encouraged me to see the X-Rhea as an art form that goes beyond simple functionality. In his words, this process is like “a physical manifestation of a simple musical tune.” It became a flowing, intuitive rhythm rather than a rigid sequence of steps.
Editor’s Note: This is the first part of a two-part article. The second part of the article will be added to this story once it runs in the May 2026 issue of BLADE Magazine.
