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.
Josh Wisor makes a special knife for a special customer.
If you think Josh Wisor’s Alaska Ulu looks a bit different, that’s because it is—Josh built it for a customer who lost an arm and suffered nerve damage to the other as a result of a farming accident.
Josh made the ulu open-ended so the customer can more easily grip the handle and thus use it more easily as well with the hand of his nerve-damaged arm. The customer uses the knife for food prep and even on deer in hunting camp.
Josh’s customer demonstrates how the Alaska ulu’s open-ended design enables him to easily grip the handle.
A big fan of damascus, the customer wanted a pattern-welded blade, so Josh accommodated him with one of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels heat treated to a Rockwell hardness of 60-61 HRC. In other words, it is equipped to do some serious cutting.
The result is a noteworthy using knife for a more-than-satisfied customer.
Dunn and Miller left lasting impressions on ABS, students and custom knifemaking.
The American Bladesmith Society lost two of its finest leaders and bladesmithing instructors recently with the passing of ABS master smiths Steve Dunn and Hanford J. Miller.
Steve Dunn
Steve died on May 21. He was 68. Outgoing chairman of the ABS, he was a longtime Society member, receiving his master smith stamp in 1994 before going on to serve on the ABS board of directors and eventually being elected chairman.
“He was a craftsman of the highest level, as evident in the exceptional blades he made, and unsurpassed as an engraver, which he passed on to so many with his teaching,” americanbladesmith.org reported.
Many in the ABS were still recovering from the shock of the news as BLADE® was going to press, ABS master smith Billy Bob Sowell among them.
“I was stunned,” he wrote. “Steve was one of my judges for my master smith stamp. I took his engraving class and his folder class. I’ll miss him.”
According to his bio on the ABS website, Steve began making knives as a hobby in 1988. In 1990 he enrolled in the basic forging class at the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing, where he started forging damascus. After achieving master smith, it wasn’t long before he began teaching at the Moran School. In 2003 he was selected to serve on the Society’s board of directors.
A strong believer in sole authorship of his knives, he enrolled in a basic engraving class at GRS Tools in 2002. He later studied with Chris DeCamillus on Bulino style engraving and was asked to be an instructor at the GRS school in 2005.
Hanford Dunn
Hanford passed away on March 25. He sold his first knife in 1968. He made knives in the Moran style, including bowies, fighters, camp knives and other large fixed blades, and also period pieces such as reproductions of the cinquedea. His mark was his initials or name within a bowie logo.
In addition to being an outstanding maker of forged knives, Hanford served on the ABS board of directors as treasurer for many years. According to americanbladesmith.org, he was best of friends with BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bill Moran, with the pair being “like two peas in a pod.”
They first met in 1974 in Bill’s shop. Hanford read about Bill in a library book about knives and realized he was only a short drive away from Hanford’s home in Randallstown, Maryland.
“Bill was a great mentor,” the site observed, “and their friendship lasted long after Hanford moved to Colorado in 1976.”
From copper-infused patterns to stainless steel sheets, discover the innovations driving the red-hot market for production damascus.
Are we seeing a bit of “global warming” in the knife industry, where red-hot damascus steel is getting even hotter? BLADE® spoke with some industry leaders, and 2025 and beyond looks good to them when it comes to production damascus in both carbon and stainless steels.
There are many individual makers who make high-quality damascus in simple and complex patterns in their home shops, backyards or shared maker spaces. This article focuses instead on production damascus forged by specialized outfits such as Baker Forge & Tool, Damasteel, Chad Nichols Damascus and Vegas Forge. At a level beyond “regular” damascus makers, these companies make steel for the masses, for production companies, and specialize in innovative new materials that are sure to delight the industry.
BLADE readers will be familiar with Baker Forge & Tool, a prolific producer of innovative damascus patterns that include copper, such as CopperMai, TigerMai, GoMai and others.
DS93X steel—fourth from bottom in bar form—is Damasteel’s standard mix, “combining good performance with good looks.” “For us it’s more about expanding the patterns than about trying new steel combos,” noted Per Jarbelius. The other patterns in bar form are representative examples of what you can expect from the Swedish steel maker.
“We make carbon steel damascus patterns with copper, and they’ve been hot. We expect them to stay hot through 2025,” Coy Baker said. When it comes to steel selection, the company most often sticks with the gold standard combination of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels.
Baker also has been experimenting with Apex Ultra as a core steel for its copper san-mai. For those unfamiliar, Apex Ultra is a tungsten steel alloy, kind of a super-52100 carbon steel. It’s made in small batches and is hard to get in the USA, but Baker has found that the material makes a great damascus core.
“Demand for our Apex core billets far outpaces supply,” Coy noted.
Baker has also been experimenting with stainless and copper damascus and san-mai, using 154CM and AEB-L stainless steels. This writer also makes knives and that combo sounds quite challenging to forge. Baker confirmed that it was very challenging and wouldn’t reveal any secrets, other than the 154CM etches light and the AEB-L etches darker.
Growth In The ‘Sip
Down in beautiful Bush Springs, Mississippi, Chad Nichols makes traditional carbon steel damascus at a production level.
Vegas Forge has always been innovative and 2025 will be no exception. “We’ve figured out how to do copper in with the damascus pattern manipulation, not just as a line between san-mai,” Jesse Harber noted. (Vegasforge.com image)
“I stick mostly to carbon steel 1075 or 1095 plus 15N20 with occasionally a little bit of 3V,” Nichols explained. “I’ve got my process down and these steels go together well.” He makes a variety of mosaic patterns, most of which go to a single manufacturer. “The carbon steels are so much more organic,” Nichols said. “You can do so much more with them in a cost-effective way.”
Nichols’ goal for 2025 is to increase his production of mosaic patterns.
“There just aren’t many people doing production mosaics,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for growth.”
Another area he’d like to see grow in 2025 is the use of exotic and historical materials. He’s made a run of steel for Boker with steel from a German Tiger tank, and has a run coming for William Henry with some leaf springs sourced by WH.
Collab Designs
Damascus isn’t just a U.S. product. Damasteel produces high-quality stainless steel damascus in Sweden.
Chad Nichols (above) stated the goal at Chad Nichols Damascus for 2025 is to increase the production of mosaic patterns.
“Our DS93X steel is our standard mix, combining good performance with good looks,” Damasteel’s Per Jarbelius remarked. “For us it’s more about expanding the patterns than about trying new steel combos.”
DS93X is described as a “patented powder metallurgy product” that includes “two different hardenable steel grades.” “We use only stainless steel,” Jarbelius explained, ‘because it doesn’t rust and has the same or better performance.”
Damasteel historically produces a new pattern each year. For 2025 it also has begun a special project to collaboratively design patterns. Benchmade collaborated with Damasteel to make a steel pattern called “Monarch” exclusively for the Benchmade Gold Class Necron balisong. Jarbelius is excited for the potential to expand the collaborative effort with other companies who want proprietary patterns.
In another innovation, Damasteel has developed the capability to produce stainless damascus in sheets, not just bars. This will come in handy for small-batch and mid-tech production. The sheet steel pattern is called “Drakkar,” which is the old Norse word for the dragon-shaped Viking longboats.
Copper In The Pattern
What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but that’s not the slogan for Vegas Forge, whose damascus is well known worldwide. It is a consistent producer of high-quality carbon and stainless damascus in complex patterns.
Baker Forge & Tool has been experimenting with Apex Ultra as a core steel for copper san-mai. This integral fighter by Greyson Weltyk features Baker copper damascus for its recurve harpoon blade. (Bakerforge.com image)
“One of our most popular patterns is ‘Reptilian,’ which has three alloys included: O1, 1075 and nickel,” observed the company’s Jesse Harber.
Vegas Forge has always been innovative and 2025 will be no exception.
“We’ve figured out how to do copper in with the damascus pattern manipulation, not just as a line between san-mai,” Jesse noted. “We can take our Reptilian pattern with copper in it, and then clad that billet over an O1 or 1095 core.”
As far as stainless goes, Vegas Forge continues to push the complexity of its patterns. Its most popular pattern, “Virus,” begins with a single stack of 1200 pieces! The company uses 154CM cores for most of its stainless san-mai, along with CTS XHP when available.
Ultimate Hotness
What kind of knives do the manufacturers predict for ultimate hotness in 2025?
Damasteel has developed the capability to produce stainless damascus in sheets, not just bars. The sheet steel pattern is called “Drakkar,” the old Norse word for the dragon-shaped Viking longboats, and is used here on a chef’s knife by a local Swedish cutler.
Both Baker and Jarbelius indicated culinary knives will stay hot, especially in stainless. Baker pointed out that stainless steel handles kitchen abuse better, and this writer agrees. Per said Damasteel’s Damacore and DC18N nitrogen steels are top of the line, and the company has a culinary knife coming in partnership with BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Ken Onion and CRKT. Both Damasteel officials and Chad Nichols agree that complex patterns are expected to do well for the pocketknife and one-off makers.
Jarbelius “expects growth in the complex pattern market” even as Damasteel’s basic traditional rose, ladder and twist damascus patterns remain best sellers. Nichols states that the mosaic niche he addresses will continue to grow.
All four steel makers expect growth in the production side of the market. Even in a slower economy, the big knife manufacturing companies are still producing limited runs of high-quality damascus knives. Baker looks for growth in his damascus-core san-mai steels.
“They’re easier to get a consistent etch on than the mono-steel cores,” he explained.
Chad Nichols stated that he expects growth in the use of mosaic damascus steels by factory knife companies in 2025.
Manufacturing is all about consistency and efficient processes. Damasteel achieves consistency by using the same steel combo for all its patterns. Nichols gets there by batch building for specific manufacturers so that each run is internally consistent. Harber mentioned that he was approached at BLADE Show West* by multiple production companies looking to order steel for 100-to-200-piece runs. He indicated he expects the mid-range sub-$800 production folders to stay hot.
Gonna Be Intersting
The new year is going to be an interesting one for the economy and politics, both of which are inextricably entwined. Fortunately, thanks to the work of those in the damascus industry, it’ll also be an interesting year in the world of knives. If nothing else, knife enthusiasts will have plenty of beautiful damascus production knives coming off the assembly lines to keep them entertained.
Robert Logan had a scrap to pull off his Tiny Fighter.
ABS apprentice smith and member of the Texas Knifemakers Guild, Robert Logan, has developed a varied catalog over his nearly nine-year career. His work in kitchen cutlery has raised eyebrows in some corners of the knife world. Yet, his smaller projects are certainly worth consideration.
Such is the case with Robert’s Tiny Fighter, a minuscule fighter whose detailed execution is hard to miss—even if it’s no larger than a penny. The knife measures a scant 2.875 inches in overall length, with a 1.6875-inch damascus blade (192 layer 1084-15n20). Setting it all off is a mammoth-ivory handle and a beautiful guard featuring engraving by Alice Carter.
Robert Logan
Robert has tinkered with miniatures previously, making a couple of dozen scaled-down versions of his Mini Cleaver Belt Knife. But the Tiny Fighter, he said, was his first crack at venturing deeper than a simple slab handle in a miniature piece. Without special equipment for the job, it was especially tricky.
“Honestly, the most challenging thing about making tiny knives for me is just holding on to them,” Robert confessed. “I don’t use grinding jigs, so just holding on to the thing to grind, it was hilarious.”
After Decades In And Around The Knife Industry, The Author Reflects On His Five Favorite Knifemakers And What Makes Them So Memorable.
Over the past 38 years, I’ve met thousands of knifemakers with work ranging from newbie to legend. Being a newbie myself at first, I found myself gravitating to the newer makers, primarily because I could afford their knives and could get one without waiting years or decades.
Today I approach things differently and look for outstanding makers who share the following traits:
•Each is charismatic in his own way;
•Each gives of both his time and talent(s) to educate others, and;
•Each has a great sense of humor and is serious about his knives.
Here are my five favorite American makers who share the traits I look for most.
Walter Brend
The SF Dagger by Walter Brend features an 8-inch blade of D2 tool steel with a satin finish and Walter’s impeccable grind lines. Handle: black Micarta®. Guard: stainless steel. Special features: Full-tang construction, double edge, thong hole and a skullcrusher pommel. Overall length: 12.75 inches. (SharpByCoop knife image)
During my military service in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne, my unit went through processing for an overseas deployment. At the time I was carrying a Robert Parrish hollow-handle fighter with a serrated blade. It was suggested to me that I find a new knife that didn’t have serrations. That was the bad news. The good news is I had to buy a new knife, and the search began.
Scanning a magazine I saw a photo of three knives, all different lengths of the same model. I was immediately drawn to one of the knives, found the maker’s contact information and called him. On the other end of the line was Walter Brend and I ordered the knife: an 8-inch Model 2. In October 1985 I bought my first of hundreds of knives from Walter. In my opinion, his Model 2 is the finest tactical fixed blade in the world.
What draws my eye to the knife are the impeccable grinds. Perfect symmetry runs the length of the blade, including both the top and bottom grinds. The radiused guard and contoured handle are also trademarks of Walter’s work. These features may not be more evident anywhere than in his daggers. Clean, precise, sleek and lethal are words that all come to mind.
David Broadwell
According to the author, David Broadwell makes the world’s best sub-hilt fighters. An example is his Fuller Sub-Hilt Fighter in a 9-inch blade of Delbert Ely damascus. Handle: ancient ivory. Guard, sub-hilt and pommel: damascus. Overall length: 14 inches. (Image courtesy of Photography By NB Designs)
I was visiting family and friends near Chicago in 1988 and attended a small knife show. I had recently started buying guardless fighters, as the knives’ clean lines appealed to me. On the show table before me was a beautiful guardless fighter with an engraved bolster. The knife felt great in my hand and the price was more than reasonable. I bought the fixed blade from David Broadwell.
My favorite knife has always been and still is the sub-hilt fighter, and David excels at making one. Having written about him for several publications, I have always pointed out I think he makes the best sub-hilt fighter(s) in the world.
David is an artist in the true sense of the word. His eye for detail and beauty in steel is exceptional. He and I have collaborated on several designs over the years. He takes my basic two-dimensional linear drawing and brings it to three-dimensional life.
Diversification is one of David’s hallmarks. In the early 2000s I asked him to build knives that featured stone handles. Most were sub-hilt fighters and today remain some of my favorites.
When Bob Neal and I did our LDC Custom Knife series, David was the only maker to contribute both a folder and a fixed blade to it. Today he creates masterworks of art that would be at home in any museum in the world. While my design ideas were not always his favorites, David delivers knives that were everything I had hoped for—and more.
RJ Martin
RJ Martin has won awards for both best tactical folder multiple times and also best tactical fixed blade at past BLADE Shows. His Ghost Pepper Q36 cover knife sports a 4-inch blade of Chad Nichols damascus, a titanium frame and hand-rubbed zirconium bolsters. Scales and spacer material: black carbo quartz w/orange G-10 back-side inlays. (SharpByCoop knife image)
I was at The Knifemakers’ Guild Show in 1996 and, like everyone else, walked up and down the aisles looking for that one special knife or 12. I passed a maker who had Japanese-style tacticals on his table. I took two steps, did an about-face and walked back to the table. I was greeted by the big friendly smile many now know belongs to RJ Martin.
The guards, handles, sheaths and particularly the blades were the cleanest I had ever seen on a Japanese-style tactical. Trends change and I suggested to RJ that he should consider making a tactical folder. Within a month he sent me his first one, the Q30. I couldn’t believe it was his first folder. It easily rivaled most of the well-known tactical folder makers of the day. Then again, I should have expected this from a lead airframe engineer for Sikorsky helicopters such as RJ. He lives in the world of thousandths of an inch and milligrams.
From 2000 to 2010, RJ made 12 different limited designs for my Robertson’s Custom Cutlery Vanguard series. They featured hollow-handle fighters, a sub-hilt fighter, Japanese-style tacticals and, of course, folders. He is one of the few knifemakers in the world skilled enough to do it all with equal excellence. Quite notably, he has won the award for both best tactical folder a number of times and also best tactical fixed blade at past BLADE Shows.
Today his folders are among the most sought after in the world. Unlike so many of the tactical folders built over the past decade, his increased in price in the aftermarket. For those in pursuit of a level of perfection most of us cannot appreciate, RJ is that perfectionist.
George Herron
The author stated the knives George Herron made are design-driven, exactly what you would expect from a lifelong hunter and fisherman. The Herron Model #12 boasts a 6.5-inch blade of ATS-34 stainless steel with a mirror finish. (Impress By Design knife image)
I was attending the 1987 BLADE Show when a friend introduced me to BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member George Herron. With his pipe hanging from his lip, George said, “Lad, what is it you do for a living?” I said, “Mr. Herron, I’m in the Army.” He smiled and said, “I was in the Army, too. You see anything on the table you like?”
Had I known then what I know now, I would have bought every knife on the table. His knives were clean, lightweight, possessed exceptional handle ergonomics and were design-driven—all traits you would expect from a lifelong hunter and fisherman.
Years after meeting George and his wife, Miss Barbara, I attended the Southern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, South Carolina. This was long before the drawings and bid-up knives that have become common today. It wasn’t long before I noticed over 90 people waiting in line. I asked the person at the end of the queue if this was the line for admission to the show. He said, “No, this is the line to get a knife from Mr. Herron.” With that, I bought my show ticket and went to the table where Miss Barbara was standing.
There I was treated to an experience akin to watching children waiting to visit Santa Claus. They all had ordered their Herron knives long in advance of the Wildlife Expo. They approached the table, paid Miss Barbara and she handed their knife to George. It was then you would see young and old alike light up as if it were Christmas morning as they received the “toy” they had longed for—a Herron knife from George himself. I saw three generations of knife buyers—first-time knife buyers, hardcore Herron collectors, they were all there. It was truly a sight to behold.
Steve Randall
As the author noted, there is never any backward movement with the work of ABS master smith Steve Randall—his knives always continue to improve. Steve’s 7-Bar-Twist Sub-Hilt has a 10-inch blade of a seven-bar-twist damascus in 1080 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels, and an ancient walrus ivory handle. Maker’s price at press time: $3,300. (Alison Randall knife image)
Before the 2015 BLADE Show, I was checking out custom knifemakers’ work on various social media platforms. I kept returning to one maker in particular, ABS journeyman smith Steve Randall.
While photos can be deceiving, I have a pretty good eye for knives. Looking at images of his knives, I could tell he too had a good eye and understood making knives well beyond the short time he had been making them. He combined all the dimensions and aspects of the knife to make it flow.
I bought my first knife from Steve at that 2015 BLADE Show. In 2016 he earned his ABS master smith stamp. In 2022 his knives continue to impress me. There is no backward movement with his work and his knives continue to improve.
One of Steve’s best attributes is that he is willing to learn and try new things. In my opinion, many ABS master smiths are reluctant to work outside their comfort zone. I have asked Steve to build knives for me and my clients that may have some aspects he had never done before. Steve and his work never disappoint.
I was fortunate to have worked with or still work with my five favorite American makers. They have taught me so much about the art of knifemaking, and those who are with us still do. (Mr. Herron passed away in 2007). Perhaps more importantly I consider each of them a friend.
Brandon Hyner’s First Knife Is One Of His Most Current Knives As His New Work Takes Inspiration From His First Blade
Sometimes things take their own sweet time before coming to fruition. Such is the case with Brandon Hyner’s damascus gentleman’s hunter.
Hyner is an accomplished maker. He is a champion of History Channel’s Forged in Fire and has built a business of knifemaking and blacksmithing in his shop in Groton, on the Connecticut coast of Long Island Sound. He has built a following of just over 9,000 followers on Instagram where he showcases his work and produces behind the scenes videos in his shop of him doing everything from welding to forging by hand.
The damascus gentleman’s hunter is the second of a design Brandon made when he first started blacksmithing and knifemaking. With the help of a Texas bladesmith, he forged a damascus billet for the first knife, and “was forever grateful” for the opportunity. Four years later Brandon decided to finish the knife and was very pleased with how it turned out. As he noted, “I decided to keep the blade as is, as it was a big milestone knife for me.”
It has a six-inch blade with a desert ironwood handle. The brass spacer and carbon fiber bolster complete the look.
He posted the knife online and someone asked to buy it. However, rather than sell it, Brandon made a similar knife instead. “The second knife came out much better than the first one,” he noted, “but I’m extremely happy with them both.”
It’s a matched pair he can always point to as proof of his maturation as a maker and a beginning of possibly greater things to come. It was a four-year odyssey well worth the wait.
Damascus Gentleman’s Hunter Knife Specs
Knife name: Damascus gentleman’s hunter
Blade length: 6 inches
Blade material: Low-layer twist damascus
Handle: Desert ironwood w/brass spacer
Bolster: Carbon fiber
Overall length: 10 inches
For more information contact Brandon Hyner, Dept. BL4, 852 Bank St., New London, CT 06320 631-742-7227 [email protected].
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.”
