How the legend of Loveless-style fixed blades makes them sharp.

Steve Johnson began his journey in 1966 under Gil Hibben and refined his knifemaking skills under the iconic Bob Loveless. Today, he is world-renowned for his “Loveless-style” fixed blades, specifically his sub-hilt fighters and drop-point hunters. With 60 years of experience, Steve’s grinding process is a study in precision:

• Initial Setup: After scribing edge lines, he “pre-grinds” the blade to its final edge thickness at an acute angle to establish a consistent target dimension.
• The Hollow Grind: Working edge-up, Steve engages the contact wheel from back to front. He feathers the pressure at the point, where there is less steel resistance, to maintain symmetry.
• Wheel Selection: Wheel diameter is dictated by each knife model’s blade height and thickness: 3-inch smooth-face for boot knives, 4-inch serrated for ‘Big Bear’ fighters, 8-inch serrated for wilderness knives, 14-inch serrated for large hunting knives and camp choppers. Note, all of his serrated wheels have a 2:1 land-to-groove ratio.
• Finishing: Regardless of the initial wheel, all post-heat-treat finishing is done on smooth-face wheels.
• Tapered Tangs: Steve tapers his tangs by hand on a flat platen, truing them on a 120-grit flat disc before heat treat. Instead of using a surface grinder to true his knife blanks, Steve trues them on his platen and disc.

Making Them Shine

Steve transitions from grinding to polishing and buffing using a specific sequence. Last in his grinding sequence is 600-grit aluminum oxide, transitioning to a worn 3M Trizact A45 (400-grit) J-weight belt. Next is a broken-in 400-grit cork belt with Maverick white SS300 compound. Then, to either a 600- or 800-grit cork belt with the same SS300 to remove all the scratches. For his final buff, he uses 8-inch diameter yellow unsewn buffing wheels with the same SS300 compound. Steve remarked, “It’s the only buffing compound I have in my shop.”

Shop Playtime

If Steve has any one suggestion for improving your work, it’s interlocking rubber playground mats over concrete shop floors. Even if you grind seated like Steve, comfortable flooring reduces long-term physical stress. In addition, he says to set up your work areas at natural heights for optimal work efficiency and comfort.

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