made with cosmic resin and oak. This was a collaboration with Red Nose Leather who made the leather sheath.
A simple bush knife made from 80CRV2 steel and a black walnut handle.
Designed to match the above blade, this one features Jade Ghost G10 and has an 80CRV2 blade.
This handle was made from black G10 and the blade from 80CRV2.
The handle on this knife is made from linen-based phenolic resin. The black pins are G10 material.
An outdoor knife with a three-tone handle design. This one features African blackwood, cast turquoise, and desert ironwood.
A low layer Damascus blade with an African blackwood and cast turquoise handle.
This Damascus skinning knife features a brass finger guard and cocobolo handle. The handle also includes birch bark and G10 spacers.
A set of four small matching knives. These are all made from O1 tool steel and feature Jade Ghost G10 in their handles.
This fillet knife features a leather-stacked hidden-tang handle. The handle also includes black G10 spacers and brass fittings.
This mini-cleaver has a cherry and black walnut handle.
A skinning knife with desert ironwood and cast turquoise handle.
A Damascus drop point blade that has bocote, cocobolo, and G10 in the handle.
A small Damascus knife forged to about 200 layers. The handle is made from African blackwood and desert ironwood.
A higher layer Damascus blade. This handle features desert ironwood and a small piece of black G10.
This small hunting knife has a blade made from 1095 steel. The handle is made from ebony, white G10, and burnt oak.
This bushcraft knife displays a Scandinavian grind. The handle is African blackwood, cast turquoise, and a cast marble.
A puukko-inspired blade with a handle made from African blackwood, G10, and cocobolo.
This small fighter has a handle made from cosmic resin.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the world of knifemaking: a rabbit hole of tools, techniques, frustration, finger slices, freak-outs, passion, and pride.
To be clear, this book wasn’t sent down by the knife gods. I don’t have umpteen years of experience, and I will always consider myself a student to this craft. However, I feel that I’ve finally made it over the initial stress-hump of knifemaking and that it’s my duty to help you get from point “A” to whatever-the-hell point I seemed to have made it to today.
A handmade knife is much more than just a tool; it’s a piece of art that reflects the vision and the passion of its creator.
The knife is one of humankind’s first tools. Dating back to about 2.5 million years ago, the first knives were made by battering sharp flakes from stone, oftentimes used with a wooden or bone handle for ease of use. About 10,000 years ago humans figured out how to make knives from copper; move forward 5,000 years and blades began to be made of bronze. On the heels of the Bronze Age came the Iron Age. People throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa began making blades from iron between 1200 BCE and 600 BCE, depending on the region. Fast forward to modern day, where we have developed extremely tough, durable, and hardened steels that are far superior to any blade material used in the ancient past.
Not only is there an incredible history attached to knifemaking, it also stands apart from many other modern trades and art forms. My favorite part of knifemaking is just how unique every single knife can become. If I head into the shop this week and make a knife, I am 100% certain that no other knife I make will ever be exactly the same as this one. From the blade profile to the edge design, and from the handle material to the characteristics within the steel itself, the knife is one of the most customizable works of art that has ever existed.
That being said, there is plenty for anyone to learn when it comes to the craft of knifemaking.
My advice is to challenge yourself in small increments. If you cannonball into this craft, you may never make it out alive. If you take your time and learn from every mistake, knifemaking can become a rewarding and at times meditative craft.
Stone Age knife (5,400 BCE–3,900 BCE) found in Denmark
My Knife Shop PPE