California Custom Knives: October 2011

Monday, October 17, 2011

Modern Utility Slicer

This is a beautiful utility slicing knife recently finished for a local artist. I was excited to make this knife for Paul because I know he will cherish it and use it daily in his kitchen.

I decided to go with a new handle style. Employing a slightly different shape and expanding on some of the simple inlay I have been doing lately. Here I decided to add some carving and to use the smaller inlay to hide the silicon bronze pin that sets the knife in the handle.
I think it turned out amazing! AND> It sure feels wonderful in the hand.

This knife is 11.75" OAL with a 6&3/8" blade that has been forge to shape out of 1095 high carbon tool steel. The handle is Arizona Desert Ironwood with Lemon-wood inlay and detail caring.

I hope you enjoy the images:)

-DON:)

Perfection and Beauty

What is a Hand Made Knife?

I specialize in making Heirloom Quality Knives.
They are made by hand.
This means that, while I do now own a few power tools compared to the first 7-years when I had virtually little to speak of, other than a hand drill and then a drill press; I now own a grinder and a power hammer; and yet, the knives are still created with hand-held practices, using fairly simple tools for the most part.
All of my knives are designed and created by me. I am creating some stock reduction knives, but other than that....
Each blade is forged hot on an anvil to 90% of the shape that it will be when finished. This takes Skill and lots of attention to accomplish. Adding in a TW-90 grinder helped with post stock reduction heat treatment, a process that has allowed me to refine the edge geometry on my chef knives to a place where I am very pleased with the results.
Then each knife is tested for edge-flex and toughness. Some of the testing phase can be seen in the banner image above, where after the edge-flex test I chop on very hard wood.
If the knives still shave hair after this testing then they are good to go!
Both of the two chef knives in that banner image passed with flying colors and will be cleaned-up and have handles placed on them. And eventually go into the kitchens or campsites of the new owners.
Knives made my hand are beautiful!