Two Honesuki Knives , one in 1095 one in AEBL

Here are two of my version of the Japanese Boning knife called Honesuki.

I expanded on the traditional sized Honesuki (which normally have more like a 5-6" blade) as I felt it would make a great Kitchen EDC-user with tons of potential for that "one knife" in the kitchen.
So on top you see my forged version that is larger,
and on bottom is my very fist stock reduction knife in AEBL stainless.
I made this one for a buddy who has been hooking me up with some vintage Micarta Materials and we did a trade for some handle materials.

The interesting thing about sending off knives to be heat treated, is that, I have the few pattens I work with created for forged preforms.....so I had to adapt the pieces I sent off (I'll post more as I get them ground and finished)
So this bottom knife is more closely related to my original pre-form for forging, but I did add a bit more all the way around to make it a cool knife that to me is more closely related to the traditional Honesuki...but with a wider clip/tip.
I forgot to measure the AEBL piece before I sent it off to Ken,
but the top knife for is:

11 &7/8" OAL with a 7.25" blade that is nice and wide at the heel.
This one with some very nice African Blackwood and Desert Ironwood Inlay

The Knife in AEBL exhibits some cool Westinghouse Black-stripe Micarta and some rare Green Micarta inlay.

I hope you enjoy seeing these images.

-DON:)

SLOW IS FAST

A Big Thanks go out to Dan Malloy, Kanoa Zimmerman and Kellen Keen for visiting my studio on their journey, and featuring my bladesmithing practice in their New Book and film, SLO IS FAST.

They will be debuting the film in this summer and I encourage you to check the BLOG for dates, locations and times of showing and book signing.

This is a fantastic collection of lives-lived-fully, documented through photography writing and film making. I feel blessed to have been a part of it.

again here is a link to the blog and film trailer: 

http://www.thecleanestline.com/2013/07/slow-is-fast-2013-book-tour-dates.html

Tribal Utility/Chef Knives

Well I cam calling them "Tribal" since I did the wrapping on the handle, but honestly, they are quite refined little utility/chef knives!...and actually not all that little either.

Also there is a twist here too, as these are not forged but are stock removal blades. I endeavored to see what a clay heat treatment would look like on a non-forged blade that then, I would do all the stock reduction post heat treatment. I like the results and believe I will make more like this very soon! BUT, Honestly, I have to say that taking the forging out of the equation, did not really save that much time as I thought it might. However......

The results show for themselves. I think they came out really beautiful and highly functional too.
And I am able to achieve a higher Rockwell on them with this process.
These running up at 59-60RC. The blades on all of these are 1095 high carbon tool steel.

These first two are dressed in African Blackwood with Arkansas Chittam inlay and rosin impregnated woven cotton line that has been registered into the handle and tinted to match the inlay. Chittiam is a very rare wood that has an amazing amount of chatoyancy to it.

These knives are (like I said) not so little after-all, ranging from blades that are 5 & 1/8" to 5.25" with Overal Lengths at 10.5" and 10.75".

AND....Last but not least, is the first one of these I made.
Dressed in Bloodwood with Tulip Wood inlay and ronsin impregnated wrapping,
it is slightly smaller at 4.75" and 10.25" OAL. And also, quite pretty:)
 
 I hope you enjoy seeing these beauties.

-DON:)

First Two in AEBL Stainless Steel

Well...I have done one other that you can see in the last post, but I consider these my first two since they are out in the world for sale at Plaza Custom Cutlery. At this time Dan has not posted them to his site but there will be there soon.

I finally got around to getting a grinder. So I figured why not make a few stainless steel knives. I will use AEBL exclusively for a while since it is an excellent stainless steel, and has fantastic performance characteristics.

Here Is a Shallot and a Stick-Tang French Knife. The Shallot is dressed in Tulip Wood and the French in Arizona Desert Ironwood.

I hope you enjoy the images:)

-DON:)