Custom Knifemaking

[ONE-TEN]

Well I started hobby gunsmithing & Building over two decades ago. And I’ve been a firearm enthusiast since I was 12yo. One thing we know is Guns & Knives seem to go hand in hand. I’ve also been a huge knife enthusiast for as long as I can remember. Then I got into bushcraft a few years before 2010. And with that, Bushcraft knives. That actually opened the door for knifemaking for me. In about 2010, I started learning Steel. I found & that studied with Metallurgists online. I actually learned Steel for 2 years before I ever making my first blades. Then, around 2012, I took the plunge. My first blades were O1 Tool Steel. It’s easy to heat treated. Using a makeshift heat brick forge & propane roofing torch to heat, and oil for quenching. From there, my first grinding was by way of a 1x30 belt grinder. I can continued like this only a few times. Then, in 2014 was the bike accident that disabled and paralyzed me. Which stopped my from everything for a time. I did continue to study & learn. And I decided after 2015 to try it again. By this time, although I had not physically made anymore knives, my knowledge had increased dramatically from almost 2 years prior. I chose to start using a specific Steel at this time. CPM3V Tool Steel, which I still use solely for ALL hard use knives. A couple years later, I added CPM20CV for Chefs/cooking knives & wet use blades.

This is the first design I came up with using CPM3V Steel. This was done for a friend I had on YouTube. BushcraftBartons. He made several videos using my knives. Unfortunately his channel was taken down.


I then came up with my most popular design. It’s the Small Hunter. Believe it or not, this tiny blade is one the best dressing knives you’d ever use! It feels like an extension of your hand.




It was during this time, I came up with my Makers Mark. This gets etched into every blade I make.


And here is just a small sample of other blades I’ve done.





And one of the Chef’s knives in CPM20CV. Also sporting Carbon Fiber scales which I laminate myself, and Titanium hardware.


This is a bulk of blades I’ll grind before sending to heat treat guy. I can do the heat treat, but it’s such SO MUCH TIME! I got to know one of the best in the business. This is nothing for them. The blades come back with my heat treat & hardness specifications & Cryo-Treated.


This is a YouTube video by Barry Kronburg. Barry owns Rockhopper Fishing & has purchased quite a few knives from me. He loved every one. To the point, I made him this knife as a gift. It was the first Filet knife I made. Also from that CPM20CV, that I use to make Chef’s knives. Well, just listen to his thoughts.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Awesome!

 

[John Henry]

Those are some beautiful knifes!

 

[ONE-TEN]

There were other videos on YouTube from my buddy Bushcraft Barton’s with this Knife. Again though, his channel was deleted do to him being hacked.


The Stryker, I called, which was just a tough outdoor knife. I told him to really beat on it to make it fail. Which he did. Of course, I knew, it would NOT fail. When I was selling knives, I gave an EVERYTHING warranty. My warranty as I told buyers.

“If any of my blades fail as a result of over use OR abuse, it’s covered.
If you cut the Blade in half with a torch…. IT’S COVERED!”

Basically, I knew how incredibly tough my blades were. CPM3V Steel is amazing. This is why I try to teach up & comers. Get people OUT of the mindset that blade smiths have been feeding forever. I bet most will be surprised, but Forged Knives are no where NEAR the toughest blades. The Steels I use can NOT be Forged. If a bladesmith were to heat it up to forging temps & bang on it with their little hammers, the Steels would LAUGH at them and give ‘em the FINGER! Seriously though, the worlds most high performance blades are made with the same process that use. It’s called “Stock Removal”. It’s a form of machining really. Start with a Billet of Steel & remove everything that isn’t the knife.

 

[Alan]

This is awesome! What was the hardest part of knife-making?

 

[ONE-TEN]

This is awesome! What was the hardest part of knife-making?

Not so much hardest part, however, the most work goes into grinding the bevels. If you think of a blade, from back to front (Spine to Secondary Bevel, or Edge), the shape is that of an Isoceles Triangle. The Edge must perfectly centered, so when grinding Primary Bevel of each side, the angle & grind depth are exceedingly important. It just takes technique, which is learned like anything else. Practice. Some people, like myself, do have a knack for grinding. Which is much needed in my case, having just the ONE HAND to grind. So for me, absolutely the “hardest part”, is grinding bevels with one wing.

However, it’s also kinda cool. To my knowledge, I am the ONLY custom Knifemaker in the United States with one arm/hand. Maybe even in all of North America, not sure.

A couple years ago, I also started making folding knives as well. However, I stopped those. For one thing, there are so many good folding knives, some which are quite inexpensive, that there really isn’t much point for me. I’d never be able to make any money with them anyway. Also, making folding knives isn’t really enjoyable to me. I started doing this because I love knives..FIXED blade knives! Camping knives, Chefs knives, Hunting knives. And I LOVE making them. I didn’t start making them to make money. I’ve sold them, yes. Although I’ve likely given away nearly as many as I’ve sold! To do folders correctly, I would really need a CNC machine. And I just have a start mill. But who knows, I may take up continuing on with them.

Here is Titanium Frame Lock Folder I designed. Can see it’s not complete. But this was were I going with it.


I also started making replacement parts. Which I still do. Replacement Blades, Titanium Pocket Clips & Back Spacers. Here is a Spyderco Paramilitary II I have. I made a new blade from better Steel, and also a Ti Back Spacers with serrations for grip.



Here is a Ti Pocket Clip before bending.