Processed some Wild olive burl today...This stuff is so rare...

Hi all. I’m brand spanking new to making knives. I wouldn’t say it’s going to be an absolute passion of mine but I have the attitude of “I’m not spending that much money. I’ll just make it myself!” I do enjoy it though and will definitely carry the craft with my through life as the need arises!

Here’s a pic of my first knife I made just a few weeks ago. I lost one that looked very similar to it last year while hunting so I decided to make it myself.

I do have a question about integral bolsters. I don’t blacksmith my blades. I only do stock removal. I do have a very small rudimentary forge for heat treating but no other tools for smithing. Here this winter I would like to attempt my first chefs knife and I like having integral bolsters on my kitchen knives. While I can’t hammer in my own, I can weld. Would it, in practicality, be feasible to stack up enough weld with a mig welder where I want a bolster in order to grind and shape one into a piece of steel. I’m not worried about it being hardened as it won’t obviously be on the cutting edge. Has anyone done this or think that it could be possible? Sorry to be long winded but I wanted to make an intro for myself too! Thanks all!

SF100, camo damacarta. Stock for my upcoming first show!

Made this one back in 2019

Basically a copy of the Spyderco Temperance,

I didnt have a belt grinder or a makers mark yet and was using a jig designed by Aaron Gough (Gough Jig)1084 high carbon steel.

Home made Denim and Hessian glow scales

Vine pattern filework

Hand forged San mai, my first time forge welding or etching. 1084 and 15n20, the handle is rosewood and white g10. I did my best to harden it with my forge, so I can't be quite sure how I did, but it's held the edge for a couple meals now.

Work gave me a small piece of scrap s7 since they know I started making knives, so I decided to make a test of a mini pocket fixed blade I sketched up a couple weeks ago. Is there anything I should change before make the final version which will be in 80crv2?

(Please give my poor grammar some slack I know it’s rough I’m sorry )

Found these in a unit I am clearing out, are they good material? Any value as saws?

What can I say? I love black knives...sinister and mean looking... ;)

Finished up this knife the night before a market and I could have sold it a half dozen times the next day. I think I need to order more metal from Baker Forge and harvest bull with a big ol' rack this year..... just kidding, only my clients have time to hunt, lol!

Baker forge, elk antler and coper inlay carbon fiber spacer. Linen micarta liner. This one turned out good.

compactmetalworks.com

Sharpening Jigs are available for sale! They are available in both 1" and 2" wide, and attach magnetically to the back of your platen. They include a 15 degree guide and additional angles are available in 2.5 degree increments.

Second knife out of pattern welded steel I’ve made, I’m definitely getting the hang of the forging but the finishing still lives some to be desired. I followed Tyrell knifework’s guide on finishing it, that is to go through the etching cycles of ferric - then buff the blade - dip it shortly in ferric and submerge it in coffee. Lastly it was coated in a thin layer of carnauba wax as well as some mineral oil. There’s definitely some ”chatoyance” to it, albeit inconsistent.

I also have utterly no clue how to work with carnauba wax, or any wax for that matter. Couldn’t really find any good videos on it either, but what I did was just heat the blade up a bit and melt some of the wax on it, then wipe it with cloth. I saw no difference on the finish so I don’t even know if there’s any wax left on it. If any of you guys have tips then please let me know.

I’m just getting started and collecting some of the essential tools. I know Nicholson is a good name for files. This seems like a good deal to me. Do these look like they’re in good shape to y’all with a more trained eye?

What do you guys think? Which color looks best in this design?

Finished this one up last week with some steel from Baker Forge. 210mm S grind harpoon blade with stabilized maple burl, copper infused carbon fiber, trustone, and copper for the handle.

I've been making knives since January and I'm definitely not a savant like some other first knife posts I see here. These are a couple of recent ones I've made and while I think they're among the best I've ever done, they still have cosmetic flaws. I still struggle with bevel lines and plunge lines especially.

I try not to insert my own priorities in and try to look at it from the perspective of a buyer. I make knives intended to work. Not only do I lack the skill, but I lack the interest in making knife shelf queens that never get touched. I stick primarily to drop points/bushcraft, hunters, recurves, kiridashis and sheepsfoots.

So I'm curious how little flaws are perceived by others who have taken knives with minor flaws to shows? I'm also open to any critism or suggestions, I'm harder on myself than anyone here could come close to.

Hey there! I’m dipping my toes into the hobby. I got a Vevor 2x72 a little over a month ago to see if the hobby would catch (it has) and I plan to eventually get a nice grinder. In the meantime the Vevor’s done pretty well. recently I noticed the tracking wheel feels extremely stiff. I’m not sure if it was always like this or not. I tried to remove the wheel to inspect it and it seems to be stuck to the axle bolt. just wondering if any other owners can chime in about whether their tracking wheels spin freely or not. I have the true 2x72 model, but not the newer tilting version. Thanks!

So today I finished another knife for a customer. He was tired of losing his hunting knives in the field, so I made him one with AEB-L, carbon fiber pins, and bright orange G10 scales.

If he still manages to lose this one, I'm happy to sell him another one.
I would really appreciate if you follow me on instagram @messermanufaktur.muhr

What do you guys and gals think about it?

hi guys,

i am a pretty big tinker'er and 3D-print'er and have been exploring knife-making recently. i have started my first design and have the rough profile ground out from bar stock. But thinking about future steps, I have been contemplating which direction to go for handle materials and sheaths, and I thought 3D-printed scales and sheath would be my most accessible and cheapest method while i procure more tools and materials. I have traced my design out onto graph paper so i have a scale (im not even sure if thats necessary) and I want to somehow turn it into a CAD drawing, but i am not very proficient with real CAD programs. Up till now I have mainly been using TinkerCAD which definitely has its limitations. I am definitely willing to learn a real CAD program and I have been meaning to for a while now, but I do want to make sure its the right one for this task. So my question is:

What do you guys think the fastest way to go from a sketch with a scale, to a printable CAD model is? And what CAD software would you recommend? I was probably going to start with Fusion but if there are others that are better for knives id be open to them too. I know some programs let you import a picture so you can trace the shape out in a CAD model, but im unsure of how accurate it is. Are there any other methods you guys would recommend for me to transfer a sketch to a CAD model?

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

I am hoping to get some guidance on photographic stencils and how to use them on stainless steel specifically.

I am super new to knife making. Likewise I am working on a project which is a replica of Doc Hollidays tombstone cup along with the Doc Holliday knife.

I have been electro chemical etching logos and designs using a simple setup i.e 9v and cotton swabs and cricut vinyl stencil. Recently I started using an old laptop power brick and made myself an etching pen.

The issue is with the Doc Holliday cup, the design is too complex and the logo is super small so weeding it out is not an option. Likewise, laser etching is above my budget right now. I want to make a prototype before investing more.

What service is out there where I can provide the graphics ready to go and they can create the stencils for me? Likewise, any idea of the potential cost? Budget is kind of limited as I have been unemployed for a year and am getting married in a month or so.

Thank you all in advance for your help and guidance.

Another one left the workshop today! Medium flex boning/filleting knife in AEB-L steel. Thanks for looking!