Project 365 - Day 120

CRKT FTWS fixed blade

Fixed blade I designed for CRKT a few years ago. It is still being produced and sold today.

Project 365 - Day 119

"What is on the bench" Monday!

Almost done with the Mini Jekylls for True North Knives! I had to go out of town for a few days so this project got delayed. I should be done with them tomorrow.

Project 365 - Day 118

Pirate (2007 - Tactical Invitational)

Button-Lock mechanism - Damascus blade, front and back bolsters - Timascus scales.

Project 365 - Day 117

Euclid (2003)

Titanium case - Damascus and titanium multi-levels dial.

Project 365 - Day 116

Hogue Elishewitz EX-04 (Part 4)

In this video I am explaining the wharncliff blade on the knife and its advantages.

Project 365 - Day 115

Hogue Elishewitz EX-04 (Part 3)

Here is an explanation of what the double grind is on these blades and its advantages.

Project 365 - Day 114

Hogue Elishewitz EX-04 (Part 2)

Project 365 - Day 113

Hogue Elishewitz EX-04 (Part 1)

Based on my Jekyll and Hyde models, Hogue is producing the EX-04 button lock knives. Here is an introduction to the knives.

Project 365 - Day 112

"What is on the bench Monday"!

I am making a limited run of Mini Jekylls for True North Knives. Stay tuned for final pics soon!

Project 365 - Day 111

2007 CK&G Knifemaker Build-Off Folder

The Custom Knives & Guns Forum (Forum) hosts an annual Knifemaker Build-Off which is a friendly competition in which makers face off making a knife under a set of rules and within a set time. This is the knife I made the first year of the competition and it won First Place.
It is a Khepri E-Lock with Gary House "Demon" carbon Damascus which was heat blued. The handle is a titanium frame all fluted and guilloché.

Project 365 - Day 110

Joel Pirela Design - Axe (2006)

Stainless steel and carbon fiber handle - Automatic Button-Lock mechanism.

Project 365 - Day 109

Phalanx (2007)

Button Lock with carbon fiber handle and Damascus back bolsters.

Project 365 - Day 108

Gordian Knot (2013)

Machined titanium framelock with Silicon Bronze TextureTech inlays. Nichols stainless Damascus.

Project 365 - Day 107

X5 Spearpoint (2013)

Fluted carbon fiber handle with inlayed stainless steel plates around the pivot pin and button lock area. Stainless steel Damascus with core from Chad Nichols.

Project 365 - Day 106

Mini Jekyll Flipper (2013)

Chad Nichols Damascus - Double grind blade - Titanium bolsters and M3 Composite scales.

Project 365 - Day 105

"What is on the bench Monday"

Another one I finished yesterday. Mini Hyde with titanium bolsters and M3 Composite scales.

What is M3 Composite? M3, short for Macro-Molecular Materials are part of the new breed of new age designer materials that make everything from the Stealth Bomber to the International Space Station possible. These materials are made with high purity metals and other exotic elements that have been deconstructed to the macro-molecular level, homogeneously combined and then reconstructed with highly refined proprietary chemical binders. Metal deconstruction requires very specialized equipment (Gas Metal Atomizer) that super heats the metal and then shoots it with water, gas or plasma causing it to explode into molecules of specific shape and size. Heat, pressure and an exothermic chemical reaction cause the molecules to cross link forming a new material with a unique macro-molecular structure. Because the molecules are distributed homogeneously through a process known as the Micelle Phenomenon, the new material gains the benefit of all the unique characteristics of the individual components.
Originally developed for aerospace and the military the engineers at M3 Composite Industries (M3ci) uncovered a host of aesthetic qualities that build on the remarkable benefits of these materials. The proprietary M3ci process together with the natural interplay of the metals and elements creates exotic metal colors, beautiful random wood grain patterns and metal combinations that were never before possible. Deep, dimensional, mirror finishes with galactic star field qualities make for a surface that is mesmerizing and desirable.

Project 365 - Day 104

Mini Jekyll and Mini Hyde (2013)

I just finished these mini version of my Jekyll and Hyde models. These have 3.5" blades.

Project 365 - Day 103

On Saturday we had a USN Meet & Greet in Austin at my friends' restaurant. About 50 people got together around good food to share their love of knives. We had a fun time!

(China Cafe by Phoenix)

Project 365 - Day 102

Besides learning how to grind, people tried their hand at guilloché on my antique machines.

Everyone is very focused!

Project 365 - Day 101

While some were playing in the shop, others were catching up or working on various projects.

From left to right Peter Carey, Chad Nichols and Les George.

Project 365 - Day 100

I tapered the tang of these little fixed blades for them

We did not have enough time to get them heat-treated and finished but it was still a good learning experience.

Project 365 - Day 99

Some of my friends learning to grind their first knives

According to them it is not as easy as it looks!

Project 365 - Day 98

"What is on the bench" Monday!

A bunch of friends got together at my place last weekend for a few days of fun, shooting, good eats and playing in the shop. I had these little fixed blade blanks available for those who wanted to learn how to grind. Here are some of the ones they practiced on and that is what is on my bench today! I am going to take the day off to recover from all the fun and I will get back to work tomorrow. I will have some finished knives to show you shortly.

Project 365 - Day 97

Tank Flipper E-Lock (2009)

Damascus blade with groove - Damascus bolsters and ivory scales - Bi-metal Damascus and titanium rocker and "yin yang" pivot pin.

Project 365 - Day 96

Tactical Pen (2008)

Titanium pen turned from solid titanium round bar - Impact crown - Grooves and anodizing.

Project 365 - Day 95

CRKT E-Lock

One of my first design collaboration with CRKT in the early 2000s.

Project 365 - Day 94

Ra Flipper (2008)

Damascus blade - Anodized titanium bolsters and ironwood scales.

Project 365 - Day 93

Kopis and Khepri (2011)

Kopis Flipper (bottom knife) - Titanium bolsters and carbon fiber scales.
Khepri - Superconductor bolsters and Lightning Strike carbon fiber scales with red liner.

Project 365 - Day 92

Bones - Tashi Bharucha Design (2011)

Limited Edition series made for Tashi Bharucha - Some knives had an all carbon fiber handle and some had titanium bolsters and carbon fiber scales.

Project 365 - Day 91

"What is on the bench" Monday!

I have been preparing all kind of hardware for upcoming projects. Here are some of the clips I worked on this past week, this is what they look like after heat treating and before grinding. Also some stop pins being surface ground to the correct length.