2012 Build-Off knife

For this year's Build-Off on the Custom Knives and Guns Forum I decided to design a new model and go fancy. The knife is finished and earned 1st place!
This new design is called the Gordian Knot and will be part of my line up of models. This first one features a Chad Nichols' San Mai blade, a titanium Bolster-Lock with zirconium scales. The titanium frame is guilloché inside and out and anodized. The zirconium scales are machined and heat colored. The spacer material is a honeycomb/resin material.
I'll let the photos do the talking ;-)

Instructional videos

Late last year Chris Crawford spent a few days at my shop filming the making of a couple of knives in order to produce 2 instructional videos: Basic Tactical Folders and Advanced Tactical Folders.

The videos are now available for sale and show in great details all the steps I take to make knives in my shop. I think they are very informative for the aspiring knifemakers but also for the collectors who want to know more about the way their knives are made.

You can find out more about each video and purchase them on Chris Crawford's website:

Basic Tactical Folders

Advanced Tactical Folders

Chris is coming back this summer for more filming..... Stay tuned!

Dang... I am just not good at this blog thing!

I can't believe my last post was in September of last year! I apologize for the long silence and will try to do better.

How about I try and post one time a week? Between knives, machines, martial arts, shooting, eating and all the other stuff I do there should be enough to talk about.
For starter I'll show you my latest Build-Off knife. Like last year's knife, it is a new model. This one is called the Gordian Knot (Google it!). Chad Nichols made me a new San Mai steel with A2 and 420; it is satin finished and blued. The knife is a Bolster-Lock with a titanium frame and machined zirconium scales. I used guilloché to decorate the outside but also the inside of the frame. I think it turned out great! I am planning to keep this new model in my line and make it in a variety of configuration and materials.

 Here are a few pics of the finished knife:

Getting over this summer

I don't know what happened to the summer but last thing I remember was Blade Show! Seriously I took a little time off to recover from the Blade Show, went to the range, trained for a fight (more on that later!) and just relaxed. Then I got busy on my summer projects: I had promised Blade Magazine to write a whole chapter for their upcoming Guide To Making Knives II so I decided to explain how I use my pantograph to make patterns and then the knives. That project took several weeks, between making the actual patterns and knives, taking and editing photos and writing the chapter. I took this opportunity to re-design my Tank model (version 3.0), make new patterns and proof them with a small series of knives. I think they turned out great and so did the guys that were lucky to get their hands on them!

After the book I needed to make a special Tank knife for a very famous movie star who really likes my knives. I swore confidentiality so I can't tell you who it is but I can show you the knife!

Last year I had started making limited runs of some of my very first folder models, the Omega Series. I have already made the M1 and M2 in 2010 and I just finished the Omega M5 series. These knives are based on the original line drawings from my catalogs of way back then but they are made with the methods and processes I use today. The best of old school tacticals!

With the Paris knife show looming in a few weeks; I am busy in the shop making goodies to bring.

You have met Dr. Jekyll, now meet Mr. Hyde!

The model I designed for the Build-Off had 2 blades designs. I made one and called it Jekyll and I finally finished a few models with the other blade shape to take to the show.

Meet Mr. Hyde!





On the Hogue front we also have been working hard to get the EX-F01 Damascus and cocobolo fixed blades ready for Blade. I think they turned out awesome! These are for sale and quantities are very limited.



The first EX-02 prototypes will also be unveiled. These are not for sale but we should be in full production within a couple of months.





If you are making it to the Blade Show come by and say hi at booths 54 & 55 in the back of the room!

More Blade Show prep and some finished knives.

10 days left to finish all I want to bring to the show.... the heat is on!

Here are some examples of what I will have at the show:






Hogue and I are also working hard to have the EX-02 prototypes ready for the show



I am finishing some Tanks right now and will make the first Hyde models right before leaving for the show. Back to the shop....

Blade Show preparation

Atlanta will become the center of the cutlery universe from June 10th to the 12th when the Blade Show will be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Hundreds of knifemakers, manufacturers, dealers will gather to sell and show their wares.

More info about the Blade Show here

This year I will have a booth (#54 at the back of the room) right next to Hogue's booth. I will have a variety of my customs including the new model(s) Jekyll/Hyde that I made during the Build-Off. I am planning to use a variety of materials such as Damascus, Timascus, Moku-Ti, Zirconium, Lightning Strike carbon fiber, marble carbon fiber, various woods and ivory.





Hogue will also have exciting products such as 5.5" and 7" Damascus EX-F01 fixed blades with cocobolo handles, all the EX-01 folder and EX-F01 fixed blade variations. Also expected to be unveiled at the show: EX-02 prototypes!



I am hard at work making knives and will be posting more pictures soon!