My latest military knife is now officially en route to its new owner, who plans to carry it on his next deployment. He currently serves with the 173D Airborne Brigade which, according to military experts, is fucking BADASS (please excuse the technical term).

I rigged up a leather sheath that will be compatible with MOLLE gear so he can wear it on his chest rig. Here’s a shot of the front -

And here’s the backside, which shows the MOLLE compatible button strap.

Hopefully the knife will arrive at its destination in a few short days, at which point its service shall officially commence. Although my man Nick doesn’t know it yet, he has been selected as my official field tester and will hopefully report back with his impressions postehaste.

Godspeed, brother.

A few days ago a friend of mine came over to visit and I took him out to the workshop to show him a little of what I do out there. Well, before long the forge was glowing and the anvil was ringing with the sound of hammers forging hot steel. We worked in the shop for many hours, each of us making a knife from start to finish as I demonstrated basic forging, grinding, and heat treating techniques and gave him some guidance along the way. When Keith walked out of there that afternoon he had a cool new knife in his hand and a big smile on his face. The knife I made didn’t come out too shabby either. 

Anyway, Keith is an Army veteran who proudly served in the 10th Mountain Division, an elite light infantry unit that has been deployed in just about every major conflict the U.S. has been involved in over the last few decades. When I finished the knife I made while he was here I decided that I wanted a soldier to have it. Seemed fitting…

So here’s it is. I forged it out of some 1/4″ thick 1084 carbon steel and fully hardened the blade. Its overall length is just a bit under 9″ with about a 4″ cutting edge. The flats were left with a forge finish and the bevels have a simple 800-grit cork-belt finish. The full tang handle is wrapped in cord to keep it nice and slim. The wrap also provides solid purchase in the hand and can be removed if you happen to find yourself in need of some cord.

It’s not pretty, it’s not fancy, but it’s strong, it’s tough, it’s sharp, and it will serve its owner faithfully for many many years.  As far as its new owner is concerned, I may have actually just found him…

Meanwhile, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the brave soldiers and veterans out there for their service. Your courage, honor, loyalty and sacrifice keeps this nation safe and free. I wish I could make a knife for every one of you…

Just a simple utility knife that I made for a friend. Sure, there are numerous design elements here that borrow heavily from traditional Japanese utility knives as well as some of their modern Western interpretations, but this is NOT a kiridashi. No. I wouldn’t think of calling it something I can’t pronounce properly. Instead, I’ll call it “schnurd.”

Schnurd is forged from 1084 carbon steel and measures just a hair over 6 inches from tip to ass. It has a pretty steep chisel grind with a cutting edge not even two inches long. The primary bevel is ground down to 800-grit while the remaining surface area remains forge-fresh and unfinished. The thong hole is lined with brass tubing, peened over a chamfered edge.

I haven’t posted anything new here in months, but that will be remedied soon. Promise!

First, let me offer a quick update regarding my whereabouts and goings on these last few months. At the beginning of March, I left my job of the prior 12 years to set a new professional course for myself. Does that mean I’m going to become a fulltime bladesmith? No, don’t be silly. That would require discipline, efficiency, and skill, none of which Icurrently posess. No. Instead, for now that means working solo for a bit, trading financial instruments from my humble home office. Interest rate futures mostly, but also equity index futures and commodities. I’ve lost a ton of money doing this, but fortunately I’ve also had a few profitable trades, carrying my net P&L firmly in the black. Let’s hope I can keep that up lest my children go hungry and my wife walk out on my good-for-nothin deadbeat ass.

… what else? Let’s see, I made some maple syrup this spring, did a bunch of skiing, travelled around a bit (NYC and LA), got caught up with some work around the house, spent a bunch of time with the kids, and did a little work out in the shop as well.  Pictures to follow shortly…

So the wifey’s been asking me to get her a banana hook. Apparently bananas stay fresh longer when they’re hanging from some kind of hook, and apparently these things actually exist. Unfortunately the banana hooks I saw in the local stores all sucked. Ugly, flimsy, made in China crap. So like any self respecting blacksmith I went out to the shop and made one instead. Happy birthday honey. Hope you like it.

Seems to do the trick…

Oh, and speaking of bananas, I also made a fire poker. Hell of a thing, somehow it enables you to move burning logs around in your woodstove without burning your fingers. Sheesh, wish someone had thought of this sooner….

Made this one from a piece of half inch square bar. Forged in a hook and a point, and gave it some decorative alternating twists…. I’m now pretty well equipped to go poke all sorts of hot things and then maybe go hang my banana, and you know what? I feel pretty darn good about that.