San-Mai "S.O.B."
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A style I affectionately call an "S.O.B." - Short Occasional Bowie. "Short" usually refers to something with a blade in the 6-8 inch range.
After that I consider them a full grown-up Bowie.
I forged the blade from a billet of my San-Mai steel - a high carbon core with a forge-welded/laminated 416 stainless steel "jacket". This provides both a differential hardness from cutting edge to back and also provides a rather striking visual effect of carbon migration, not to mention contrast.
Once again the take-down hardware is frosted and hot-blued.
The handle material is from a spectacular block of end-grain spalted maple.
It would be pretty tough to come up with a more striking combination of materials.
Don't forget the videos with my photos.
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| San-Mai S.O.B. |
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| San-Mai S.O.B. |
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The "Echo Trail" Hunter
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These are the sort of knives I like to make when it's not for an order - just sort of change things up a bit.
This is one I named the "Echo Trail" in honor of a hiking trail through the Superior National Forest in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota.
This is one you might want on your belt on a hiking adventure.
I forged the blade from a round bar of W1 drill rod tool steel and by means of clay application created the differential hardening "hamon", which also gives a dramatic visual presentaion.
I gotta tell ya' - I am having a lot of fun "frosting" my knife hardware these days by blasting the steel with some well-used coal sla. I then hot-blue it and it makes a really nice subtle piece of hardware.
the handle material was from a block of stabilized Hawaiian Koa.
I also gave the blade back a bit of a raised clip and false edge - not much! Just enough.
All in all a really nice knife that I enjoyed creating.
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| The "Echo Trail" Hunter |
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The "Black Iron" Hunter
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A bit of a companion/relative to my "White Iron" Hunter this knife has a bit of a different blade profile and both the blade and the guard have been Parkerized!
The parkerizing process imparts a manganese phosphate coating to the steel, giving it added abrasion and corrosion resistance.
I forged the blade from a 1 1/8" round bar of Cru-Forge V. Steel that, for all practical purposes, can't even be purchased any more. A person might be able to get some from another who still has some on hand, but that's the only place you'll find it.
The handle is a fantastic piece of Desert Ironwood.
The video gives the whole story!!
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| Black Iron Hunter |
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| Black Iron Hunter |
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The "Lockdown Fighter"
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Just a name to call a knife I made in the middle of the Covid-19 Lockdown!!
This was made for a wonderful customer to add to his collection of knives from Andersen Forge that are to be left behind to his grand children! (We hope that day is far into the future!!)
I forged the blade from some of my Ladder Damascus made of 1095, 1080 and 15N20. I like that combination.
The handle is some exquisite stabilized Missouri Black Walnut. In my opinion, it just doesn't get much better than this. Some - but not much.
I seem to have created a monster with my process of blasting my hardware with well used coal slag for, what I call, a "frosting" effect. I simply call the hardware "frosted" and then I hot-blue it like on so many of my knives.
All in all - a really, really nice knife I was proud to make.
(With a deer skin lined sheath!!)
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CKCA San-Mai Hunter
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Each year at the Blade Show in Atlanta an organization, of which I am a proud memeber - the CKCA: Custom Knife Collectors Assn - has its annual CKCA Banquet. We are a world-wide diverse organization made up of llike-minded knife makers, collectors, and enthusiasts.
In addition to just having great food and rekindling old friendships, a handful of chosen knife maers each year bring a knife to be offered to the membership. This year I was chosen to bring a Hunter. This is that Hunter.
But! The Blade Show was cancelled due to the Covid-19 virus. So, I offered it to my customer list and, of course, it sold immediately.
I fo rged the San-Mai blade from my go-to recipe of 1095 and 416 - sometims 410 - stainless steel. I hot-blued the mild steel guard and the handle material was from a blcok of absolutely spectacular end-grain spalted maple I got from my good buddy Pete Crowl.
I have to pat myself on the back for accomplishing my first lined sheath. I recently got a couple leather sewing machines to upgrade from hand-stitching. This upgrade makes the lining possible.
So, here she is.
Do not forget to watch the video!!!!!!!!!!!
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| San-Mai Hunter |
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| San-Mai Hunter |
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| San-Mai Hunter |
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| San-Mai Hunter |
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San-Mai Fighter
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I have many knife design "platorms" and this is one of my favorites. I really like the mid-sized Bowie/Fighters for their visual balance and the opportunity to utilize a wide variety of materials.
This knife allowed my use my San-Mai recipe of 10095 and 416 Stainless steel, what I call a "frosted" guard that I then hot-blued, and some not-often-seen Ivory Micarta.
A much better explanation can be heard in the video below.
I don't always make a video of each and every knife - but I try.
I hope you enjoy this one.
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The "Gunflint Hunter"
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I can't give this knife enough praise. It's just quite a favortie of mine.
I designed the Gunflint Hunter as a companion to the Quetico Kleaver shown just below.
I also provide these knives to the Piragis Northwoods Company as I describe in the Quetico Kleaver description. Mine, once again, are provided with Desert Ironwood scales opposed to the ones for Piragis, which are curly maple.
Both the Gunflint Hunter and the Quetico Kleaver are Parkerized to provide both corrosion and abrasion resistence.
Having one of each might become necessary in the months and years to come.
Ya' just can't be too prepared.
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| Gunflint Hunter |
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The "Quetico Kleaver"
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Being an avid enthusiast of our wonderful Great Outdoors, I designed the "Quetico Kleaver" to be a companion to our adventures.
It can be used for a wide variety of tasks from building emergency shelter, acquiring and processing fire wood, quartering large game and impressing your friends when you pull it out of your pack!
The Name "Quetico Kleaver" is a nod to the Caneoing Wilderness just across the border in Canada from Northern Minnesota.
Don't leave home without yours.
As a note - I provide this model to Priagis Northwoods Company on a commercial basis. I also sell them to my customers. So as not to compete, I sell mine at the very same price. Mine, however, use Desert Ironwood Scales as opposed to the Piragis model of stabilized curly maple.
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| Quetico Kleaver |
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| Quetico Kleaver |
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Damascus Hunter
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A pretty straght-forward affair, right here.
For this hunter I forged a random pattern Damascus blade. The contrast between the 1095 and 1080 tool steel and 15N20 nickel is dramatic. Ya' just gotta love Damascus, eh?
The customer wanted LOTS of contrast on this knife so I sneaked in a thin stainless spacer between the hot-blued mild steel guard and the blade.
We also wanted some "zing" to it so I mirror polished the blade spine for some sparkle.
The handle is a spectacular piece of Stabilized Missouri Black Walnut.
She's all built in a take-down assembly which is nicely demonstrated in the video included at the bottom of the picture list.
Please watch it!
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| Damascus Hunter |
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| Damascus Hunter |
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| Damascus Hunter |
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| Damascus Hunter |
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| Damascus Hunter |
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Blackwood Bowie
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I must admit that I really do enjoy making big knives. It gives an opportunity to do different things along a lot of real estate.
I forged this blade from a large round bar of W1 Tool Steel. After grinding, I hardened the blade using a clay coating process to influence the phase transformation while converting to hard martensite in the quenching process. This results in the distinctive Hamon that occures in shallow hardening steels.
I consider this one a success - which sometimes fails!
The fittings are 416 stainless steel and the whole affair is built in a Take-Down assembly.
The handle is a fantastic example of Premium African Blackwood.
Please be sure to watch the video in the provided link.
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| Blackwood Bowie |
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| Blackwood Bowie |
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| Blackwood Bowie |
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| Blackwood Bowie |
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| Blackwood Bowie |
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| Blackwood Bowie |
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