I've been planning to go to the factory in Escanaba. I've talked to the owner on the phone and found out some pretty cool stuff. 3 times a year, they close their factory and invite the public to come in and learn how to make knives. His workers pair up and take everyone from concept to finished knife. I told him I was having some trouble heat treating A-2. Sharpening my blades, I was getting a ribbon paying out from the edge rather than breaking off and forming a burr. He gave me some pointers and invited me out to the factory. The next "grind in" is at the end of February and it's followed by another in July. That might be the one for me. I was thoroughly impressed that they do that.
A cool thing to note. They buy their A-2 already heat treated and tempered. Then they grind it. I wondered if it could take the temper out of the blade. He said you make one pass, one dip in the bucket, and one pass... On and on. He said start to finish, not counting glue drying, they make a finished knife in 20 minutes. They've definitely got it down.
