Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting more custom knives

Staying busy and out of trouble with my current "winter projects".
All shown here are 1/8" 1084 carbon steel and natural wood. Blade lengths average about 3 1/2" and overall lengths average 7 3/4".

The "Hunter" (left) with Spalted Maple and the "Skinner" on right with Maple Burl.


The other side




Top-Bottom, the "Whitetail" with Purpleheart, the "Camper" with striped Japanese Chestnut and the "Idaho" with walnut. All of these have a full flat grind.

Oh and if you're on FaceBook, here is a link to my FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/gpopecustomknives/

Very nice work there Snubbie.

Those are some good looking knives. I'd almost be afraid to use one in the field for fear I'd scratch or lose it.

Awe shucks, as I recall you carry something like an Old Timer folder you've had 40 years! You've not lost it.
Scratches won't hurt a thing. I know you, you don't own anything you don't intend to use. We're alike in that respect.

And thanks!

Thanks smoke, I've enjoyed making them.

That's about the age of my knife. Since it's a folder, after I dress an animal, I throw it in a pan of water and boil it to get the fat & crud out of the joints. I don't think I'd do that with one of yours. Of course, yours are easy to clean without it.

I'd probably do just what you do...use it more for a kitchen knife.

I'm 100% sure I found my next pursuit (and damn glad I messaged Mr. Snubbie on his FB page).

I throw it in a pan of water and boil it to get the fat & crud out of the joints. NOOOO!!!!! That wouldn't work well with natural wood and carbon steel.
They do great as a general utility knife in the kitchen. The carbon steel just takes on a nice dark patina. (I'm currently making myself a knife and one for my daughter in damascus steel) Just wash by hand and wipe it down. Maybe a bit of mineral oil or even olive oil rubbed in the handle occasionally. And don't put it in the dishwasher!

Maybe I'll make you one sometime to butcher llama's, goats, chicken's and turkeys with!

The deceased would be well pleased to be disemboweled by a really good looking knife.

Another one just finished and my first in Damascus steel. I made this one with a thinner blade and scaled down some, more of a bird/trout/small game knive. I call it "The Longbeard" and hope to use it on one in about a month!

The Damascus steel knife is beautiful! Does it require heat tempering the edge?

Really nice work!

Yes, all of the steel is in an annealed(softened) state when I cut and grind the blades. Then heat treating (hardening) is required and afterwards, tempering to soften it from the hardening process. The ideal heat treatment results in a blade that is not too hard(so that the blade would break when bent or the edge chips) and not too soft(so that the blades stays bent or the edge bends or curls).

And that's the whole trick, getting the right heat treatment, so you can get a blade that sharpens easily enough and holds that edge. Easier with a temperature controled oven(which I have) than with a forge.