Forging Damascus

This is my forge and hydraulic press that I use for making Damascus. In the first Pic, I have two billets in the forge bringing them up to welding temp. Each billet is made up of alternating layers of two types of steel. When they are ready, I mash the layers together with a 25 ton hydraulic press in the second pic. Picture three is a close up of a billet being pressed into shape.

Beaver milling machine added to the shop

This is the Beaver milling machine me and my friend Cliff went to Salt Lake City to pick up a couple of weeks ago. It's a beast at almost seven feet tall and weighs over a ton! But this will really increase the quality and decrease the production time for my knives. I intend to use it for making Damascus patterns, slotting guards, shaping knife blanks, and tool-making at first. As I learn more of what the milling machine can do (and as I add more tooling) I am hoping this will be a real timesaver. In the pictures is the mill as trailered back from Utah. My friend Cliff wiring up a three phase converter to run the mill. The last pic is the mill in the final stages of cleaning and reconditioning. It had been in storage for a couple of years. Beaver milling machines are no longer in production in the UK but several machine shops in the US still use them for their quality and precision.

Elk Horn Hunter

This drop point hunter is my first horn handle since I started making knives. The guard and butt are mild steel with some filework on the guard.

This is the first guard I have milled on my new (to me) milling machine. The Damascus steel is made of 15N20 and 1080 high carbon steels.

...Here it is all finished.

Sheath Stamping

This is my helper Derek. He's 4 years old and wants to do everything that Dad does. So here he is stamping a pattern into a scrap of leather while I stamp a basketweave pattern into a sheath for a customer.

Blue Jean Micarta

Hand forged 120 layer twist Damascus with rope filework, brass pins and thong hole liner. Hand made blue jean "Micarta". Comes with a hand made sheath. SOLD

Camel Thorn Hunter

African camelthorn wood with a brass guard and 60 layer Damascus steel. Given to my father.

Tactical Back-up

12 layer horizontal Damascus blade with a green and black "Micarta" handle and a "Kydex" sheath. Designed as a last resort back-up weapon. SOLD

Drop Point Hunter

Air Force Combat

My son Derek's hero is Evan Claassen from our Church. When he joined the Air Force, Derek asked me to make Evan a knife and he wanted to help. We did, and here it is. This is a combat knife with a false swedge. 5160 steel blade about 5 3/4 inches in legnth about 10 and 3/4 overall length. The handle is lace wood with a hand carved airforce logo. It was presented to Evan along with a formed kydex sheath.

Chute Knife

5160 high carbon steel hunter/fighter. Rosewood handle with mild steel fittings. Acid etched blade. 1/2 length false top swedge (can be sharpened). Currently my personal knife.

Tiger Striped Bloodwood Hunter

120 layer random patterned Damascus steel forged in Pete's shop. Nickel silver guard with spacer and NS thong hole tube. Fancy hand tooled leather sheath by Pete. SOLD

Bear Country Bowie

12 inch 5160 high carbon steel blade. Edge quenched with visible "hamon" line. Rosewood handle with hand engraved bear motiff. Mild steel guard with spacer. Hand made sheath.
SOLD