Blades
All my knives are made with a completely flat Scandinavian style grind or chisel grind at 26 degrees, as a cabinetmaker I have used this angle on all my chisels etc for 35 years in the trade, it is perfect for wood.
Because of the curved nature of the grind I am not (neither are millions of professional woodworkers across the world) a fan of convex grinds when cutting wood etc simply because the curved grind profile automatically causes the edge to bite deeper and deeper giving you much less precise control over the cut, in the workshop or in the field. Perfect feather-sticks are easier to achieve with shallow planing cuts with a zero flat edge than any other.
The photo on the right shows one of my blades straight from the belt grinder, after a few strokes on the diamond stone you can clearly see that the stone is only in contact with the centre of the grind ie,the grind is naturally convexed straight from the soft belt.
I start with 500 grit and finish eventually at 8000 grit to achieve the perfectly flat edge I am known for.
In O1 steel this will take about 2 1/2 hours, 14c28n and A2 about 3-4 hours and Elmax........7 hours !!
Another very good reason for this extra work is edge retention, under a microscope a belt finish edge is toothy with peaks and troughs with little points on the end will will swiftly bend, break or just dull meaning your are on the stones to touch up the edge. I do all the hard work for you for optimum strength and edge retention.
A critical part of the long-term quality of your knife is the bond between handle scales and the blade.
After much experimentation over the years I have perfected I believe the strongest possible build.
Like the edge honing detailed above my method has two key benefits for the user, the first is balance, by strategically drilling holes through the length of the tang but away from stress points the balance of the knife is usually (depending on the wood weight) pushed up to the front pin, just like chisels etc in the workshop it is much more natural to feel some weight of the tool out front at the cutting edge.
I guarantee you will guide your cuts with much greater precision like this than if you have all the weight dead in the palm of your hand and the blade almost weightless out front, try it, you'll see.
The second and equally important part of the build process here is that one scale is bonded on first, The tang is then carefully warmed to allow any air bubbles in the resin to rise and escape, with every hole completely filled with resin each one becomes a mini resin-rivet bonding one scale straight through the tang to the other for the strongest most reliable knife build available.
Handles
One of the most important parts of any hand tool is our connection to it !
At the start of my makers journey I already owned a knife with the classic 'Coke bottle' shaped handle that was in part responsible for setting me on the path to become a knifemaker.
One summers afternoon I was choked up on the blade using the belly curve to hollow out a spatula blade in Beech, a chip stuck to the tip, stupidly I just leant forward to knock it off on the log in front,.........Yep, a last second glance at something else and my fingers slid straight down the blade, BIG ouch!! It was of course my own fault but because the Coke bottle handle shape actively tapered towards the blade there was nothing to stop my fingers sliding forwards and being sliced open.
I decided to explore an alternative shape for my knives searching for a shape that included the saftey of a guard but without the intrusion a traditional guard might mean. After many weeks of prototypes in Tulip-wood I arrived at a design that fills the hand in all the right places but most importantly has a collar that acts as a highly effective guard against sliding forwards up the blade!
And also in the tip carving grip mentioned above allows the little finger to be securely wrapped around the collar for a super secure grip.
I have listened to feedback down the years (thank you Jurgen K ) and softened corners to prevent hot spots around the front shoulders and at the pommel flair to ensure day long comfort in use but retaining the strong deeply carved ergonomic shape so effective in the field.
Even with a gloved hand the distinctive handle will tell you exactly how the blade is orientated in your hand even in the dark after a short period of acclimatisation to the handle.
Custom Handles
Send me the measurements of your hand as per the sketch and I will be able to make the handle to fit your hand.
Pins, Bolts and Tubes
I offer Mosaic pins, Corby bolts and lanyard tubes in the appropriate metal.
I will tend to use mosaic pins with stabilised handle materials because of the much reduced movement by these stabilised woods.
There are a few exceptions with very dense hardwoods such as African Blackwood or Desert Ironwood for example that experience much less movement than something like Cocobolo.
With non-stabilised wood handles I will always recommend using Corby bolts to help control the natural movement of wood with the changing seasons.
Sheathes
All my sheathes are made of the best quality fine grained veg tanned leather available.
Each sheath is uniquely wet formed to each individual knife for a perfect secure fit.
Each sheath is double stitched with a thick welt to ensure safe secure protection for your knife.
Belt loops are made at sufficient length to ensure the knife hangs just below the belt line for good access and protected carry.
Once upon a long time ago on a trip deep in rural Normandy I sat back down on a log with my knife in hand to continue whittling in camp, when by automatic muscle memory I went to re-sheath the knife, it cut straight through the side and nicked my hip because the blade section had unknowingly bent out to the side...! Ouch
So after discovering medieval monks had developed the technique to stiffen and waterproof leather tankards I now hot wax impregnate each sheath with pure Beeswax until fully saturated, this process makes each sheath entirely waterproof and as hard/stiff as wood, no more cut hips, plus your knife slides home with a secure "snick" for safety.
