I finally got to go to Mike Snody's Shop (pics)

N

NCBlades

Joined
Mar 9, 2000
Messages
1,162
First off, I want to say that Mike Snody is one of the coolest makers I have met. I ordered a Compadre from Mike a while back and he promised me I could come to his shop one day and check out his other knives. Well, this past week Mike emailed me and told me my knife was almost finished and I could come by on Sunday to pick it up. Man, I was really excited about getting to go to his shop. Mike's shop is only about 15 minutes from where I live. I went over to his shop and we talked for about 3 hours. He put the final edge on my blade, made the concealex sheath, and etched the BG-42 mark on the handle while I watched. We talked alot about steel, handle materials, and equipment. We also did some cardboard and paper cutting with some of his chisel ground blades. I was not much of a chisel grind person before I went to his shop, but now I love them. I am very interested in making knives one day and Mike told me which grinder to buy first and other stuff like that. Mike is a very knowledgeable when it comes to knifemaking and the equipment. I was impressed with all the different styles of knives that Mike makes. His line varies from hunting knives to Japanese style knives to all out tactical knives. I know I will be getting more Snody knives in the future. Enough with the talk, here are some pics:


Here is a picture of Mike cutting some excess concealex off my sheath.
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This picture is my Compadre before he put the edge on it:
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Here, Mike is grinding the edge on my knife:
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Mike polishing the edge on a leather wheel:
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Final product. A very very sharp blade:
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I forgot to add, Mike says this is only the second Compadre to leave his shop with the extra swedge on the top of the blade. Larry at Blade Art has the first one with pearl scales. Mike is going to make some of these with polished blades and pearl. They will look very nice. He showed me how BG-42 polished up. Very shiny!

More pics can be seen here:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1526731&a=13564842

I can't wait to go back soon! Next time we are going to test some of his blades :D
michael
 
Thanks a lot for the post.
The pictures are great and I'm happy I can see how Mike makes his knife.
I have one Compadre for months and I like this knife very much.
But your Compadre with swedge looks great!! :)
 
NC,
I enjoy seeing other makers shops!! Someday I'll clean up mine and take some pictures :) The Compadre seems like a well thought out little utility knife. The sheath looks great as well.

Mike,
I'm glad to see I'm not the only maker that uses a scroll saw!! I cut EVERYTHING with mine.... except blade steel;)

Neil
 
Thanks for a great post about a man who makes great knives.

This is the sort of item I joined Bladeforums for.

Regards,

Ed
 
Michael -- that's a great looking knife. I know I just looked at one on Snody's site or BladeArt or something. Nice pictures about his shop.

In a fairly recent Blade magazine, there was a short blurb about the toxicity of vanadium. Mention was made of a maker who got seriously poisoned grinding a steel with .2% vanadium makeup. BG-42 has 6 times that much vanadium in it.

Since you know Snody, you might share with him that he ought to be using a respirator when he grinds any steel with vanadium in it.
 
Hey Michael.
Good thread, cool pictures. I enjoyed having you over. I dont get many visitors, Sniper and Troy were the last and I still havent fully recovered. They chopped down half of my trees and several pressure treated two by twelves. Then proceeded to blast one of my best blades with a 5.56 full metal jacket at close range.(be careful when using the term "bulletproof" most things arent) I still dont have the mess cleaned up. Sniper gave my pitbulls a complex they are just getting over. Thanks for the comments Joe, Ed and Neil(I do love my scroll saw). I appreciate them.

Bugs is right about Vanadium, thanks for pointing it out. I wear a half or full face respirator when grinding and try to do the bulk of it outside. I usually dont wear one when sharpening but probably should. The little Compadres are only about .008" prior to sharpening and it doesnt take long. While we are on the subject of safety that particular Wilton is set up to run backwards allowing me to work the slack belt right behind the wheel for handle shaping and sharpening.

Regards.
Mike Snody
www.snodyknives.com
 
Thanks for the great pictures Michael.

Mike is a heck of a nice guy and I hope someday to get to visit him. I live a lot more than 15 minutes away though.

I am working with Mike right now on another knife(I have 2 already), and I am getting quite excited about the possibilities. This is going to be one he!! of a knife.:D
 
Mike,

Thanks for answering the grinder question before I asked. I looked at the picture and went "huh?"

Nice knife, NC.
 
Hey NC blades, thanks for the shop/tour pics. I just got my second M. Snody knife. I now have a Bushido and and a Karma Kozuka. I would love to see his shop. :eek: :D

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