What's going on in your shop? Show us whats going on, and talk a bit about your work!

The grind doesn't stop. Waiting on the last batch of blades to come back from HT, working on a batch of S90V. New design, Humpback skinners, a couple "Zippers" and a few Fat Fingers (as opposed to the slimmer version "Little Finger"). Also, a one-off hunter that will get my first ever antler handle slabs. All rough ground and tangs tapered.

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I just machined some Nitro-V blanks for a customer the first time. This stuff machines really nicely. So far of all the knife steels I've machined Nitro-V and MagnaCut mill the best. (in their Annealed state) 20260120_232814.jpg
 
Spent the day yesterday cutting up 2, 8.25 x 12" plates of .118 14C28N for a batch of 11 MBBO and 9 FBBO! Gotta wipe them down, finish linking up the holes, and wrap in foil while the oven heats up tomorrow morning after working 3rd shift tonight.

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Planning on 1975, 15 min soak, plate quench, liquid nitrogen soak for 60 and then tempering just under 350 to get 62 HRC or so sound right?
 
And of course the LN2 Dewar is empty when I checked it this morning🤬, so I am on the gas run while the oven heats up!
 
Man that’s clean. Can’t wait to see it finished. Is it a commissioned piece?
no, no commission - just something that isn't in my inventory, its similar to one that has been sold recently and wanted to make another one similar ~ here is an idea of them when completed ~ sold this one several weeks ago ~ this new one being made has more of a drop in its nose ~ Suttle differences, when making knives ~ give me something to do ~ used to make bird houses ~ and shelves ~ too ~ 🐦 - may start doing some wood carving soon ~ get some bass wood from Michaels and carve a few bears and maybe some characters ~seems to be something that could be very enjoyable ~

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no, no commission - just something that isn't in my inventory, its similar to one that has been sold recently and wanted to make another one similar ~ here is an idea of them when completed ~ sold this one several weeks ago ~ this new one being made has more of a drop in its nose ~ Suttle differences, when making knives ~ give me something to do ~ used to make bird houses ~ and shelves ~ too ~ 🐦 - may start doing some wood carving soon ~ get some bass wood from Michaels and carve a few bears and maybe some characters ~seems to be something that could be very enjoyable ~

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That’s a deep makers mark…care to elaborate on how you get it so deep?
 
That’s a deep makers mark…care to elaborate on how you get it so deep?
“Yep — nothing more to it than that.” smack it a couple more times than most people ~ just make sure your stock is much thicker than your ~ depth ~ important note ~ "do not smack it cold" ~ throw it back in the fire between every strike ~ clean using wire brush every cycle too ~ you do not want scale inside your stamping zone it can ruin the quality of your mark ~
 
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Working on a large order of 2 blade trappers, and also managed to get my knives for Blade Show Texas cut out and heat treated! Gonna finish this trapper tomorrow and then put the rest of the order on hold while I prep for Blade!!! Gonna be busy!!!
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The storm is past. Just a few flurries today and the ice isn't too bad.
Decided it was time to hit the shop. I had a box of blades that were pretty much ready for HT and some nice heavy damascus billets next to the grinder ... so:
I took four of them and got them ready for HT. The santoku is already HTed, so I cleaned it up a bit. I'll weld plain steel tangs on the big blades, do fullers, and then do HT.
Top down:
1) Warikomi go-mai shoto-wakizashi with white steel core, 10" .
2) Mokume suminagashi santoku, 6" copper/brass/nickel silver, white steel core.
3) Arkansas Toothpick form straight line damascus 9"
4) Bowie from Straight line damascus 9" - I need to bring the clip back probably halfway down the spine.
5) Musso Bowie from feather damascus 11"

Closeup of the santoku, showing the copper/brass mokume and hard edge. The wakizashi will show the core the same way when done.

Initial feather billet being laid out.
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