BLADE SHAPE AND SIZE
The first step is to choose the style of knife you want. I can craft Chef's knives, Nikiri's, Meat Slicers, Cleavers, Paring Knives, Santoku's, Steak Knives, Boning Knives, Utility, and even Ulus. Once you have a basic style chosen I will refine the profile so that it is perfect for its intended use whether it be slicing, chopping or rocking.
Choose the size of the knife. I can heat treat blades up to 16" long. I can cryogenically heat treat blades up to 2.4" wide in liquid nitrogen. Anything wider will get a sub-zero heat treatment in a dry ice bath.
Balance and weight - I can make your knife light and thin or thick and heavy. I can also adjust the balance point to make for a tip heavy or tip light design depending on preference or use.
BLADE STEEL
There are countless options available for knives. Knives require high carbon steel which allows for a hardenable blade once quenched. The addition of chromium allows carbon steel to become stainless. Beyond this, additional elements such as vanadium, nitrogen, manganese, molybdenum, cobalt, silicon, niobium, etc. are added in varying proportions to fine tune the toughness, hardness, and corrosion resistance of the knife. See the link above for the options of steel I carry.
BLADE FINISH
I offer 3 different blade finishes. The first is an "as ground" finish. This finish is done entirely on the belt grinder. This will be a durable satin finish perfect for working knives. The grind lines will run vertically from the blade edge to the spine. The second option is a hand-rubbed finish. With this finish, the blade will be meticulously hand-finished through varying grits of abrasive. This finish will be finer than an "as ground" finish and will inevitably show scratches from use more readily. This finish will have sanding lines that run the length of the blade from the handle to the tip. The final finish option is a mirror finish. This finish will take a hand finish to a much higher grit abrasive followed by buffing which will produce a mirror-like finish. This finish requires the most amount of time and will consequently cost the most.
Some blade grinds will require a hand finish. Saber, Scandi and 'S' Grinds all require a hand finish.
A word of caution regarding mirror polish. This finish looks beautiful when new but as the knife ages, scratches will eventually show up and will stick out like a sore thumb. Secondly, the finer the finish, the more food will stick to the blade. A rougher "As Ground" or hand-finish will have much better food release.
HANDLE MATERIAL
I offer handles made from natural wood, stabilized wood, and composites like G10 and Micarta. I can source woods from all over the world that all have unique colours and characteristics. Being a natural product, the colours of the wood may evolve over time. The natural wood handles are susceptible to water and such, require more care to maintain. Knives have been made with natural wood handles for thousands of years so proper care will hep them last a very long time. Stabilized woods are wood that is natural or dyed and impregnated with resin under vacuum. The resin fills the pores of the wood and helps to keep water and moisture out of the handle while also making the handle less prone to shrinkage and warpage. Composite handles are made from man-made material such as G10 or Micarta. Handles can also be made from stabilized materials combined with resin to create an exotic pattern. These handles are only limited by you imagination.
ACCENTS
Ordering custom knives open you up to countless options of accents. Bolsters can be made from wood, copper, brass or stainless steel. Coloured liners can be placed under the handle scales for a more dramatic effect. Do you have a favorite team colour, consider combining a coloured handle with a contrasting liner or bolster to match your team's colours. You can even vary the pins used in the handle with choices of brass, copper, stainless steel and even mosaic pins.