Custom handcrafted knives are significantly more expensive than mass-market knives you can get for a few bucks at any department store. So why spend the extra money to purchase a handmade knife? Are handmade knives worth the extra cost? The short answer is YES, absolutely, … of course! But you probably want some more substance […]
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A happy customer and his handmade kitchen knife
One of the most gratifying things about making knives comes from making customers happy. I love it when someone is happy with what I’ve made. Recently a customer bought one of my kitchen knives as a present for his son-in-law, Ben, and sent me this photo (above – used with permission). Ben loves his new […]
Camp Fire Tongs Forged from a Ford F150 Pickup Truck
My interest in blacksmithing started with a desire to learn how to forge knives from chunks of old steel. One of the things I love about blacksmithing is that the skills you acquire in that art come in extremely handy for all kinds of things that most people wouldn’t have the werewithal to attempt. The […]
My No-Nonsense BBQ Brisket Knife
Today’s blog will feature our BBQ/Brisket knife. Each one is individually handmade from Canadian and US materials, right here in Ontario Canada. The 8″ blade is top quality stainless steel milled in America. The 5″ handle is large and comfortable, constructed with a full-tang for great strength. The handle material is micarta, almost as strong […]
Support Ukraine!
Recently I was doing some research into charitable organizations that are assisting the people of Ukraine. In today’s blog I decided to share these lists. Thank you for reading my post. The Washington Post and The Globe and Mail have both published lists of reputable charities supporting Ukraine. Charities supporting Ukraine:
Forged veggie chopper from reclaimed truck steel
One day while walking to the corner grocer, I found a chunk of leaf-spring on the side of the road. It must have fallen off of a passing car or truck. Being a knife-maker, I knew it would be 5160 steel and makes excellent knives. I took it back to my forge, heated it up […]
We Don’t Have It So Bad, at Least We’re Not Storming France!
Here we go again, another lockdown! In the province where I live, Ontario, the government has just issued a new round of emergency stay-at-home orders. Among other things, indoor dining at restaurants is completely banned and indoor gatherings severely restricted. Covid infection rates are surging and hospitals are at the breaking point all across the […]
You’re never too young to forge!
2020 has been a year for learning new hobbies and skills as we find ways to stay sane during the pandemic. We are never too old or too young to try something new. My 8-year old grandson loves hammering on hot steel. This weekend he was down for American Thanksgiving and we had a lot […]
Getting Started in Knife Making
I’ve talked about hobbies in quarantine in a few previous posts. Having a hobby during the pandemic is important to staying sane and getting into knife making doesn’t have to be expensive. It has a very low cost entry point – one of its distinct advantages. The other distinct advantage is that it is one […]
My First Knife
I happened to be cleaning my shop the other day and found this ugly old thing… It’s the first knife I ever made, forged from an old lawn mower blade. I don’t think it could have been any uglier if I’d planned it that way, but at the time I was pretty excited – not […]