Best Knives & Premium Custom Knives
In 1985 I participated in my first knife show at the Oregon Knife Collectors Association in Eugene, Oregon. Also, in 1985 I took some of my knives with Hawaiian Koa handles with me on a vacation to Hawaii. That proved to be a great market for many years with my knives selling on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. Working from my designs or from a customer's design and specs, I take sole authorship of each step in the process—including heat treating and blade tempering.
I cut, dye, mold, and hand sew leather sheaths from 8- 9 oz cowhide. When COVID19 began to spread in the spring of 2019, Heavin Forge needed to pivot. Their intimate classes would not be viable for several years to come. During this time, rather than simply ruminating, Kevin and Heather worked together to write and create this how-to manual.
If it’s a folder, it was probably made in China or Taiwan. A lot of his designs are inspired both by his time in the SEALs and his interest in American history, and by extension Custom knife Native American culture and tools. He chose the name from a particular experience he had while being deployed when they were using horses to carry munitions in rough terrain.
Good God… Off the top of my head, the Bradford Guardian 3, Leatherman Wave, Hogue Deka, and Artisan Revere’s chef and paring knives (which we haven’t added to this blog yet). If you had to own only 5 knives from the above companies, which would be your 5 knives? And Strider and McNees have been on my list to add for a while now, but I’m a little slower on updating this article every year. I dove into it for a bit and came up with almost nothing. Looks like there is a brand called “Barking Dog” that makes old school trappers and lock backs, but for the life of me I can figure out who they are or where they’re from. That doesn’t ring a bell with us, but this article gets a lot of traffic from knowledgeable knife enthusiasts.
If you have one knife you want to sell, or an entire collection, Nordic Knives would be pleased to work with you by either purchasing or consigning your custom or Randall knife or knives. We are especially interested in Randall knives and custom knives by prominent makers. Please call our buyer David Harvey to discuss terms. It's my first knife from Dawson, and it didn't disappoint. It's got the double hilt, which I prefer because of safety.
I have carried this blade for EDC 14 years and it has never let me down. American made knives are harder to find in chain stores and now even local hardware stores seem to have Made in China on most of the inventory for sale. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to get one of his American-made knives. He has a workshop in Saddle Brook, NJ, but he is a custom maker at art. The “affordable” part of Toors mission to offer hard use knives made in the USA is… debatable at best. Their price tag averages around $250, but they do have a great catalogue of knives that are all made in America.
Their devotion to sharing their knowledge has created a boon for knifemakers in and around Southern Africa. Even experienced knifemakers are sure to find different techniques that will improve their process and provide new approaches. How to Make a Narrow Tang Knife is sure to become a daily companion.
Ka Bar is better than SOG by a large margin, and I like the look of their designs a lot better. I have to give SOG props for their ingenuity though. They make some neat looking stuff, and I have high hopes for new releases from their American made line. Right now, a general rule you can follow is that if a SOG knife is sporting S30V steel, it was put together in their American factories.
When I inspected the knife and sheath, I could not find any imperfections whatsoever. I've had my eye on it for over a year, but I am cheap. The Blemish knife was priced at a point that I couldn't resist. The only blemish I can find on mine is maybe some discoloring on the bone where it meets the liner. My only wish is that the knife had a pocket clip instead of a belt pouch. It would make the knife much more easy to access as part of my EDC.
André Andersson is an award winning craftsman from the north of Sweden who makes sharp art inspired by old Norse mythology and modern design. Lion Knives is a family owned Australian company, dedicated to bringing back the long forgotten "customer is always right" slogan to retail industry. Thousands of Todd's exquisite knives are being used across the U.S. and around the world, in at least 14 countries. Every design has been proven to perform, and the beauty and quality speak for themselves. Due to the hand made nature of my work, specs will vary from piece to piece and will exhibit signs of hand made character. Tom is an ABS apprentice and was awarded a scholarship to Haywood Community College by the American Bladesmith Society, a scholarship awarded to only three people a year in the United States.
If at any time one of our knives need sharpened and you are unable to do this, we will resharpen the knife for free of charge. Loren Scott started making knives several years ago for his grandsons which eventually grew into Scott's Custom Knives. He turned the knife making over to myself and my brother several years ago and we still make our knives the way dad taught us. I've bought a total of three different knives so far.
A high quality, custom engraved knife makes a great present or award. Our engraved knives are the perfect choice for any occasion. Consider getting a laser engraved knife for the outdoorsman or outdoorswoman in your life. They will love the high quality high quality engraving and unmatched functionality.
My work series knives start at $200, while my standard knives start at $550. Any knife that is overly personalized such as engraved initials or rare materials will need to be paid for in full before work begins. Work series knives come with a plain vertical leather sheath, Standard and above knives come with a zipper case and a plain vertical leather sheath. Sheaths can be up graded as you can see under the leather page. All of my knives start at the same point raw materials which are flat stock mono steel and Damascus, bolster and pin material, liners, spacers, and handle material. I cut each one out and profile it to shape, drill my holes, and do my own heat treating and tempering before I grind the main bevels and any hand sanding that needs to be done for the desired look .
That proved to me that S30V with a hardness of 58 Rc has superior edge holding and greater strength compared to most other blade steels. In 1978 I made my first knife while working as a tradesman saw filer in a Bend, Oregon sawmill. I had noticed some other saw filers working on knives during their breaks using the narrow tang design.
I cut, dye, mold, and hand sew leather sheaths from 8- 9 oz cowhide. When COVID19 began to spread in the spring of 2019, Heavin Forge needed to pivot. Their intimate classes would not be viable for several years to come. During this time, rather than simply ruminating, Kevin and Heather worked together to write and create this how-to manual.
If it’s a folder, it was probably made in China or Taiwan. A lot of his designs are inspired both by his time in the SEALs and his interest in American history, and by extension Custom knife Native American culture and tools. He chose the name from a particular experience he had while being deployed when they were using horses to carry munitions in rough terrain.
Good God… Off the top of my head, the Bradford Guardian 3, Leatherman Wave, Hogue Deka, and Artisan Revere’s chef and paring knives (which we haven’t added to this blog yet). If you had to own only 5 knives from the above companies, which would be your 5 knives? And Strider and McNees have been on my list to add for a while now, but I’m a little slower on updating this article every year. I dove into it for a bit and came up with almost nothing. Looks like there is a brand called “Barking Dog” that makes old school trappers and lock backs, but for the life of me I can figure out who they are or where they’re from. That doesn’t ring a bell with us, but this article gets a lot of traffic from knowledgeable knife enthusiasts.
If you have one knife you want to sell, or an entire collection, Nordic Knives would be pleased to work with you by either purchasing or consigning your custom or Randall knife or knives. We are especially interested in Randall knives and custom knives by prominent makers. Please call our buyer David Harvey to discuss terms. It's my first knife from Dawson, and it didn't disappoint. It's got the double hilt, which I prefer because of safety.
I have carried this blade for EDC 14 years and it has never let me down. American made knives are harder to find in chain stores and now even local hardware stores seem to have Made in China on most of the inventory for sale. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to get one of his American-made knives. He has a workshop in Saddle Brook, NJ, but he is a custom maker at art. The “affordable” part of Toors mission to offer hard use knives made in the USA is… debatable at best. Their price tag averages around $250, but they do have a great catalogue of knives that are all made in America.
Their devotion to sharing their knowledge has created a boon for knifemakers in and around Southern Africa. Even experienced knifemakers are sure to find different techniques that will improve their process and provide new approaches. How to Make a Narrow Tang Knife is sure to become a daily companion.
Ka Bar is better than SOG by a large margin, and I like the look of their designs a lot better. I have to give SOG props for their ingenuity though. They make some neat looking stuff, and I have high hopes for new releases from their American made line. Right now, a general rule you can follow is that if a SOG knife is sporting S30V steel, it was put together in their American factories.
When I inspected the knife and sheath, I could not find any imperfections whatsoever. I've had my eye on it for over a year, but I am cheap. The Blemish knife was priced at a point that I couldn't resist. The only blemish I can find on mine is maybe some discoloring on the bone where it meets the liner. My only wish is that the knife had a pocket clip instead of a belt pouch. It would make the knife much more easy to access as part of my EDC.
André Andersson is an award winning craftsman from the north of Sweden who makes sharp art inspired by old Norse mythology and modern design. Lion Knives is a family owned Australian company, dedicated to bringing back the long forgotten "customer is always right" slogan to retail industry. Thousands of Todd's exquisite knives are being used across the U.S. and around the world, in at least 14 countries. Every design has been proven to perform, and the beauty and quality speak for themselves. Due to the hand made nature of my work, specs will vary from piece to piece and will exhibit signs of hand made character. Tom is an ABS apprentice and was awarded a scholarship to Haywood Community College by the American Bladesmith Society, a scholarship awarded to only three people a year in the United States.
If at any time one of our knives need sharpened and you are unable to do this, we will resharpen the knife for free of charge. Loren Scott started making knives several years ago for his grandsons which eventually grew into Scott's Custom Knives. He turned the knife making over to myself and my brother several years ago and we still make our knives the way dad taught us. I've bought a total of three different knives so far.
A high quality, custom engraved knife makes a great present or award. Our engraved knives are the perfect choice for any occasion. Consider getting a laser engraved knife for the outdoorsman or outdoorswoman in your life. They will love the high quality high quality engraving and unmatched functionality.
My work series knives start at $200, while my standard knives start at $550. Any knife that is overly personalized such as engraved initials or rare materials will need to be paid for in full before work begins. Work series knives come with a plain vertical leather sheath, Standard and above knives come with a zipper case and a plain vertical leather sheath. Sheaths can be up graded as you can see under the leather page. All of my knives start at the same point raw materials which are flat stock mono steel and Damascus, bolster and pin material, liners, spacers, and handle material. I cut each one out and profile it to shape, drill my holes, and do my own heat treating and tempering before I grind the main bevels and any hand sanding that needs to be done for the desired look .
That proved to me that S30V with a hardness of 58 Rc has superior edge holding and greater strength compared to most other blade steels. In 1978 I made my first knife while working as a tradesman saw filer in a Bend, Oregon sawmill. I had noticed some other saw filers working on knives during their breaks using the narrow tang design.
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