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I have got into the habit of backing the bit out just a hair to break the chips off before they get long enough to cause mischief.

Stamping and etching are the most common methods. Stamping requires a stamp made of hardened tool steel and can be done hot or cold, some guys use a fixture to hold the stamp and/or blade while doing it, especially if doing it cold. When I stamp, I do it hot, by hand. Stamping has to be done...

It looks like a coustille style short sword, from the condition and the visible plunges at the start of the bevels I would guess that it's a reproduction rather than an original, but I'm far from an expert.

What was your HT process and quench medium? I had an odd spot appear in a 1084 blade not too long ago but it was larger than that, I finally deduced that it was an un-hardened spot caused by the slotted fire brick I used as a blade fixture in my HT oven casting a heat shadow on the blade. I...

Thanks again for the replies. My question wasn't rhetorical but I don't wish to go into details, the matter is being handled and that's about all I'm comfortable sharing publicly. I will only suggest for anyone reading this who sends knives for review by a publication to make clear at the time...

Just wanted to say that this is an interesting discussion and I hope it will continue as long as there is something to be learned from it. I know you guys (One and KC) don't see eye to eye much of the time, and I'll not say that there's anything wrong with that, just that I hope it dosen't put a...

This is probably the most useful thing that can be said on the subject, I was just wondering if there was an established custom concerning this that I was unaware of. The obvious and proper answer is that expectations, and the responsibilities that pertain to them, rest upon the individual(s)...

The design and workmanship are very impressive for a first knife, there is some real talent evident there. Nice work, welcome to the forum!

Is it customary, when published in a knife magazine, for the knives reviewed to be kept by the writer/editor? Is there an unspoken rule or common gratuity in the industry concerning this?

I have learned to leave them a bit wider near the tip than the design calls for, for some reason when I get warpage with dagger blades it's usually in the plane of the edges and the only way to fix it is to grind it out. A little extra width at the tang before HT also helps get things re-aligned...

I have always thought a lengthwise, hand-sanded finish was one of the hallmarks of a handmade knife. A machine finish can be found on many handmade knives these days, but rarely on a high-end collectors piece, which says a lot IMO. For me, hand-sanding is the final refinement of the geometry. I...

This is a good point and one that I generally agree with, but IMO there are exceptions such as period style pieces, where a name marked on the blade stands out like a bloody thumb. All of my modern style knives feature both my name and my maker's mark, but I also make period pieces and you won't...

Welcome back, Ernie. I wandered away and found my way back about the same time you did. I'm sorry to hear about your back. The loss of confidence I think is natural when you're out of practice. Knifemaking is a feel thing as much as a logic thing so when the hands aren't engaged, and the mind...

Beats the heck out of A36 structural for our purposes. Good score!

If it is acceptable to self-nominate I would like to toss this in the hat, perhaps a foolish move after seeing some of the other entries but what the heck...

You need a tumbler and abrasive media, a lot of makers also do a pre-treatment such as bead blasting or an acid wash to help create contrast in the finish. The tumblers come in 2 types, vibratory or rotary. The vibratory ones work in the same manner as a reloading tumbler, the rotary ones are...

Very clean, I think you hit the "simple and agressively profiled" thing right in the bull's eye.

That was my philosophy for the modern style knives I make, but I was making historical style daggers long before I started doing modern designs. I make these when I find the inspiration, which is about as predictable as a lightning strike, but I have no plans to stop. Thanks again for all the...

Thank you all very much for the kind words! I guess you can tell I'm obsessed:)

I have been out of the loop for a while but just finished this piece up and wanted to share... This dagger is inspired by an original circa 1520, which is associated with the Landsknecht mercenaries of that period and is now property of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession # 26.145.40)...