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1084 or 5160 would be excellent steels to start with. Both can make great knives with a minimum of equipment. Basically you get it a little above magnetic and quench and you will have a servicable blade. But the better you can refine your heat treating method and have a repeatable process the...

Looks much better Jonathan! Nice job.

For O1 or any oil quenched steel hand sanding before HT is overkill. You will still have to grind it post HT to get the decarb off. I grind up to 220 before HT. Then back to 220 post HT to remove the decarb and get back to clean metal before starting the hand sanding. The better your post HT...

I don't post much on here and don't think I have ever posted any of my knives so here are a few pics of my recent knives. This one is a 1084 skinner with micarta scales. This one is a 1095 hunter with buffalo horn scales. And this on is ATS-34 with curly maple handle and a mokume...

Very nice sheaths!! What is the stamp you used in the top sheath of the third pic? I really like how it looks.

Nice design! One thing I see is horizontal and vertical scratch patterns. Going forward I think it would be better to pick one for each knife all going the same way.

Welcome! Google search NC Custom Knifemakers Guild and come to one of our meetings...won't cost you anything but time.

Great job Karl! I love watching your WIPs progress. BTW nice bows hanging up in one of the first pics! Can't wait to see how you slot, fit and shape the guard. This is the spot where I seem to have the most trouble.

I put them on the list just like every one else. Being family or close friends doesn't get them to the top of the list any faster.

There is North Carolina Knifemakers guild meeting the third saturday in January at Montgomery Community college in Troy. It would be a good chance to talk to a bunch of knifemakers and maybe hook up with one for a day in the shop. I'll invite you over for a day in my shop after hunting season.

I think I understand exactly what your question is and will try to answer as best I can. On a full tang knife the only part of the handle I will as completely as possible finish are the two fronts (that mate up to the ricasso). I will pin the slabs together and shape and sand up to my finished...

Excellent WIP!

I will finish the blade as completely as I can then wrap up in tape to help protect it before putting the handle on. On full tang knives like the one you have pictured (they look nice by the way!) I will scribe a line on the handle and cut them out close to shape then drill the pin holes and...

I sat in on Daniel Warren's demos on frame handles at this past weekend's hammer in and am quite interested in making one. His was the first I have seen and yours makes number 2. Looking forward to seeing this WIP! Thanks Brad

Great advise Les! I think a lot of us will need to remember this from time to time.

Welcome Ali!

Very cool Sam. Is that swing arm there to hold your beer while you work the hammer?

All of the variable speed set ups I know of there is a 3 phase motor driven by a VFD. I used a 1 phase 1.5 HP motor with step pulleys for almost 3 years before up grading to a VFD set up. If you get a 1 phase motor for now one thing you can do with it later is make it a disk grinder by adding...

Cool little knife in the first pics!

Welcome Mullis. There are a few makers on here from NC. You are always welcome to attend a guild meeting and talk to makers from all over the state. Not sure if you know about this or not but The Southeastern Custom Knife Show is coming back to Winston-Salem next year Sept 21&21, 2013...