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I don't forge, so I know squat about anvils, hammers and such. Nonetheless, when I ran across this short on YouTube, I immediately thought that the forgers on this forum would find it interesting. My assumption is that you want an anvil that produces the least bounce, which means the simple disk...

I'm having trouble with a sheath that has four layers of leather. I trimmed the outside edges to match as closely as I'm able with an X-acto blade. Then I went to my belt sander and a used 120-grit belt to further smooth that edge. Visually and to the touch, I thought I had the edge sanded...

Pre-cut scales are typically 6", right? But sometimes I have scales where the real knockout figure is at either end, with plainer grain in the middle, and I only need maybe 4 1/2" for the handle. Take these scales, for example: I've put scales on 10-12 knives now, mostly medium-size...

For about 4 years I've been shaping and finishing exotic scales and putting them on purchased blanks. About a year into that I added leatherworking because I couldn't find sheaths that suited me for the knives I was finishing. Now I've run into something that I just haven't seen before, called a...

I'm finishing up a boning knife made on a blank from Alabama Damascus. On one side of the blade, just in front of the scale, I screwed up and sanded some of the Damascus finish. I realize I probably can't match the original etching, but can I regain at least some of the Damascus pattern in that...

I've read some posts where advice is given about how to keep scale pins from overheating, but I swear I can't find them. If you KD veterans know of threads dealing with this, just point me that way, and I thank you. If, like me, you can't find existing advice, here's my question: I have no...

Well, I probably shouldn't even post these pics, but I'm pretty thick-skinned and more than willing to learn by having the old hands here comment on my work. I've made four or five holster-style sheaths and I think each has shown improvement. Recently, a friend showed me a Camillus belt knife...

I've made my first three sheaths, and the fit was good enough that I didn't feel the need to wet form the leather. All have Resolene applied as the surface finish. My question is this: Can I back up the train at this point and wet form these? Apply the water to the outside or inside? My...

I'm just beginning with sheath work and have a million questions. I have a million questions, but I'll just ask a couple here. When doing a basketweave stamp, I let one leg of the stamp slip outside my border groove. Here's how it looks. The real thing doesn't look as bad as this enlargement...

I'm a newbie and put my first set of wood scales on a finished blank about 3 1/2 years ago. I've put scales on about 15 blades since then, making the usual newbie mistakes, but also learning and improving. After my first half-dozen knives or so, I realized I wanted sheaths for them. First I...

I've searched, but can't find exactly what I want to know. I read on another forum that lots of/most custom knifemakers recommend that blades NOT be stored in a leather sheath. Apparently chemicals used in tanning can sometimes damage the blade if left in contact. I've just begun making...

I sent several pair of scales for stabilizing and got them back a few days ago. One set came back with one of the scales seriously warped. In all fairness to the company, which won't be named, the scales weren't perfectly flat when I sent them, but I wouldn't have sent this pair if they were...

I'm still very much a newbie, only adding scales to purchased blades at this point, and I've just bought the tools to begin making sheaths. So much to learn. I'm hoping someone here has done a step-by-step or a video showing how some of the first-class makers on KDF get such precise, beautiful...

Yeah, I'm a word guy and have a thing for alliteration. This is my latest project, putting maple burl scales on a Damascus blank. Can't remember where I got the blank, but I'm hoping it isn't the kind you can clamp in a vice and easily bend 90 degrees without it breaking (for those who saw the...

I put some nice maple burl handles on a stubby Damascus skinner blank. The blank is thick, at least 1/8", I'd say without going and measuring. The spine and entire edge had good Damascus pattern, as does the blade. In the process of adding scales, I polished the edge of the blank where it meets...

Guys, please tell me if my newbie questions need to be started in the Beginners' forum. I'd be happy to do so, but that forum doesn't seem to get much traffic, and I haven't been snubbed here, so I assume I'm OK. I've recently cut some scales from a block of burl maple. I ran them through my...

I searched before posting, but found nothing. I'm a relative newbie and had used brass pins on my scales until today, when I wanted silver pins, so I used stainless steel. I got everything glued up and let it cure 24 hours. Then I cut the pins off as close as possible with a Dremel. Next step...

A couple of weeks ago I ordered on ebay a maple burl block that was 6.5x6.5x2.5. While the block wasn't stabilized, the wood appeared plenty hard and solid to use as is. I cut about half the block and got three sets of scales, then it dawned on me that since the block seemed fairly heavy, it...

Without tipping you off, could a few of you take a look at this eBay listing for wood and tell me if I got tricked or if I was just stupid...

I've put scales (cherry, maple, Micarta so far) on 4-5 drop-point skinners and am happy with them. But recently I finally got my buffer set up and bought muslin wheels and red/white buffing compound. First use of the buffer was on a knife with a paper Micarta handle. I got a mirror shine on the...