knife

I’ve always thought that choosing an axe should start with what you want to do with it, not just how it looks. A bearded axe has a distinctive shape, but the head profile, handle length, weight, steel, and balance all matter when comparing different designs. A shorter axe is easier to carry...

Hello everyone, One thing I find interesting about custom knives is how much the choice of steel, handle material, blade profile, and finish can change the overall character of a knife. Even when starting with a familiar category, those details give you plenty to consider. I wanted to share the...

Hello everyone, I wanted to share a useful update for anyone interested in hand-forged knives, custom knife designs, or sourcing knives for a retail business. At Black Mamba Knives, we have two main options worth exploring: our wholesale program for businesses and our Build Your Own section for...

Hello everyone, I wanted to share our wholesale page for Black Mamba Knives for anyone interested in learning about our knife range or exploring wholesale options. We are based in Memphis, Tennessee, and focus on hand-forged knives, including Damascus hunting knives, fixed blades, folding...

I’ve always found the seax interesting because it was more than just a Viking-style blade. It was part of everyday life across the Germanic world, and the surviving designs show just how much variation existed in something people often group under one name. One detail I think is worth paying...

Start with the pivot and overall fit On a traditional Batangas-style balisong, the pivot and blade fit tell you quite a bit about the knife. A properly fitted pivot should allow smooth movement without making the blade feel loose or sloppy. It is also worth checking how the handles move relative...

General Knife Discussion / Axes Been following this community for a while and wanted to kick off a thread on Viking axes since the question of whether historical patterns have any practical use comes up occasionally. The bearded axe is the one that holds up best in practical terms. The lower...

One thing I’ve been paying more attention to lately is how much the final grind changes the way a knife feels. It is easy to spend most of the time thinking about the steel and heat treatment, but two knives made from the same steel can feel completely different once you start looking at the...

One thing I enjoy about handmade balisongs is that changing the steel or handle material can make two knives from the same general tradition feel completely different. For example, the BF-13 Bear uses 440C with brass and Kamagong wood inserts. It is a fairly straightforward traditional-looking...

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately looking back at where the balisong actually came from, rather than just repeating the usual internet version of the story. The connection to Taal and Batangas is what makes the history interesting. The traditional knife developed into a real local craft...

There seems to be a lot of confusion around trainers, especially from people who are completely new to balisongs. A trainer isn't necessarily a cheaper or completely different version of a butterfly knife. A properly made trainer can have the same handles, weight, balance and pivot setup as the...

One thing I noticed when learning more about balisongs is that most beginner explanations spend a lot of time talking about flipping and not enough time explaining what is actually happening mechanically. The two handles, pivots, tang pins, latch and blade all have pretty specific jobs. For...

Hey everyone, Finally getting around to introducing Balisong Butterfly here. We’re a small Austin, Texas based shop working with Filipino makers whose families have been making balisongs for generations. The knives are made in the Batangas tradition, but the work is now being done here in the...

We’ve been getting a few questions lately about where our balisongs come from, so here’s the short version. Balisong Butterfly is a small shop based in Austin, Texas, working with makers whose background comes from the traditional Batangas balisong trade. That part of the story matters to us...

Been spending some time in the shop lately working on a few kitchen pieces, and this one came out especially nice. We just added the Bonito Pro BMK-715, a 7-inch Damascus utility/chef knife. It uses 1095 + 15N20 Damascus at 352 layers, with an octagonal rosewood handle and black ferrule. It is...

A quick comparison of popular knife steels and their practical differences. READ THE GUIDE OF KNIFES STEEL COMPARISON: https://blackmambaknives.com/guides/knife-steel-comparison/

Hello everyone I am with Black Mamba Knives, a knife workshop located in Memphis, Tennessee. We have been creating knives since 2009. We focus on hand-forged and hand-finished blades Many of our projects involve Damascus, hunting knives, pocket knives and other handmade designs. What I like the...

Hello everyone, I wanted to share this one-of-a-kind Damascus knife I recently finished. The blade is hand forged from multi-bar Damascus, paired with a handle made from cast sterling silver and warthog ivory. At the butt of the handle, I set a sterling silver “S” with six blue sapphires...

Hello everyone. New post about a custom puukko, a truly exceptional piece I've reimagined. The blade is forged from carbon steel and mounted on a handle made of Madagascar agate. A truly beautiful piece to create, and a very proud client.