Welcome to KnifeMakersDatabase.com! My name is Joseph Clements, owner and creator of KMD and long time Custom Knife Collector. In the first part of this series of articles, "Investing in Knives on the Net," we spoke briefly about some of the many aspects the Custom Collector should be aware of whether choosing a new knife to add to a collection, or buying their first custom knife, regarding the custom knifemaker. In this next series of articles, we will go further in depth, focusing on the many skills, techniques, and practices used to actually create a custom knife. Any Custom Knife Collector should find this information invaluable, for not only does the knowledge of what goes into creating a certain knife greatly aid in discerning its initial value, it has a tremendous impact on the outlook of a knifemaker's attitude, character, motives, agenda and skill level overall. Simply put, the total value of a custom knife is a two-part equation – What went into its creation and then, who created it.
Understanding the prior part of this equation lends a great deal of insight as to the traits of the person in the latter part of the equation. Loosely, it can be said that the knife acts as a kind of “crystal ball,” giving a glimpse of the mindset and passion (or lack of) of the knifemaker to the collector. However, unlike the seer and his crystal ball, the collector evaluating a knife is not a mysterious, long-forgotten process that will yield a cloud of smoke containing a number preceded by a dollar sign. It is simple science and an understanding of the process of making a knife.
So what is it you need to know? In my humble opinion, the more the better! A simple way to approach obtaining this knowledge would be to act as if you are going to make a knife. Start with that. That is what I did and by the end of collecting all the necessary knowledge, I actually started making one; not so much as to actually make a great knife, but to get a feel for the work that goes into knifemaking as well. I figured that trying my hand at the skill would put a little respect behind the knowledge of the process, an appreciation of the value of the work if you will, and trust me – it did! Let’s start by understanding the two main methods of knifemaking and the general principals of each.
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The first method we’ll look at is “forging”. In this method, the knifemaker starts with a form of raw steel, usually a carbon steel such as 1095 or 5160 spring steel or tool steels such as O1 or D2. 52100, a steel used for ball bearings is another favorite. Steels can be in various forms such as pellets that are melted down into a billet prior to forging, in the form of bar stock or round bar. The steel being used is heated in a forge until red-hot. Now in its malleable state, the steel is placed on an anvil and struck with a hammer in order to bring the metal as close as possible to the final shape of the blade desired. Therefore, all of the profiling, creation of the bevels, etc. is done mainly with the hammer. A grinder in this case would be used only to refine the final shape and its need is based in the most part on the skill of the bladesmith.
The other method used to create a knife is called the stock removal method. Here, the knifemaker takes a piece of steel usually in the form of bar stock in its annealed state, and cuts out the profile of the blade using a hacksaw, band saw, or perhaps even a plasma cutter. The bevels of the blade are then formed using files and / or grinders.
These descriptions of forging and the stock removal method are indeed in their simplest forms and will both be analyzed separately throughout the installments of this article. As you can see, we haven’t talked about heat treating, finishing, handling, etc. at all because the primary difference between the two methods pretty much ends after the primary form of the blade is created. As we move through these articles, we will talk about all of these processes in greater detail. For now however, our focus will be aimed at the most important element of knifemaking on any level – steel.
People buy and collect knives for many different reasons. Some collect knives for their artistic value. Others buy knives to use them. Others still buy knives solely for their investment value. I’ve bought knives for all of these reasons as well, but with one underlying requirement. The knife I buy better have a great blade. For me, the most beautiful part of a knife, whatever kind of knife it may be, is the blade. While many find art in knives laden with file work and encrusted with gems, I find it in the grain structure of a piece of differentially tempered high carbon steel, perhaps with a nice satin finish. I can’t get enough of great designs and fancy materials, especially in the form of a dual action auto – but I don’t think collecting knives would have ever become what it is to me today without having access to a plain, simple Bowie made from a hand forged piece of 52100! Oh, and the auto better have a great blade anyway.
Learning about steel and the process of knifemaking will make collecting knives a more fulfilling and meaningful activity then it ever was, for it is then and only then that you can begin to fully and truly appreciate a custom made knife. If you’re fascinated by steel and can get lost in a temper line, or are awed by the forces a properly forged and treated blade can withstand, then you know what I’m talking about. If you have yet to focus on steel and not style alone, then please, hurry! You truly don’t know what you’re missing, and if you give it a chance, what you learn will change the way you look at handmade knives forever – It may even blow your mind!
Being that this series of articles is about fully understanding the process of knifemaking, we will also be dealing with the tools, machinery, equipment and supplies used in each process as well as the approximate monetary value for each. Therefore I will be providing you with links and, on occasion, my own appendixes throughout these articles in order to give you accurate examples of the aforementioned.
First off, a superb list of the commonly, and some not so commonly used steels in knifemaking was recorded by famed knifemaker, Bob Engnath. Unfortunately, Mr. Engnath has passed on some time ago. To say he was famous as a knifemaker would be a grand understatement. His notoriety is of the kind that today’s knifemakers strive for and the kind that most will only dream of. Since the second part of our equation deals with the knifemaker himself, I find it only appropriate to mention Mr. Engnath as an example of someone who exhibited all of the desired qualities we look for in a World Class Knifemaker. We shall certainly come back to that statement later. For now, as collectors, we will use the descriptions of various steels as recorded by Mr. Engnath to further our knowledge as to what goes into the creation of a custom knife.
While there are pages upon pages on the Internet busting at the seams with information concerning steel – pages that list each steels elemental properties and exact compositions, I have chosen this one – and for good reason. First off, these are descriptions of steels from a knifemaker’s point of view, and not just any knifemaker at that! Such invaluable information is rare at best, while most of the descriptions you’ll find on the Internet are purely compositional. While Bob doesn’t list the exact compositions of each type of steel, or list every steel worth making a knife out of known to man, he does list the positive and negative qualities of those that he deemed worth talking about, and as users, makers and collectors, this is what we’re interested in! Mr. Engnath also touches on the monetary value behind buying and working with each type of steel. Take a look at this list, study it, bookmark it, and then come back to this article as we move further into the territory of the custom knifemaker.
For a list that gives us detailed compositions of the steels used in knifemaking, I’ve chosen two sources and an appendix I've created on my own, so that you may compare and contrast. For the first source, please click here. I like the format of this source, and overall, it contains good information – however it fails to list several steels, including 5160, which I have no clue on how they missed that one! The second source gives us similar information in a slightly different format and can be found here. This list contains some steels that are not listed by the first source, but is also missing a lot of information as a whole.
Now, KnifeMakersDatabase.com has created its own list of steel properties for our visitors which acts as an appendix to this article, and as a general purpose tool for collectors and makers alike. Like everything else on KMD, our list goes above and beyond the call of duty, listing all the steels found in other sources and a bunch that weren't found in any source! Aside from the chemical properties of various steels, our steel compositional chart contains another section listing a lot of other information for each steel such as the pros and cons, it's practical uses when made into a finished blade, what to watch out for while working with it as a knifemaker - even the preferred heat treating methods for a given type of steel! Finally, we also list a key for what each elemental abbreviation stands for and what attributes a given element actually lends to the steel as a whole.
We feel our chart is more complete and easier to comprehend than just about any other on the web. This new feature at KMD will be updated whenever we receive new information, and as technology advances in the field of Metallurgy. On a quick side note, I do want to say, especially to those collectors just starting out, please don't be intimidated by all the "little numbers," and what appears to be extremely complex scientific information. I had my doubts at one point too! As a collector, you needn’t be overly zealous and attempt to memorize all of this. Concern yourself rather with the properties each type of steel possesses, such as hardness, toughness, corrosion resistance, etc. This is the most important lesson. Later on, you may concern yourself with understanding why a certain kind of steel exhibits the properties that it does. That's when the chemical weight ratio percentage, better known as, "little numbers," comes in. Our visitors, as always, are welcome to send comments, ideas and of course any information they feel we've neglected to include. To open the Steel Chemical / Elemental Composition Chart Appendix, click this link:
As far as actually obtaining steel to make knives with, there are plenty of places on the Internet one can go. One favorite I hear of from many knifemakers is Admiralsteel.com. The second link I am providing is for a company called Jantz Supply. As I have not dealt with either of these companies personally, I cannot comment on the quality of their goods or services. While the charts we have seen from above gave us the chemical properties of steel, as well as the pros and cons of those steels that we saw as recorded by Engnath, looking over these supply sites can give us a rough idea of the monetary value of the various steels on today’s market. This is all great information to have when considering the purchase, use or making of a custom knife.
Again, as a collector and / or user, you should be primarily interested in what advantages and disadvantages each type of steel has to offer, as well as what goes into working with each type of steel. For example, how hard is the steel to grind and what heat treatments should be used on a particular kind of steel, versus which heat treatments WERE used. Knowing these things allows us to roughly determine just how much work went into forming a particular blade, which in turn allows us to place an approximate initial value on it. It also allows us to determine what the knife can and cannot or should not be used for, but then again, only if we know what steels are good for a given situation or task. This is all well and good, but only in assuming that the blade was made properly; heat treated and hardened correctly for instance. Remember, there are only two means by which we can determine if a knife is truly as strong as it should be –A) the maker’s word, and B) the knife does or does not break!
Being that most collectors will never put option B to the test, and that from the user’s perspective, option B failing will, at the very least, mean grave disappointment or, from a military standpoint, possibly death, we must rely on option A! There are many ways to go about proving A. Many of these were mentioned in the introductory article, “Investing in Knives on the Internet,” written prior to this article. Being that they are included throughout the article there, I am not going to go into a great amount of detail here. However, I will reiterate a few of the more important factors again.
First, does the knifemaker belong to an organization, such as the KMG or ABS, that stands behind the fact that the maker in question does quality work? I do want to stress that many of the greatest knifemakers do not belong to an organization and so this is not an absolute necessity! It is just another factor to consider when making a solid decision concerning the purchase of a custom knife. What are the things being said about the maker, if anything at all, around the Internet or in other reputable publications? What are other collectors or his previous clients and customers saying? Does he offer a guarantee? Not all of these objectives need be met. However, the more that are met, the more assurance the collector has that the custom knife in question is indeed born of quality work.
Knowing which steels are good for what aids both the collector and user in a number of other ways as well. As a collector, the greatest thing that I absolutely MUST understand is the corrosion resistant properties of the steel that any of my prized blades are made of. For instance, you will want to take extra precautions when handling blades made of steel with a high carbon content. Many carbon steels such as 52100, 5160 and O-1 make awesome blades. The corrosion resistant properties of these steels however, are limited at best.
You will want to wipe any metals exposed to oils from your skin (e.g. fingerprints) clean with a soft cloth, preferably cotton. Don't use paper towels! Believe it or not, common paper towels can leave fine scratches and eventually, dull spots, on a fine mirror finish! A fine coating of machine oil can prevent natural rusting due to undesirable atmospheric conditions. On a final note, Damascus, currently highly desirable among collectors, runs in this family as well! You've been warned!
Certain Damascus blades require more attention and care than a regular, high-carbon blade. Trust me - nothing ruins a knife collector's day as much as finding one of his thousand-dollar custom Damascus pieces covered with a fine, rusty patina! This can happen over night if the knife is left in the wrong (or right, actually) conditions, so beware! We will go into further detail concerning caring for custom knives later in this series of articles.
With this in mind, collectors who feel that worrying about one of their beloved babies all the time would be too much of a nerve-racking experience, may want to go for knives with blades that have strong corrosion resistant properties! Steels such as ATS-34, 154CM and 440C are all known for just this. Many beautiful art knives have blades made of these steels. However, to some, or in certain instances, knives with blades made out of 440C may not be as desirable as those made with Damascus. In my opinion, it really depends on my current mood. Sometimes I want fancy, extravagant, pattern-laden blades. Sometimes I want clean, flowing lines with a nice mirror-finish. There will always be choices, and possible consequences for each choice that's made. My general rule is, first, stick to what YOU like to see in a knife - then worry about what's worth what. Don't buy a knife you find unattractive or plain downright ugly just because it may have an appreciation of value over the years.
As a user, I will want to have the previous information as well, but I will also be concerned with how well a certain blade will hold an edge and with how hard that blade will be to sharpen. For instance, I may know that a knife made of O-1 doesn't have a whole lot of resistance to the elements, and will require a little extra attention in the field. However, it's ability to take a DEADLY SHARP edge, and HOLD IT for an above average period of time, coupled with it's relative ease in sharpening make it a very desirable choice when it comes to the knife I'll be carrying.
On the other hand, maybe I need a large knife that is suitable for heavy-duty work such as clearing thick brush. In that case, I would want a steel with a high level of toughness, able to withstand the shock of one hard impact blow after another. 440C, more brittle in nature due to it's high chromium content (the same stuff that provides added corrosion resistance) would not be my first choice. One must remember, there are ALWAYS trade-off's when it comes to finding a desirable combination of specifications in ANY knife, and that there is NO SUCH THING AS THE PERFECT BLADE. PERIOD.
That is, hands-down, the single, most important statement throughout this article. That is what knowing your steel is all about! As collectors and users, we all dream of that perfect blade. It is a dream. But what we can do, is come as close as possible to our own personal perception of perfection when it comes to the blade of all blades. Without knowledge of steel, it's attributes, its properties, what elements do what and what processes mean performance, how then can we ever envision the perfect knife if we don't even know what knives are made of? In that instance, we cannot. But if we educate ourselves, whether we plan to make knives, buy knives or just look at them an wonder, "what if," then we can begin to draw designs and write theories of what the perfect knife is and how we can come closer - only closer - to attaining such a thing.
In this article we were introduced to the two major means by which custom knives are created. We spoke about why it is important to understand the properties of the steel your knife, or the knife you plan to buy is made of, and provided resources from which you could gather such knowledge. When reviewing the information provided at the Engnath site or in our appendix, you may want to ask yourself, “which steel would make the perfect blade for me?” You may also ask the question, “If I were a knifemaker, which steel would I prefer to work with and why?”
In the next article of this series, “Properties of Steel,” we will go further into detail concerning the four major classes of steel as well as their subclasses. We will talk more about what properties certain steels exhibit, why these properties are present and what makes them useful to us. We will also discuss the Rockwell C Scale, how it is used and what these numbers mean to us. All in all, while this article points out the necessity to know about Steel, the following article will present us with that knowledge in detail.
I hope you have enjoyed this installment of our series, “Investing in Knives on the Internet.” Remember, that knife collecting is such an amazing hobby because it goes so much farther than just buying a knife and putting it in a display case! The true collector will agree that the actual owning of one of the fine custom knives available on the market today is only the end product – a proof if you will – of the underlying passion that flows through the custom knife community and makes it thrive! And with that, my name is Joseph Clements and I want to thank you for visiting KnifeMakersDatabase.com!
Resources used for this article:
- Steel Composition & Properties Chart I
