A glance at my work process...

Otherground
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Since you all are so damn supportive of what I do, I figured this post from the knifemaking thread would help shed a bit of insight into how I do it.

I'm very much guilty of being a hermit. I don't allow shop visitors. I don't often share my works in progress. It takes a lot of time to make videos and pic by pic posts... so I just don't normally do it. But you guys pay a lot of money for my work, so I figure the least I can do is share a bit from another post I just made on the knifemaking thread...

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So I'm working today and I had to stop the machine finishing processes and I figured I'd take some time to show and explain another little tip...

![](upload://zEqVK6xXsMsluZtcazYHWh76yKX.jpeg)

This Bowie isn't finished.

What sticks out most? The blade is kinda scummy with acetone streaks and fingerprints, right? That's easy. The general finish is laid down. 120, 220 grit on the bevels. All that's left for the blade portion is a few minutes of buffing on a scotch brite belt and it's done. As a total side note, I've gone from hand-finishing bowies to belt-finishing them because the latter finish holds up far better to hard use. I still offer hand-finishing for those that want it. But I find the belt finish a whole lot more encouraging for the client to actually use rather than just leave on a shelf to look at.

Anyway, the blade is pretty much done.

But that handle is not.

That handle was machine finished to 400 grit, then buffed and oiled. The latter two steps were done to show me exactly where I need to go back and refine the work by hand.

When working on a knife of this size and eventual price point, you want to do this work not over the course of hours, but over a few days. Getting it to this point on the grinder was easy. Wheels and slack belting. No platen work at all. I never use the platen on handles like this. Slack and wheels. 36, 120, 220, 400, pink compound buff and a quick oil to show the points of refinement.

Over the next few days I will sit with this knife and slowly refine the shape and contours by hand with 400 grit paper and custom sanding blocks that I've made over the years for each specific contour type. I do this over days to clear my head and give my eyes time to reset. The same way my mother finished a portrait.  From there I'll finish it to whatever grit I see fit. This will likely stop at 600 because the Ipe wood is so damn dense and sands at the same rate as micarta. That's a huge saving grace of the material combination. From there, a quick five minutes with some pink compound on the buffer will finish it off.

So, yeah. Stop at 400. Buff and/or oil to find your deeper scratches and necessary points of refinement. Then refine it slowly.

 
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The other part I forgot to mention... files.

Lots of people like to shape their bowie handles with files as the primary shaping method. This is a totally legit and effective way to work. It's very slow, but very precise. I just don't need to do it that way. I'm intimate with my machinery and I trust my eyes when working at high speeds. They've yet to fail me. When they do, I will absolutely switch over. I sure as shit ain't getting younger lol.

But files do come into play for the shaping process, and this one was no exception.

The transitions between the guard and handle were done with files at the 36 grit stage. One file primarily. An old tapered 3/4" round file. Double cut for fast action. When I'm working the rough shaping at 36 grit, I work the transitions in with that file. Then I slack belt to bring it up through the 400 stage.

I'll now go back again with a tapered 3/4" round sanding block to finish those transitions with 400 grit by hand.

From start to finish, this handle will take approximately two and a half days. That's if things are going right. Sometimes things don't go right and you have to take one or two steps back and refinish.

So yeah. That's just some more insight into my process. That's also why these things cost so damn much. Not just from me, but from anyone who makes hidden tang bowies.

 
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Also... A very special thank you to OGer Russ who supplied me with this Ipe wood.

Russ, this stuff is a pleasure to work with. And as you can see, even in the early stages of finishing it looks fucking FANTASTIC.

You'll be getting a couple of free raffle entries for this knife. And then I've got something in the works for you on the side as well.

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Lookin' sharp.

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Beautiful knife. Amazing handle. Can't wait to see the end result.

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The other thing is, over the next two days or so, whatever it happens to be at the end... I pick the thing up at random times. The word that comes to mind, oddly enough... molestation. In the literal sense. Tactile feedback. An odd angle here, a hotspot or corner there. Even if I don't immediately go back and soften that corner or hotspot at that moment, I take mental inventory of it and smooth it down later.

Tactile feedback is a huge portion of it as well. In prior years, I'd have to not only take the time to "molest" the handle. I'd have to actually go out and work with it. Chop shit up. Clear bush. Fell a birch sapling that didn't need to be growing there. Over the years, I no longer needed to actually do that since I can feel in my hand where any hotspots would wear on the palm or fingers after prolonged use. You get a literal feel for it.

So yeah. All of your handles are thoroughly molested by the time you get em lol.

Sanitized though. Always.

Except for Saku's.

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IronHands - 

Lookin' sharp.

It's a menacing fucker. You pick it up and you want to do bad things to flesh.

Funny part is, it'd make a great bushknife too. I love that middle area between the two.

You pick up a bowie, any kind of bowie... it should make you feel mean... but it should also present itself as useful outside of that.

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NiteProwleR - 

Beautiful knife. Amazing handle. Can't wait to see the end result.

Honestly, the end won't look a whole hell of a lot different from now. But it'll feel completely different in the hand.

And having typed that, I now feel like a pompous asshole lol. But it's true.

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Altofsky -
IronHands - 

Lookin' sharp.

It's a menacing fucker. You pick it up and you want to do bad things to flesh.

Funny part is, it'd make a great bushknife too. I love that middle area between the two.

You pick up a bowie, any kind of bowie... it should make you feel mean... but it should also present itself as useful outside of that.

I meant it to be corny. But, yes, it's an impressive piece of hardware.

It's no Big Black Chopper, though.

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![](upload://6gSebCuED6GwoAEjflpzTn8zhSf.gif)

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Altofsky -

The other thing is, over the next two days or so, whatever it happens to be at the end... I pick the thing up at random times. The word that comes to mind, oddly enough... molestation. In the literal sense. Tactile feedback. An odd angle here, a hotspot or corner there. Even if I don't immediately go back and soften that corner or hotspot at that moment, I take mental inventory of it and smooth it down later.

Tactile feedback is a huge portion of it as well. In prior years, I'd have to not only take the time to "molest" the handle. I'd have to actually go out and work with it. Chop shit up. Clear bush. Fell a birch sapling that didn't need to be growing there. Over the years, I no longer needed to actually do that since I can feel in my hand where any hotspots would wear on the palm or fingers after prolonged use. You get a literal feel for it.

So yeah. All of your handles are thoroughly molested by the time you get em lol.

Sanitized though. Always.

Except for Saku's.

...You put them up your ass don’t you?

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I made a CAD drawing based on your Kurki you raffled  off a few weeks ago. Was thinking of trying to make one this summer. Hope you dont mind

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The wood is gorge

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IronHands - 
Altofsky -
IronHands - 

Lookin' sharp.

It's a menacing fucker. You pick it up and you want to do bad things to flesh.

Funny part is, it'd make a great bushknife too. I love that middle area between the two.

You pick up a bowie, any kind of bowie... it should make you feel mean... but it should also present itself as useful outside of that.

I meant it to be corny. But, yes, it's an impressive piece of hardware.

It's no Big Black Chopper, though.

Yeah, I thought that was yours lol. But it's after 6pm here, so I wasn't ENTIRELY sure.

I know yours well though.

3/8" thick 80CrV2 at around 59RC. Slight clip/swedge at the top. Full blacked out finish.

Guard was 1080, double-lugged. Carbon fiber frame handles with double pins.

That was a BEAST of a knife lol.

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Sogsteel - 

I made a CAD drawing based on your Kurki you raffled  off a few weeks ago. Was thinking of trying to make one this summer. Hope you dont mind

Not in the slightest. There's nothing new under the sun. Any and all of my designs are free to own. In fact, if you have any questions along the way on your own build, feel free to ask. I'm happy to help.

I don't pretend to copyright a damn thing except my maker's mark. Which, despite some recent nonsense, is entirely its own with multiple layers of personal meaning to me.

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OtherGrooundDropIn - 
Altofsky -

The other thing is, over the next two days or so, whatever it happens to be at the end... I pick the thing up at random times. The word that comes to mind, oddly enough... molestation. In the literal sense. Tactile feedback. An odd angle here, a hotspot or corner there. Even if I don't immediately go back and soften that corner or hotspot at that moment, I take mental inventory of it and smooth it down later.

Tactile feedback is a huge portion of it as well. In prior years, I'd have to not only take the time to "molest" the handle. I'd have to actually go out and work with it. Chop shit up. Clear bush. Fell a birch sapling that didn't need to be growing there. Over the years, I no longer needed to actually do that since I can feel in my hand where any hotspots would wear on the palm or fingers after prolonged use. You get a literal feel for it.

So yeah. All of your handles are thoroughly molested by the time you get em lol.

Sanitized though. Always.

Except for Saku's.

...You put them up your ass don’t you?

I do.

Only the kitchen knives though. Cuz they're more cylindrical. That handle above... even I couldn't hope to gape that wide...