Knife Making – MoonDog Knives

Clarification On the Two Mike Neal Knives

July 25, 2022January 31, 2023moondogknivesazLeave a Comment

It seems that there is some confusion regarding the two knives I did for Mike Neal (Pictured above – Photo by Mike Neal) – I did not forge make the ‘Forge Welded’ blades.

The Filleting Knife (At the top in the image of both knives) is a piece of American Forge Welded steel bought unworked, and it is somewhere around 512 layers. I shaped the slug and put an edge on it, an amazing edge, which should hold up well. I used some Desert Ironwood for the handle.

Mike sent the brisket/sashimi blade to me (Lower in the image of both knives and the solo image) with some incredible pieces of wood in exchange for making him a knife. He wanted to know whether it was “Real Forge Welded” steel and if I could do something with it. I tested it with Ferric Acid and ‘Super Blue’. It IS “real”, but I have no idea where it came from so I don’t know the quality of the steel. I re-beveled the edge and honed it to the best edge I could get (I use Japanese ‘Water Stones’ and ceramic rods). It took a half decent edge, but time will tell if it is made with good steel and will hold that edge. I also refinished the surfaces, then made the handle out of some of the curly Koa Mike sent me. You can’t see it in the picture, but it has a pattern similar to ‘Tiger Stripe Maple’ or ‘Quilted Maple’ which I’ve never seen in Koa before. My wife tells me Curly Koa is quite rare and very much in demand… when you can find it!

I had made 2 of the fillet knives already in ‘440C Stainless’ that Mike saw and decided that was what he wanted. Well, I really wanted to give him a ‘Nice” knife (so he’d send me more of his scraps) and wanted to do it in Forge Welded steel. But I could/can not afford to screw up on a piece of this stuff because it’s so expensive! You buy it by the inch, not foot like “regular” steel. The two stainless ones I previously made were a nightmare for me to do and I won’t be making any more of them (It wasn’t as bad as trying to get 4 bevels on one blade! I went through a lot of good steel making the Defender 01 and quite honestly, it’s selling for less than the cost of all that steel I wasted!

NOTE: Do not let your knives get dull. It is MUCH easier to touch up a sharp blade than it is to put an edge back on the blade that you can’t cut yourself with.

What’s In A Name Where Blade Steel is Concerned?

July 4, 2022January 31, 2023moondogknivesazLeave a Comment

Damascus, San-mai, Wootz, Forge Welded, and Eletro-Etching

There seems to be some confusion as to what is Damascus and what isn’t. Real Damascus can usually only be found in museums. The secret recipe/formula was lost over 200 years ago.

Modern day “Damascus” is actually a steel combination that the original Damascus was made of, and can be found in a steel combination known as ‘Wootz’. What we are calling Damascus today is actually “Forge Welding’. Layers of different types of steel are stacked in together; heated to a critical temperature; then pounded out and folded over and put back into the forge and reheated to critical temperature. This is done multiple times. The resulting piece of Forge Welded Steel can be anywhere from 3 layers to thousands of layers. The more layers, the more expensive the blank will be. This stuff is bought by the inch not by the foot like other steel.

San-mai is a type of Forge Welding that uses a High Carbon Steel center which is sandwiched between more pliable metals. This makes the resultant steel tougher and more flexible than a straight High Carbon Blade. It is often mistaken for Damascus, but if you look at the spine of the blade you will see a dark strip running down the middle of the blade with lighter colored steel on each side as in the image below.

On a Forge Welded blade, if you examine the spine you will see hundreds of tiny lines running the length of the blade spine. These are the layers of folded steel. That is how you can tell a real Damascus blade from a fake one. There are two types of the fake stuff coming out of the Middle East. One looks and feels like the real deal – however, the steel used is very inferior steel that will not hold an edge. The other one again ‘Looks’ like Forge Welded steel, but when you feel the blade it’s surface feels rough and looks crude in comparison to the real steel. I’ve bought some of this stuff from the Middle East and taken the belt grinder to it only to find it is a plain steel that has been etched to look like a Forge Welded blade. There are no layers of different metals. People often ask if my knives are Damascus. They are not, unless I specifically say so in the write up on them. They have been ‘Eletro-etched’ and I do not TRY to make them look like Damascus.

Life in Omak, WA is Starting Well!

June 5, 2022moondogknivesazLeave a Comment

We moved to Omak, WA in December 2021 and it took a few months for me to get the knife making shop set up the way I want it. It’s still not 100% there, but at least I’m able to work and build knives. Which is a good thing because I’ve sold a couple more knives! In fact I’ve sold FIVE in just the past month!

I am so pleased that folks in the area like my work.

I’m working on a couple of new designs that I’ve been tweaking over the last couple of weeks. Some of them are going to be one off’s as they were a real challenge for me – like the dagger – been there, done that, now moving on.

But there is the ‘Just Basic Camp Knife’ and a couple others that are just that. I enjoy making each one because no two are the same. That knife is the ‘Day Tripper’. I’m going to keep making those but my best seller I’m not making any more – I just made the last one. I’ll post pic’s once they are all done and I have the sheaths made for them. This Last One is the last of the PuP series. It is 440C etched with 200 year old American oak and purple heart scales and it comes with one of my hand crafted leather sheath. ANYWAY I’ll post pic’s.

Stay Tuned…

MoonDog’s “Building Blocks”

January 27, 2020moondogknivesazLeave a Comment

I regard ‘Forging your own steel’ in the same way I regard ‘Casting your own bullets’ – it’s something you can get into if so inclined, but not necessary. There are dozens of companies out there who offer ‘Steel Blanks’ upon which a knife blade can be designed, shaped and cut. From these I choose only high quality steel to work with. My preference is exceptional edge retention over corrosion resistance because corrosion can be prevented with proper care and it can be remove if it occurs. However if a knife can not hold an edge, it is useless and ‘High Carbon Steel’ is my primary choice of medium to work with because of it’s ability to hold a truly wicked edge. But because some people can not be bothered with having to care for a knife, I do make knives of ‘High Carbon Stainless Steel’ as well.

My preferred steel for ‘Art Knives’ is Damascus, however using just that would put the cost of knives out of reach for most people. Damascus is a type of blade material where the steel is heated and folded over and over creating layers. The number of folds can vary from 3 to 2000. Obviously the more folds the more expensive the material and this steel is bought by the precious inch. Damascus comes in many different patterns and types. In an effort to keep my knives affordable and still maintain quality I mainly use 512 fold steel. My preference is a blade with a high carbon center for holding an edge and softer stainless steel layers for strength and flexibility.

For non-Damascus steel I tend to prefer ‘High Carbon’ steels (1084, 1095 High Carbon Steels, D2 Carbon Steel, or 01 Tool Steel) and the ‘Stainless Steels’ that I use also have a high carbon content (440C, CPM154 and 5Cr15). What that means for you the buyer is that you will have to look after your knife. By that I mean that you will need to dry it after use, don’t store it in a wet sheath and keep it lubricated with ‘Rust Free’ or some other product that will prevent rust.

All of my knives that are made using natural materials (bone, wood, antler, horn) for handles, are ‘Stabilized’ using either CA glue, Wood Juice – wood stabilizer or Polycryl – wood fortifier. They are all finished with ‘Renaissance wax’ which is used by museums and historic object restorers and collectors as a conservational material.

The other factors that affect the price of Moondog Knives are the handle materials, ranging from deer or elk antlers, to exotic woods like desert iron wood, to handcrafted Micarta. The other material cost is the sheath materials used. I use lightly worked leather keeping the design simple and functional, but built to last. My goal is to make custom handcrafted knives affordable for the average person.

The Making of A Knife

January 27, 2020moondogknivesazLeave a Comment

There is a lot to take into consideration when deciding to make a knife; especially if you want the knife to be a success. That is to say, sell more than one, unless it’s deliberately designed to be “one of a kind”. If you want your knives to be known for their quality; if you want form and function to be up to the task you designed the knife for; if you want your customers to be “Happy Campers”, then you need to think and plan the knife very carefully.

A lot depends on the knife maker choosing the right steel, deciding on just the right dimensions and shape of not only the blade but the overall appearance of the knife. He must choose an appropriate handle material(s) that is/are up to the task(s) the knife is being designed for and it has to look good (and not to just the knife maker!).

One aspect of a good knife that is sorely overlooked or downright neglected is an appropriate name. Looking through knife magazines and catalogs this is painfully obvious. A good name can inspire the knife maker and help get his creative juices flowing. I give due consideration to this aspect of my knives as well. There is nothing more hilarious (and annoying) than coming across a knife named something like ‘The Druid’ and it’s a automatic made of high tech materials!

Another important aspect of knife making is the sheath. The sheath must not only protect and securely hold the knife; it should accentuate the design of the knife. Compliment and and enhance it’s appeal. The knife maker must once again make a whole series of choices as to the design, materials, color and type of sheath so as to fulfill these requirements.

Now all of what I have mentioned so far are relevant and applicable for a knife being designed to be sold to “John Q. Public” with the hope that enough people will like it and I will be able to sell at least a couple every month or two.

Reviewing and Remaking K-Bar’s Kephart

May 5, 2019January 31, 2023moondogknives1 Comment

K-Bar Kephart

The K-Bar KephartI subscribe to all 3 of the prominent knife magazines and every issue is read from cover to cover… more than once. As I am a custom knife crafter (stock removal) I always pay particular attention to the knife reviews. To be honest I have always wondered whether or not the articles were biased in favor of the maker. One of the magazines did a review of K-Bars new release of the Kephart Knife and I bought the K-Bar ‘Kephart’ based on that review. Sorry to say, I was more than a little disappointed with their product (and consequently decided that there is definitely a bias).

The steel is good (1095 CroVan Carbon Steel) and I really like the finish K-Bar used on it. I also really like the knifes design (designed by Mr. Horace Kephart in 1897) and the thickness of the blade. I was also impressed with the quality of the sheath although it was not true to form for a Kephart reproduction. Unfortunately, ‘my’ review goes downhill from there.

First off K-Bar used nuts and bolts to secure the handle material instead of steel pins. Then they placed the nuts facing out rather than the bolt heads (Very tacky looking and an obvious lack of quality control?).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — K-Bar scale above. The knife remade with my own walnut scale below.

The “walnut” grips were not epoxied onto the tang and when I removed them after my testing, the tang was heavily rusted. I am well aware that in Mr. Kepharts time there was no epoxy, but then again there was no rust inhibiting coating like K-Bar used either. I’m all in favor of using modern technological advantages if it improves the quality and extends the life of the knife and is not blatantly obvious.

In that same vein – the walnut scales were not stabilized or finished with anything (raw wood) and I was getting small chips of wood coming off at the finger guard. The handle also ended up being very scarred up from use. Treating the wood with Tung Oil or some other hardener would have helped prevent this from happening. This is the first time I’ve received a knife with an unfinished handle. I also found the knife handle way too thin, which resulted in hot spots and difficulty in gripping it under serious use… and I do not have a large hand. Since it is a reproduction, maybe the measurements taken were of an old and worn handle and that’s why it is so thin?

Given the quality of the K-Bar version, I would have priced it at around the $80 mark rather than the $119 I paid. Having said all that – I really like the knife (thanks mainly to Mr. Kephart) and it will become my EDC once I finish modifying it to my liking.

“….It was a rough looking affair when I received it, neither ground nor polished. Every cent of its value had been put into material and temper, leaving me to beautify it as I might wish.” (Horace Kephart)

So that’s exactly what I’m doing. I am beautifying it as I wish. Thicker stabilized walnut grips with a red fiber liner (both epoxied on), peened copper pins and a Tung Oil/Linseed Oil finish. On mine I did a mustard etch and a partial bluing of the blade, just my own personalization of ‘my’ knife.

I am in the process of making 4 more that will be for sale in about a month. So if you bought a K-Bar Kephart knife, and are not quite as happy with it as you thought you’d be, and you like what I’ve done with mine, and leave a message or email: moondogknives@gmail.com. And I can “beautify it as YOU wish.”

If you find Mr. Kepharts knife design aesthetically pleasing, as I do, and want to know more about the knife and the man – pick up a copy of Knife Magazine or go to www.knifemagazine.com. They did an outstanding article that intrigued me enough that I went to Amazon and got one of Mr. Kepharts books.

The Scalliwag – A Lady’s Purse Carry

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018moondogknivesLeave a Comment

scalliwag

Every lady needs a little protection. Many are hesitant to carry a gun. A knife is an excellent alternative!

This knife is a custom build for an amazing woman we dearly love. (The pattern will be available for others but I don’t plan to mass produce this model.) She is without a doubt the most truly Christian person we have ever met. At the same time she is a realist and a bit of a survivalist. She is perfectly capable of taking care of herself while she goes out into the community helping others.

The blade on this knife is full tang 416 fold Damascus heat treated to 58-60 RC so it is a strong blade as well as a beautiful one. There are 3 different steels (5160, 203E 52100, 15n20 for those of you who know steel) used to create this type of blade and it is so expensive it is sold by the inch, whereas most blade steel is sold by the foot. The blade is 2 1/2” flat ground and as already stated, full tang. It is 1/8” thick and 11/16” wide.

The handle is truly special! It is olive wood imported from Bethlehem and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The liner is cinnamon resin impregnated fiber. It has a brass guard and pins.

The sheath is a bit different from most I have made. Since it is designed to be carried in a purse, it does not have a belt loop. It has a locking liner like all my sheaths, so the knife does not fall out, but instead of a belt loop, it has a snap closure.

The Malone Custom Trekker

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018moondogknives1 Comment

malone

This knife is a custom special commission. It is 7 7/8″ overall with a full tang. Like the Stoneman, the person this knife was designed for needed a good all around, versatile hiking/camping blade. The 3 1/2″ long by 1 1/4″ wide flat ground blade gives him what he would need for these purposes.

The blade is 5/32″ thick D-2 High Carbon Tool Steel, considered by many to be the best carbon steel for knife blades. It has a combination of superior abrasion resistance and toughness. It holds an edge very well for a long time. It is not stainless steel so it will rust if it is not looked after!

The bolster is brass. Liners are blue and green resin impregnated fiber to off-set the giraffe bone handle. The sheath is full cow leather stained dark brown custom handmade for this knife, laced with braided cord.

What Goes Into the Making of A Knife?

May 5, 2018May 3, 2018moondogknivesLeave a Comment

New Additions to the PuP Series

May 3, 2018May 11, 2018moondogknivesLeave a Comment

Here are a few additions to the PuP Series.

This series – the first – has come about by interpreting the market trend towards a “Non-intimidating” EDC (Every Day Carry). Thus the blade is 2 7/8″ in cutting edge length and is made of ‘High carbon” Stainless Steel – 5Cr15. This is the first time I’ve used a Stainless Steel. I usually use plain High Carbon Steel. Although it is somewhat harder to work with, I must say that I am pleased with the edge I was able to get. It holds it’s edge well and is easy to ‘Field sharpen’. I think you will be pleased with it as a handy EDC.

Each knife in this series is one-of-a-kind custom made with a customized handmade sheath.

All knives pictured on this page are for sale at $125.00 (Price includes knife, sheath and shipping)unless it is marked sold. Payment to be made via PayPal. Email me at moondogknives@gmail.com to place your order.

If there is a knife you like and it has been sold, let me know and I will see if I have the woods necessary to recreate it. However, keep in mind no two knives can ever be exactly alike.

PuP-05-australian-gum-wood-and-walnut