Knifemaking

[Gene Kimmi]

As suggested in another thread, I'll show a little of my work here. I've been making knives for about 9 years now. Most of what I make now is stainless, but when I get free time, I love making damascus.

A few hunting knives.

Here's some of my kitchen knives.

 

[Gene Kimmi]

Here are a few damascus knives I've made.

This one is out of W2 steel with a hamon.

 

[ILGAC]

Those are all great looking knives. The Damascus blades are absolutely fantastic!!!!

 

[Goodtime Charlie]

Gorgeous work! I LOVE the handles! What an incredible gift to be able to craft such beautiful work! You are truly blessed!

 

[Gene Kimmi]

Thank you both! It's a hobby I really enjoy.

Here's one I've been working on. Ladder pattern damascus blade and guard with a mammoth tusk handle.

 

[Goodtime Charlie]

Truly a work of art.

Where do you get mammoth tusk from?!

 

[Gene Kimmi]

Truly a work of art.

Where do you get mammoth tusk from?!

There's a lot of it sold for knife handles. I get mine from a guy in Canada. I believe all his comes from Siberia.

 

[ILGAC]

So Gene, do you buy the Damascus blanks or do you make them?

I knew a knife maker in Jefferson City, MO 25+ years ago that used to make his own knife blades from chain saw chains. It looked similar to Damascus but you could still see the outline of the chains in the blades. I wish that I would have bought one but they were much more expensive than I could afford at the time.

 

[Gene Kimmi]

So Gene, do you buy the Damascus blanks or do you make them?

I make all my own Damascus. The first Damascus dagger pictured above was all hand hammered Damascus. 13 1/2 hours just making the Damascus. After that, I bought a forging press.

All my stainless knives are my design. I send a template to the steel supplier and they water jet them out. All it saves is having to cut the design out and drilling the handle holes. But, it only adds $3-$4 to the knife. And I don't pay shipping for the scrap I get cutting them out myself.

 

[ILGAC]

You have quite a talent! I would enjoy seeing step by step photos of the blade making process.

 

[Gene Kimmi]

You have quite a talent! I would enjoy seeing step by step photos of the blade making process.

Here's a wip post I made on the damascus dagger when I made it. It's on the knifedogs forum.

https://knifedogs.com/threads/my-biggest-challenge-yet-now-a-wip.49291/

I've also got a lot of the processes on my Instagram. Kimmi's Cutlery.

 

[ILGAC]

That is absolutely fantastic work!!

Thank you so much for the link. I really enjoyed reading through the process.

 

[Dwayne]

Those are quite beautiful knives....The only problem I see with
all of your knives???? the only place you could use them is in a
showcase. I would hate to use them out in the field....or worse yet....
lose one by accident.....I think I would cry for a year.

I have made a few knives, but they are more of the type you use
in the field, and if you lose it, oh well.....Make another.

I am a bushcrafter, so my knives kind of reflect that type of usage.
I use some old timber sawmill blades and usually any kind of cheap
lumber that I have around for the handles. I also usually make my
handles replaceable. That means bolts and nuts for handle retainers.

 

[Goodtime Charlie]

Those are quite beautiful knives....The only problem I see with
all of your knives???? the only place you could use them is in a
showcase. I would hate to use them out in the field....or worse yet....
lose one by accident.....I think I would cry for a year.

I have made a few knives, but they are more of the type you use
in the field, and if you lose it, oh well.....Make another.

I am a bushcrafter, so my knives kind of reflect that type of usage.
I use some old timber sawmill blades and usually any kind of cheap
lumber that I have around for the handles. I also usually make my
handles replaceable. That means bolts and nuts for handle retainers.

@Dwayne Would you mind please posting some photos of your creations?

 

[Dwayne]

@Dwayne Would you mind please posting some photos of your creations?

I found a couple..

I also make wooden grandfather clocks.

 

[Dwayne]

Better picture

 

[Dwayne]

The hole in the top knife is a pivot hole for a bow and drill. Used to start fires.