RJ hunt’s… let’s make a knife
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: RJ Hunt
13-Jan-23
Ok guys. I am going to make this knife on this thread and post up the process in which I do so from design… to blade steel selection…. To finished product. Here is the knife in its “wood” pattern I drew up this am and will make into a blade capable of breaking down and debone an elk sized animal.
From: fuzzy
13-Jan-23
Nice! I need to call you about getting on the build/waiting list
From: LBshooter
13-Jan-23
A beauty!!!
From: Bowbender
13-Jan-23
Yes!!! Been waiting for this. Y'all need to get an Instagram account and see Rob's work. In-freaking-credible!
From: Altitude Sickness
13-Jan-23
I’ve got a Niche knife that cut up and caped an elk last September And did not need sharpening. So I butchered a whitetail. Still didn’t really need sharpening. But I touched it up any way.
The edge retention was phenomenal
From: LUNG$HOT
13-Jan-23
I’ll be following along on this one. Awesome stuff.
From: LUNG$HOT
13-Jan-23
What is his instagram name?
From: Bowbender
13-Jan-23
@robmniche
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
13-Jan-23
This will be a cool thread. Rob is a great guy and his knives are fantastic!
From: EmbryOklahoma
13-Jan-23
Yep, phenomenal knives made by Rob. I’m very critical of knives and the angle from the handle to the blade, and look. Rob HAS it down in all aspects.
From: RJ Hunt
13-Jan-23
Thanks guys. Appreciate all the support. I will try to make the thread flow though the process and try to update daily as I go.
From: molsonarcher
13-Jan-23
Bring it on RJ!
Been waiting for this.
Just dont forget about my order while doing this build;)
From: drycreek
13-Jan-23
I already like the design, looking forward to the build. I have to keep a tight rein on myself to keep from having knives I don’t use.
(Who am I kidding ?)
From: molsonarcher
13-Jan-23
Drycreek, I have one of RJs knives, and 2 on the way.
Its not about “needing” another one ; )
From: Wv hillbilly
13-Jan-23
Can’t wait Rob! Best knives I’ve ever owned.
From: RJ Hunt
13-Jan-23
Thanks guys. Appreciate all the support. I will try to make the thread flow though the process and try to update daily as I go.
From: RJ Hunt
13-Jan-23
This knife will be a one off and I will need to profile by hand on the grinder and band saw. We will be using Elmax Superclean steel on this as it has superb edge retention and takes a very nice edge. This is a stainless particle steel and though a bit difficult to work it makes for a great knife
From: RJ Hunt
13-Jan-23
From: RJ Hunt
13-Jan-23
Also keep in mind all this work so far Is being done prior to hardening the blade… that will come later on in the process.
From: drycreek
13-Jan-23
I have a feeling this is gonna cost somebody………
From: RJ Hunt
13-Jan-23
After getting the profile done and cleaned up I have to remove the stainless steel can (a thin dark gray metal on the outside of the steel billet) as it will not harden in the heat treat and is best to get off now. I do this on a surface grinding attachment.
From: RJ Hunt
14-Jan-23
Now that the knife blank is flat on both surfaces and square along the spine I add some jimping (cuts in the spine to add some grip for your index finger) and a sharpening choil (all my hunting knives get one with the exception of my capers). I do all file work with chainsaw files and by eye, over time you get a feel for it. The blue on the base is layout fluid. It allows me to see my marks a bit better. Also later on I will add Cerakote to the file work to add color and character to the blade.
From: RJ Hunt
14-Jan-23
Now to drill pin holes for the handle in the tang of the knife as this needs to be done before heat treat (hardening) as it is easier now as the steel is soft. I don’t drill additional weight reduction holes as we will address weight reduction later after heat treat.
From: RJ Hunt
14-Jan-23
In addition a drill a lanyard tube hole and chamfer all the holes
From: Beendare
14-Jan-23
Nice sander setup RJ.
Elmax is good stuff…. i’m looking forward to see how you heat treat it
Guys that try drilling stainless for the first time get an attitude adjustment….Until you figure out that low speed is the key.
From: Grey Ghost
14-Jan-23
This is awesome stuff. Thanks for sharing your expertise, Robert.
And, yeah, that sander is badazz.
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
14-Jan-23
My knife grinders
My knife grinders
Thanks Beendare…. Yeah stainless is an animal to work even before heat treat. Slow speed is key… I run my drill press as slow as will go and apply cutting oil as well. Grey Ghost… thank you. I have two different ones. One is a home made unit and the other I had made for me by a local shop. Both run 2x72 belts and are controlled by VFD drives.
From: RJ Hunt
14-Jan-23
I used a height scribe to mark the center line of the blade
I used a height scribe to mark the center line of the blade
Now we are on to the “pre heat treat” grinds. I cut a small false edge on the top of the blade (for looks more than anything) and take the corner off the main bevel only to the 45 degree. I leave a lot of flats on the knife as during heat treat I will be cooling this blade between two water cooled aluminum plates. Most you have probably seen the knives quenched in oil, while I do that as well, Elmax goes into 35 degree aluminum plates to cool. And also the knife then gets an acetone bath to remove any dykem and oil before heat treat
From: EmbryOklahoma
14-Jan-23
“Guys that try drilling stainless for the first time get an attitude adjustment….Until you figure out that low speed is the key.” Truth! Like Rob said as well, low speeds and apply some cutting OIL. ;)
From: LUNG$HOT
14-Jan-23
Looking good RJ. Your stuff on instagram is beautiful!
From: Glunt@work
14-Jan-23
Thanks for sharing the process. A medium size drop point with jimping is my favorite.
From: Paul@thefort
14-Jan-23
Love seeing an artist at work.
From: Stoneman
14-Jan-23
It always amazes me the vast amount of skilled craftsmen on Bowsite, plus the sharing of their art in threads like this.
So much knowledge and experience. Very humbling…
Beautiful work RJ
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Thanks for all the positive feedback. Is fun to share and show others what I do and how I do it.
From: Supernaut
15-Jan-23
Thanks for the build along RJ!
Your knives are beauties and I'll be following this thread and can't wait to see the finished product.
From: bowhunter24
15-Jan-23
I am feeling the urge RJ, I retired last year from 34 years of being a machinist, you know what you are doing and who doesn't like a great knife? This is going to cost me!
From: WV Mountaineer
15-Jan-23
Nice!!!
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Sealed tight in the foil packet
Sealed tight in the foil packet
Time to make this knife… a knife. We need to harden this to about 62 Rockwell to perform where we want it to. Many factory knives run 57-59hrc but in my opinion you are not getting the performance you should get out of these high end blade steels. To get to that hardness we will need to cook this knife at an exact temperature for a specific time… some cook for 15 min and some for 45 min. I use a computer controlled oven to hold exact temps for that timeframe. This one will soak at over 2000f then quench in cold aluminum plates then get placed into liquid nitrogen overnight at -320f. Also to protect the carbon in the steel from being cooked out we need to protect it from the environment. I wrap the knife in stainless steel (309 type) foil as just like welding we need to protect the metals from the environment (oxygen) when that hot.
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
My oven. It cooks up to 2300f
My oven. It cooks up to 2300f
Placing the knife in cold plates of aluminum. Will be cool to touch in 20-30 seconds
Placing the knife in cold plates of aluminum. Will be cool to touch in 20-30 seconds
Going into liquid nitrogen within 2-3 min of coming out of the oven
Going into liquid nitrogen within 2-3 min of coming out of the oven
Almost forgot. The knife stays in the foil when going into the plates to cool. When cool to touch I cut out of the foil
Almost forgot. The knife stays in the foil when going into the plates to cool. When cool to touch I cut out of the foil
From: drycreek
15-Jan-23
Amazing !
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Thanks drycreek. I appreciate all the compliments and if you guys have any questions hit me up. I will do my best to answer them all as I go.
From: fastflight
15-Jan-23
This is one of the best threads in a while. So cool to see a process I knew nothing about.
From: molsonarcher
15-Jan-23
Thats neat how it “glows” theough the foil. I woulda thought at those temps they would stick together.
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Molon…. Yes they do stick together… they actually forge weld together at these temps but there is a little secret I did not show. ;-) A little baby powder on the blade keeps things from welding while in the oven.
From: Supernaut
15-Jan-23
I can't imagine the amount of trial and error that goes into acquiring the knowledge to make those knives.
RJ, we're you mentored by anyone or was it mostly trial and error or a combination of both?
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Supernaut I was not mentored by anyone other than YouTube. Lol What I did do was I read everything I could find on forums, in written articles and such. Another thing I did that really helped me was I came to learn who in the business was very good at what they did (some guys were masters at heat treat, some were high carbon steel specialists and what not) and wrote them once every 6 months or so a simple question asking for advice. It was not often I asked as I did not want to pester and felt if I did as much as I could to learn on my own the “old G’s” I should call them, would help me with tid bits of needed information I needed to continue growing.
From: molsonarcher
15-Jan-23
Rj, thats a nice trick. I woulda been back at the grinder trying to get back to where i started. Lotsa knowledge in this post for sure.
From: Bou’bound
15-Jan-23
This is phenomenal
From: Supernaut
15-Jan-23
Thanks for the info on your learning process RJ and kudos to you for learning how to craft beautiful knives!
Thanks again for the build along.
From: Grey Ghost
15-Jan-23
Robert, what caused the bit of discoloration at the front tip during heat treating? And how will you address that for the finished product?
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
GG. That is from a split second the foil let some air (oxygen) in as the blade was cooling in the foil packet when clamped between the plates. When the blade cools is can shrink up and tighten the foil like a shrink wrap and the corners of the knife can make a small hole. That said that much is not an issue and will all be ground off when we taper in the tip of the blade on the grinder. That shows what that knife would look like if we did not wrap in foil as would be a burned up mess of left to cook exposed for 30 min being that happened in just a split second.
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Here is the knife out of cryo treat at a -320f warming back up to room temp. The knife is now at full hardness and we will need to temper that back so will go back into an oven around 400f for about 4 hours to draw some brittleness out and become more durable.
From: Grey Ghost
15-Jan-23
Thanks, that makes sense, and I'm glad it's easily corrected later on.
I'm curious, when you were tapping into the knowledge of experts, did you ever communicate with Phil Wilson in California?
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
I did not communicate with Phil Wilson in CA. Though I have read his website and seen a few of his knives I did not get to know of him til this last year.
From: goelk
15-Jan-23
wow that really cool enjoying watching
From: Grey Ghost
15-Jan-23
Phil is a great guy. At the time I ordered a custom set of knives from him, he was about the only knife maker who would use CPM 10V if requested. He treated mine to HRC 62, IIRC. They are a bit brittle and hard to sharpen, but they hold an edge incredibly well.
I'll stop bugging you, now. I'm really enjoying this thread.
Matt
From: goelk
15-Jan-23
wow really cool to watch and looking to forward to the finish.
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Not bugging GG. I enjoy this kinda stuff.
From: xtroutx
15-Jan-23
Great to watch a skilled craftsman at work. Great thread. Thank you.
From: Altitude Sickness
15-Jan-23
Here’s the specs on my knife Robert made. The retention is amazing. But probably not a good prying tool. Or splitting wood.
But for skinning and caping a dirt encrusted bull it’s the cat’s pajamas
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Thanks altitude! Glad that knife worked well for you. To be honest that’s why I started making knives. It just seemed that everytime I had a bull to take apart or a buck my knife always left me wanting something better. After my wife telling me “stop complaining about your knives and go make your own!” I began this endeavor. Anyhow. I do what I love to do and really like making tools that can make a grueling job all the easier.
From: RJ Hunt
15-Jan-23
Ok. Got the knife out of temper this afternoon and my goal was to harden the blade to 62.0hrc. I Rockwell test each knife and this one came out at 62.2hrc. That’s a good spot for a hunter in Elmax.
From: Catscratch
15-Jan-23
Loving this thread! Hate to even guess how much $$$$ you have tied up in tools and equipment. Great work!
From: hawkeye in PA
15-Jan-23
Enjoying the thread also. Your making it look easy! Nice equipment.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
16-Jan-23
I can certainly vouch for Rob and his knives!!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
16-Jan-23
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
16-Jan-23
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
Thanks bowandbird I appreciate it.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
16-Jan-23
I caped and broke down both the Coues and the Iowa buck above along with my son's Sitka blacktail all without resharpening either knife. I'm hoping to add a caper to my collection very soon!
Not only are the knives incredibly durable but Rob can customize the scales with just about anything you can imagine. I had him make 3 knives with thin blue inserts between the tang and the scales and gave one to my son and son in law who are both Deputy Sheriffs....and they really like sharp things!
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
Now that we have a knife blank heat treated and ready to go it’s time to pick out handle materials and construction. This one will be half black micarta and stabilized buckeye Burl with some gray/black accents. First I make a block suitable to for the knife by laminating with structural grade epoxy (no 5 min epoxy used only commercial grade marine epoxy).
From: Grey Ghost
16-Jan-23
Robert, what is the small notch for at the rear end of the edge?
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
GG… that is a sharpening choil. I put them on my knives with the exception of my capers. It allows you to sharpen without running your stone into the plunge. Some like them… some do not.
From: Grey Ghost
16-Jan-23
I thought I was pretty savvy about knife terminology and features, but I'd never heard of a "sharpening choil". Thanks for teaching me something new. I'm actually learning a lot from this thread.
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
Here is a knife with no choil
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
While the epoxy is setting up I will start with grinding the bevels on the knife. Now being the knife has been heat treated and grinding creates heat I must avoid heating the knife blade and or edge beyond 400degrees f or I could ruin the knife. To help with heat control I run sharp ceramic belts, a water cooled platen (you can see the hoses that pump cold water though) and a water sprayer. Yes it makes a mess but is good insurance that when I am done the knife is in the same state as when I heat treated it.
From: drycreek
16-Jan-23
This is a great thread !
From: Whocares
16-Jan-23
Certainly is a great and interesting thread. Thanks RJ. Will go take out my various knives now in the middle of winter and look at them with a new appreciation.
From: hdaman
16-Jan-23
Very talented for sure! How many 'hands on' hours do you have invested at this point?
From: Altitude Sickness
16-Jan-23
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
Hdaman, I’m not sure how many hours I have involved but I am on year four of making knives and year two of doing full time for my only income.
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
The bevels are now ground ground and we will address the issue of the tang (metal part of the knife where the handle is) weight next. I will hollow grind out the handle then taper the tang of the knife just like grinding bevels. This will make the thickness of the knife about .150 at the handle junction and close to 0.020” at the butt.
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
That tang taper at the back of the knife
That tang taper at the back of the knife
Now that the tang is hollowed and tapered I will need to spray the Cerakote accents and begin all the hand work
From: WV Mountaineer
16-Jan-23
Beautiful work man.
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
WV, Thank you
From: Grey Ghost
16-Jan-23
Robert, what tool is used to hollow the tang?
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
Matt, I hollow grind them out on a 4” wheel attachment
From: Grey Ghost
16-Jan-23
Thanks. It blows my mind how much of the grinding, shaping, hollowing etc...is done without the aid of jigs. I finally got good at free-handing sharpening a knife on a stone. I can't image the talent required to actually make an entire blade by feel and eyeball. It's truly an art form.
Matt
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
16-Jan-23
Amazing RJ. How would one go about to get one of these?? Website? Etc.
From: RJ Hunt
16-Jan-23
GG…. That’s funny you say that. I have to sharpen with a jig.
From: BC173
16-Jan-23
You guys with this kinda talent amaze me. Good stuff RJ!
From: Knifeman
16-Jan-23
From: deserthunter
16-Jan-23
You sir are a craftsman. I have learned a bunch from this post.
From: Zbone
16-Jan-23
Cool stuff, thanks for sharing...
From: t-roy
17-Jan-23
Extremely informative thread, RJ! Love these “how-it’s-made” threads.
From start to finish (not including the time in the oven for heating/tempering, and in the nitrogen bath) approximately how much time, on average, will you have in the making of this knife, or one similar?
From: ki-ke
17-Jan-23
Incredibly fascinating. Thanks for taking us along on this build! I know there’s a couple machinists that have already chimed in that are researching equipment for their “retirement” shops….lol
I may “need” a new knife soon..
From: Altitude Sickness
17-Jan-23
I now feel better for what I paid for my Niche knife. I was 100% satisfied before this post. And never second guessed the price Now I see why the price is what it is.
From: xtroutx
17-Jan-23
Excellent Thread. Love the craftmanship. Thanks RJ, will be following to the end.
From: Bou’bound
17-Jan-23
this thread is so interesting for those of us who had no idea of the technicalities of the workmanship. The specialized equipment you use is awesome.
From: RJ Hunt
17-Jan-23
Thank you guys. T-roy, it takes me about 10-15 hours depending on the knife and if I need to make any corrections as I go. To make one knife at a time is not feasible as if I did one it could take me 30 hours to complete so to keep efficient, I make a minimum of four at a time and often 10. That brings my “per knife” time down to a point I can be profitable. So behind the scenes with this knife I have three others I am working on at the same time as this one.
From: RJ Hunt
17-Jan-23
You may remember I laminated some g10 accents onto the buckeye Burl block
You may remember I laminated some g10 accents onto the buckeye Burl block
I then split them on the bandsaw and flatten them on a disc grinder
I then split them on the bandsaw and flatten them on a disc grinder
And then glue the pieces onto g10 liners to hold them all together with a 24 hour structural epoxy
And then glue the pieces onto g10 liners to hold them all together with a 24 hour structural epoxy
Tomorrow after the epoxy sets we will then flatten the outside and fit to the knife
Tomorrow after the epoxy sets we will then flatten the outside and fit to the knife
Handle construction and layout
From: JohnMC
17-Jan-23
Enjoying following along. I do have a question a lot of grinding after the heat treat. Namely the bevels and hollowing the tang. Why is that done after heat treat instead of before when steel is softer?
From: RJ Hunt
17-Jan-23
John, I feel I get a more consistent heat treat when the steel is flat and I can clamp it tight in the clamps to cool. That is stainless steels only. On oil quenching steels (like 52100, W2 or 1095 I will grind 90% of the way to ensure full hardening. Also grinding after heat treat is not that difficult if you use quality abrasives. Also keep in mind there are many great knife makers that do things different than me and I have found doing these methods work for me and allows me consistency in my production.
From: Vonfoust
17-Jan-23
This is fantastic. Thanks for letting us follow along.
From: RJ Hunt
17-Jan-23
Now that we are ready for the hand work I will blast the file work in the blasting cabinet to allow the Cerakote to stick. This step (applying Cerakote) is not needed but I feel it adds a level of detail. I will be applying Black Cerakote on this knife spine
From: deerhunter72
17-Jan-23
So thankful that you are sharing such great information! You are a true artist and I definitely want to add one of your knives to my collection in the future. Congratulations on being able to make a living doing what you love!
From: Wv hillbilly
17-Jan-23
Rob, looks like pope and young is having a knife making contest at the convention this year. Have you seen anything about this? If so are you gonna enter one of your knives? Really enjoying this thread!
From: RJ Hunt
17-Jan-23
Probably not WV. I didn’t even know they had one, that’s pretty cool bet there will be some sweet knives there though.
From: RJ Hunt
17-Jan-23
Well Dave, I just looked it up and is in Reno, NV. Think that would be a good trip as is only 500 miles from my house and looks like the route goes right through some awesome coyote calling country. I think I should have planned ahead a bit and made a trip… or should I say… hunting trip out of it. ;-)
From: RJ Hunt
18-Jan-23
This is my sanding block
This is my sanding block
Now all the machine work is done is time to hand sand the knife blade to a nice satin finish. Now being this steel is hardened and very wear resistant, it can take hours to work your way though the grits and get a nice lengthwise finish on the blade.
From: Bowbender
18-Jan-23
Loving this, Rob.
From: Grey Ghost
18-Jan-23
Robert, why do you do the cerakote detail on the spine before you do the finish sanding? And does that detail only remain on the top edge of the spine after hand sanding?
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
18-Jan-23
Thanks bowbender. Here is an action shot. I use silicon carbide sandpaper with windex (yes window cleaner as the ammonia will not promote corrosion while sanding) to wet sand.
From: Knifeman
18-Jan-23
From: BC
18-Jan-23
Great thread. Thats' amazing work RJ. Thanks for showing us the process.
From: WV Mountaineer
18-Jan-23
I’m loving it.
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
18-Jan-23
Loving this RJ
From: RJ Hunt
18-Jan-23
Matt, I apply the Cerakote before sanding so I can remove it when I work on the satin of the blade. I sand carefully not to remove the Cerakote from the file work. Here you can see the Cerakote accents on the spine of the knife after I sand the flats and spine. I also do these In various colors to match the handle scheme.
From: Grey Ghost
18-Jan-23
Thanks Robert. That Cerakote detail in the file work is a great idea. It definitely adds to the appearance, and it seems to be a simple step.
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
18-Jan-23
Matt,
It is a simple step but time consuming. Cerakote takes a process of soaking/degreasing, blasting, baking, spraying then baking again to properly apply. That said in the end I feel is well worth the added detail.
From: RJ Hunt
20-Jan-23
Scales after resin setting up
Scales after resin setting up
Ok. Sorry for being absent a couple days… I had some things I needed to get some for the week. Back to where we left off. ……Now the knife scales (handles) are set up it is time to square them off, true them up and the spot glue back together to fit to the knife.
From: RJ Hunt
20-Jan-23
Flattened and squared up
Flattened and squared up
From: RJ Hunt
20-Jan-23
Glued together and sprayed with some water so can see the colors.
Glued together and sprayed with some water so can see the colors.
From: RJ Hunt
20-Jan-23
Drilling the pin/ lanyard holes
Drilling the pin/ lanyard holes
I draw out the knife scales onto the knife so I can center the spilts
From: RJ Hunt
20-Jan-23
I then transfer the knife tang outline into the scales and rough shape them to fit leaving them oversized by about 0.030 as we will grind them to fit after glue up with the exception of the fronts as those get finish sanded now
From: RJ Hunt
20-Jan-23
Now the handles are roughed out ready to fit to the knife
From: drycreek
20-Jan-23
Keep it up ! Very interthread.
From: RJ Hunt
21-Jan-23
Sanding the front of the knife handles to a clean finish before glue up
From: RJ Hunt
21-Jan-23
Now the handle scales have been roughed out and fit to the knife to make sure all surfaces are mating well I will now finish sand the blade. Here is our current progress so far:
From: RJ Hunt
21-Jan-23
After I get the blade hand sanded to a nice satin finish I have to add my makers mark and the serial number. I do that by electro etch and stencils I have made. This is knife number 0437. That is the four hundred and thirty seventh knife I have made to date.
From: RJ Hunt
21-Jan-23
Ready for glue up. I attach the handles and pins with gflex marine grade 24 hour set epoxy. Is an extremely strong, flexible and long lasting product
Ready for glue up. I attach the handles and pins with gflex marine grade 24 hour set epoxy. Is an extremely strong, flexible and long lasting product
I weigh my epoxy on a scale for exact ratios and I add a black pigment to match the knife scale pins and liners
I weigh my epoxy on a scale for exact ratios and I add a black pigment to match the knife scale pins and liners
Adding spring clamps
Adding spring clamps
After adding my makers mark and my serial number the knife tang needs to be prepped for glue up. An important step is to degrease and blast the surface with aluminum oxide to give a surface the epoxy can bond to. I mask off all the areas I want to protect and place back into the blast cabinet
From: RJ Hunt
21-Jan-23
I hope this is making sense to everyone. Any questions or things you may want explained? Thanks guys.
From: Catscratch
21-Jan-23
It makes sense!!! Outstanding thread!
From: fastflight
21-Jan-23
Still following along for sure. Have you shared pics of your other 437 knives on bowsite? Need to find that thread if they are out there. Thanks for smearing the process. What the tool look like that you etch the numbers with?
From: BC
21-Jan-23
Gotta love that shamrock too. Great thread, work of art.
From: Goelk
21-Jan-23
So Cool so interesting
From: drycreek
21-Jan-23
Ok, I’m gonna ask THE QUESTION ;-) How much is this knife gonna sell for ?
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
I have shared a few of my knives but not many.
From: LBshooter
22-Jan-23
Very nice, looks like A nice hunting knife.
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Drycreek. DM sent and it has already been claimed.
From: hdaman
22-Jan-23
I appreciate you taking the time to share what goes into creating a knife like this! I find threads like this incredibly interesting.
From: xtroutx
22-Jan-23
I look forward to seeing the process daily. Thanks for doing this thread.
From: Altitude Sickness
22-Jan-23
Robert, why large diameter pins. Instead of the traditional small ones
From: BC
22-Jan-23
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Altitude, I do all sizes of pins from 1/8” up to the 3/8”. On some knives I use the 3/8” pins for a look I am after. That said is a personal preference. I can use any size requested within reason. I also can use metal pins like brass, stainless steel and even mosaics. Thanks Jay
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Ok. The gflex resin has now set up and is time to finish and shape the handle.
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Here you can see the taper in the tang
Here you can see the taper in the tang
Grinding the taper to the front of the handle
Grinding the taper to the front of the handle
I shape my handles by hand after I square and flatten back up to the blade. I feel if I start with something uniform it ends up finishing up much better and easier to see fewer angles at once
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Now to cut the hourglass shape. I use various sized grinding wheels… this is an 8”
Now to cut the hourglass shape. I use various sized grinding wheels… this is an 8”
Though I do them by eye I check for symmetry as I go with calipers just in case.
Though I do them by eye I check for symmetry as I go with calipers just in case.
Now they are roughed in I will clean them up and shape to match with a fine belt belt
Now they are roughed in I will clean them up and shape to match with a fine belt belt
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Rounding all the edges off with a 4” wheel
Rounding all the edges off with a 4” wheel
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
The edges are all rounded and the shape is ready to be sanded by hand to finish.
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
I place the knife in a home made “knife” vise and sand away
I place the knife in a home made “knife” vise and sand away
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
The blade is done and the handle is now shaped and sanded. Now final steps are the sheath and sharpen. I make kydex sheathes that come with the knife and if leather is requested I have a buddy in Ohio that is a master at the leather craft I recommend. The sheath making will be next
From: JohnMC
22-Jan-23
You still have knife number one? If so lets see where you started. Good looking knife!
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
I gave knife number one to a buddy of mine after I finished it but let me see if I can drag out a picture of it.
From: Grey Ghost
22-Jan-23
It’s amazing how much the grain in the burl “pops” with the fine sanding. Beautiful!!
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Here is my very first knife I finished that actually worked. Is O1 tool steel I heat treated with a little forge and a can of canola oil
From: JohnMC
22-Jan-23
Thanks for sharing that. You have come a ways, still lot better than most of could do it we tried.
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
For you guys that pack in here is a 4” blade with a 8.5” overall with the capability to break down an entire elk and weighs in at 4.3oz
For you guys that pack in here is a 4” blade with a 8.5” overall with the capability to break down an entire elk and weighs in at 4.3oz
From: xtroutx
22-Jan-23
You sir, are a true craftsman. Beautiful knife. Thanks for the take along. knife
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Thanks for all the kind words gents
From: Ambush
22-Jan-23
I am truly amazed at your skill, that knife and the WEIGHT! 4.3 oz's!
Was this knife sold before you made it or did it sell it's self during this thread?
From: Poppy
22-Jan-23
Simply amazing and just beautiful, truly a piece of working art !
From: Zbone
22-Jan-23
Absolutely gorgeous... Thanks for sharing...
Did I read that wood is ebony?
From: Catscratch
22-Jan-23
Pics of the other knives you made during this thread? Please...
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
One of the other knives I made during this post.
One of the other knives I made during this post.
Ambush, Thank you. That knife was claimed as I was making it on the thread. Zbone, the wood portion in the handle is stabilized buckeye Burl. Cat scratch… I don’t have pics of all the knives I made during this thread but I have a couple.
From: Zbone
22-Jan-23
Wow, that's another beauty, I like the brown kevlar sheath too... Did you also form the sheath? Thanks again...
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
Zbone… yes sir I make the sheaths and belt loops. I will detail that process next.
From: Zbone
22-Jan-23
Way cool sir, thank you...
From: Marty
22-Jan-23
Crazy good looking knives! Fun to see the amount of work and skill that goes into your build. Thanks for sharing! Kevin
From: fastflight
22-Jan-23
So incredibly talented. Both knives are beautiful. Please share few more pics if you can find the pictures of others you have built.
From: butcherboy
22-Jan-23
Very nice! I would love to carry one of those as an EDC. Can you make the kydex sheath to carry vertical and horizontal?
From: RJ Hunt
22-Jan-23
I can make sheaths with vertical or horizontal carry.
From: LBshooter
23-Jan-23
Love the knife, but I think I would have left the colors off the handle , distracts from the beauty of the knife.
From: wv_bowhunter
23-Jan-23
This has been awesome to follow! While sanding, the handle was very dull in color. Was the color there and the sanding dust just needed washed off and polished to bring the colors back to life?
From: hawkeye in PA
23-Jan-23
Beautiful knife and your very talented. I've made one forged knife through a hands on class and know/appreciate the work involved, you make it look easy!
From: goyt
23-Jan-23
Thank you for a wonderful thread. Beautiful knives!
From: Deerdawg
23-Jan-23
Fine craftsmanship is appreciated! I bet it cuts as good as it looks! Nice work.
From: fdp
23-Jan-23
Absolutely outstanding. Great thread/post and much appreciated.
From: GhostBird
23-Jan-23
Excellent craftsmanship. Beautiful knife... you sir, are an artist.
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
Thanks guys. Lbshooter, the knife I made along side the bowsite knife had colored stripes in the handle as they are company logo colors and this one was ordered as a gift to one of his employees… hence the bright colors. WV… the handle was “dull” looking during the process as needed to be sanded smooth by hand and buffed with a towel to bring out the luster. . Today I will post the process to make the sheath. Happy Monday.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
23-Jan-23
As the name implies, Niche Custom Blade Works, everything Rob makes is CUSTOM. Whether you want a monotone handle or a color scheme to match the fletching on your arrows, Rob can do it. Half the fun is just visiting with him about your ideas and then seeing what he comes up with.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
23-Jan-23
Rob helped me design these three. I wanted them to essentially the same knife but each with a different handle color. All three also have thin blue line inserts between the scales and the tang. I gave one to my son and one to my son in law. Both are in law enforcement.
From: Treeline
23-Jan-23
Amazing work! You definitely have a passion and have developed a great set of skills! Awesome thread! Thank you!
From: TMac
23-Jan-23
As a knife junky I had given thought years ago to make my own knives but am not very handy in general. What is your background for work? Have you always been a craftsman?
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
Ok… sheath time. Here are the materials.
Ok… sheath time. Here are the materials.
Tmac, thank you. I have always been “handy” and my grandfather and great grandfather were skilled wood workers. I myself could never get into the wood working as much but I really was drawn to metal fabrication when was a kid. I have always worked with my hands and such but never really took on a challenge like this before a few years ago as I wanted something better in my pack when I had work to do in the field.
From: TMac
23-Jan-23
Well there goes my dream lol….. You do beautiful work!
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
I tape up the knife to prep to mold the sheath
I tape up the knife to prep to mold the sheath
I heat the kydex and put in a press with the knife as a form
I heat the kydex and put in a press with the knife as a form
As that is cooling I make the belt loop
As that is cooling I make the belt loop
I then drill and install the rivets with a press
I then drill and install the rivets with a press
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
And shape on the grinder.
And shape on the grinder.
When is shaped and the edges are buffed it time to bolt on the belt loop at test fit
When is shaped and the edges are buffed it time to bolt on the belt loop at test fit
From: LUNG$HOT
23-Jan-23
Bravo RJ. Beautiful knives. Thanks for sharing the process.
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
Now to sharpen. I start with coarse diamond stones and work my way to about an 800 grit in a gatco I have modified to do what I want.
Now to sharpen. I start with coarse diamond stones and work my way to about an 800 grit in a gatco I have modified to do what I want.
I then strop off the burr and make sure the edge is clean
I then strop off the burr and make sure the edge is clean
A check for me is to try to cut phone book paper from the side to make sure there is a keen edge that will grab a surface like phonebook paper. I also have a bald left arm for some reason. ;-)
A check for me is to try to cut phone book paper from the side to make sure there is a keen edge that will grab a surface like phonebook paper. I also have a bald left arm for some reason. ;-)
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
We now have a knife ready for a hunt. I thank all you guys for following along and a thank you to bowsite for giving me the platform to do share what I do.
From: RK
23-Jan-23
VERY nice work Somebody is going to be very pleased with that
From: Grey Ghost
23-Jan-23
Robert, do you do a straight V-edge? And is that 22 degrees that I'm seeing on your jig?
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
Grey Ghost. Yes and I have bent the rods so is right at 20dps. And thank you RK
From: Knifeman
23-Jan-23
From: Knifeman
23-Jan-23
From: hdaman
23-Jan-23
Thanks again for sharing your talent with us!
From: deerhunter72
23-Jan-23
That knife is a thing of beauty and will no doubt be a great workhorse in the field. Thanks again for taking us through your process!
From: drycreek
23-Jan-23
RJ, this was a great thread, I enjoyed it immensely ! You do great work and I appreciate you sharing it with us. I really like the scales on the “other” knife you were making at the same time.
From: GhostBird
23-Jan-23
BRAVO... beautiful work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
Thanks brothers. Appreciate it. Also let me know if you have any questions. I will keep up on the thread and answer any you may have. Thank you
From: DroptineDC18
23-Jan-23
Incredible craftsmanship! I am jealous of your skills. Thanks for documenting from start to finish.
From: t-roy
23-Jan-23
Extremely fun following along on this thread, RJ! Always interesting to see how the sausage is made, so to speak. I have a question about how you get the fit right on the sheath. Do you have to put a specific amount of tape/etc. on the knife and handle so the fit is snug, but not too tight?
From: RJ Hunt
23-Jan-23
T-roy eyes there is I apply three layers of tape to the blade on each side for clearance but not on the handle. I have a wooden spacer on the handle for the finger choil.
From: Pyrannah
23-Jan-23
how do people get these knives?
From: Dale06
23-Jan-23
That’s both, a beautiful piece of art and a very useful tool.
From: Catscratch
23-Jan-23
Time for a second thread! What will you be building us next?
From: Ambush
23-Jan-23
I'm not sure if you're into trading, but I've got a left nu . . . . . aah never mind : (
From: JB
23-Jan-23
WOW! Very cool!! You have amazing talent!!
From: molsonarcher
24-Jan-23
From: molsonarcher
24-Jan-23
From: molsonarcher
24-Jan-23
Since Rob is too modest to post, I will.
He made these for me while doing the knife build for Bowsite.
The first one is made to match one he already made for me.
The second is for my wifes birthday. She said she needed a new “apple slicer” for her purse, so now she will have one.
Anyone wanting or “not needing” another item such as this just needs to get creative on how to describe said item;)
From: RJ Hunt
24-Jan-23
Thanks Matt. I appreciate that.
From: fastflight
24-Jan-23
All of the knives on this thread and your Instagram page are amazing. Thanks for sharing the process and your craftsmanship. I see one of Matt's has a darker blade. Is it a different steel or heat treated differently? Care to share the pros and cons of both those materials?
From: RJ Hunt
24-Jan-23
Fast flight, Matt’s has a darker look as that one is Cerakoted in mil green. Wild1, that knife is Elmax hardened to 62.2 hrc. Most my knives are done in that steel and in 20cv as well
From: wild1
25-Jan-23
Thank you!
From: Iowabowhunter
26-Jan-23
Just amazing!
Thank you for taking us through the process!
From: Paul@thefort
26-Jan-23
Rob, well that was indeed a special treat watching the process and the talent that goes into making a useful and beautiful knife. Nicely done. My best, Paul
From: Old Bow
26-Jan-23
Super looking knives !
From: RJ Hunt
26-Jan-23
Thanks guys. Was fun to put together.
From: Beendare
27-Jan-23
RJ, ???????? incredible work
Q, where do you purchase your drill bits?
From: RJ Hunt
27-Jan-23
Beendare, thank you. On the bits When I lived in a metro area I would purchase them from a local supply house. Now I have moved rural I have been forced to order in and mostly go though McMaster as they are mostly letter sized bits. For example if my pins are .250 I don’t drill a .250” hole for the pin as I need a few thousands for epoxy and fit up if that makes any sense. Anymore I don’t buy too many as I purchased a tool to sharpen the smaller ones and have been very happy with sharpening them as I need.
From: Helgermite
27-Jan-23
Beautiful knives RJ. I was wondering where you buy the steel from? I have access to most of the standard tool steels O1, A2, D2, S7, CMPM4, but I haven't seen the steels you use from the suppliers I work with.
From: RJ Hunt
27-Jan-23
Helgermite, I buy much of my steel from New Jersey Steel. The Elmax steel is difficult to come by and normally needs to be purchased in sheet quantity direct from Bohler.
From: Pinwheel
29-Jan-23
Great thread. These are amazing knives. I absolutely love all of mine.
From: Pinwheel
29-Jan-23
From: RJ Hunt
29-Jan-23
Thanks pinwheel!
From: nehunter
15-Feb-23
nehunter's Link
I thought at first this was my friend RJ Martin the famous knife maker.
BTW I really enjoyed the post. Great job!!
From: WhattheFOC
16-Feb-23
A plug for another knife maker at the end of RJHunt’s knife build thread??
Just me, or was that a douche move??
From: craigmcalvey
16-Feb-23
WhattheFOC x 2!
Classless move Steve.
From: RJ Hunt
19-Feb-23
Scoot, I put my shamrock on the right side of the knife and the serial number on the left. My thought is most are right handed and my mark gets seen when being used as is most often facing out. Just my 0.02
From: Grey Ghost
19-Feb-23
I need to hear some specifics about Pinwheels set.! Talk about 2 sexy knives!!
Matt
From: RJ Hunt
19-Feb-23
GG. Those are my two most popular knives. Both are 3” blades with a 5” handle for control. The bottom one is called my alpine and is approx 2.9oz and the top one is called my back country knife and is just a tad heavier. Both are in CPM20cv and work well on game
From: arlone
21-Feb-23
I know my limitations, so no urges to become a crafter of knives, but really enjoyed following along to see how "stuff" is done. Thank you for taking the time to entertain and inform us. My skill level hopefully ends with a sharp knife!
From: sitO
28-Feb-23
Its a real piece of work, thanks Rob! Who else sends a copy of the US Constitution with their product?
From: Cheesehead Mike
28-Feb-23
Beautiful!
From: RJ Hunt
28-Feb-23
Thanks Kyle. Glad you are happy with it.
From: RJ Hunt
01-Mar-23
Grey Ghost: Here is another version on the knives above. This I call my back country.
From: Verdehunter3
01-Mar-23
How do I get one of your knives? Great work!
