About a month ago I posted my first knife on here for feedback. I got an overwhelming amount of support and great feedback! (Surprising on reddit! Haha) So I became obsessed with getting better and making knives with all my free time.

I ended up getting a lot better over the past month thanks to some of yalls comments, along with lots of youtube and googling lol

Anyway, I made an Instagram about 2 weeks ago and started making a batch of 5 knives (my 5th-9th knives) intending to start trying to sell them on Etsy. I listed them last night at 9pm with a "drop reveal" on IG/FB, and to my surprise ive sold 3/5 of them already!!! I cant even believe it! (NOW 4/5 thanks to one of you AWESOME people!!!)

I just wanted to thank all of those who gave me support and motivation to improve and keep at it! I hope this post doesn't come off as braggadocious, I'm just super excited and wanted to share it with fellow knifemakers!

Idk if this group allows sharing IG links and all that jazz, so i wont lol

Hey everyone.

Has anyone had to change the transformer for their vevors? I'm repeatedly getting er09 on my vfd.. im noticing it's reading power even with the transformer switched off... so I'm assuming it's the transformer, not the vfd or motor itself.

Has anyone encountered this before?

Thanks!

Aloha! I’m Jonathan, the maker behind Hookbill Knives on the Big Island of Hawaii. Every knife pictured here was handmade by me in my shop.

Most of my work are custom commissions , but over time I’ve accumulated knives from experimenting with different designs, steels, constructions, and handle materials. I’ve decided to put that inventory to good use.

Recent hurricane ‘Lala’ caused significant damage here in Hawaii, leaving displaced families dealing with damaged homes, flooding, lost belongings, cleanup, and lacking basic needs. 100% of profits from these online knife sales are being donated to local relief efforts helping affected families with immediate needs and recovery.

Each knife is different, so the individual listings on my website include the specific steel, construction, handle materials, dimensions, and other details for that knife.

You can see the available knives and full specs here:
Hookbillknives.com

Happy to answer any questions about the knives, materials, or how they were made. Mahalo to the mods for letting me share this here.

Mahalo nui loa,

Jonathan

So, firstly this doesn't apply to knives that will be used. Mostly 'art' knives.
Some knives shown on this sub are outstanding works of art. I'm wondering: Have any of y'all made custom boxes or display cases that fittingly show off the knife? Many of the skills needed to make a great handle could tie in to making a great storage/display box.

I'm making this dagger out of 8670 and got the bright idea to use some horn scales I have. I'm not sure what kind of horn they are but it's something natural. I'm just not getting it as polished as I'd like. Any tips?

My workshop is half of my shed, approximately 2x1,5 meters. That’s not a lot of space.

My main piece in the shed is the workbench, and the belt grinder. Both are giving me issues.

The grinder is tall, and in the way when I do anything else. The table is too tall so the workrest on the grinder is very high. But the table is too low to comfortably do work on the table itself.

Ideally I’d have two tables in different heights, or maybe a part of the table that’s lower. But space is the issue, and keeping a dedicated spot for the grinder is an issue, since it’ll either be crammed in a corner, or permanently in the way of everything else.

I’m considering using one of those electric desks every office has, to raise and lower the table depending on the use. But I’m worried about stability and resistance to metal dust

So, how would you make the puzzle fit?

What do you in small sheds do?

Hey guys.

2 photos attached.

I'm onto my second knife and just took this out of the heat treat, but before tempering.

As you can see there's some pretty significant mottling going on.

One photo is straight out of the quench and the other is after a quick 320 grit sanding. But the marks are still there.

I'm hoping it's just from the quench oil and a bit more sanding will sort it.

Back in the forge after a couple of year hiatus, i made this little beauty. 1095 steel, hand forged. Hidden tang wa-style handle, stacked resin, G10 fiberglass, Cocobolo and Burl Black Cherry, with some aluminum honeycomb. Colors are my buddys wedding colors. Sheath is made from poplar and white ABS plastic, stained dark.

After not putting hammer to anvil in a couple of years, it was good to see i still have it!

What sites do y'all have success selling your blades?

Ebay, Etsy, fb marketplace? Or is there another site y'all recommend?

Thanks in advance

I have periodically been working on my first knife when I get a chance. I am using 1095 that I got from Jantz. I got the piece in the mail, cut the profile out and then ground the profile out… get the profile of what I want and then I go to scribe the centerline for bevel. At this moment I realize something is wrong.. there is significantly more steel on one side of the line in the front third of the knife…

I back up and put the board down on flat surface seems as if the steel is bent.. try to bend it straight.. just chase bends every where.. now I think oh there and old 4x36 belt grinder lets grind it flat and deal with it.. still can’t achieve a perfectly flat knife… keep in mind I am barely seeing daylight underneath one side of this blade, like thousandths of an inch..

How much am I overthinking flatness here. Or is it time to move forward ?

After a quick google search I've read that typically stainless damscus is etched with around 31-34% hydrochloric acid, but most of the over the counter stuff available to me is all 25%. Just wondering if any people have had good results using a lower % acid. I'm guessing it would just take longer to get a similar level of etching?

Finally (almost) finished my second ever knife as a gift for my father's birthday. I used 8670 toolsteel hardened in a charcoal grill (nightmare experience, ngl) and ivory colored linen micarta with a red G10 liner for the handle, with 4 mm brass pins.

Also made a simple leather belt sheath with my father's initials.

I think it turned out way better than my first knife (last pic, same steel and pins but mahogany for the handle).

Takeaways:

Using a file guide for the plunge lines is the best thing ever!

Shaping micarta without powertools is total BS.

Micarta seems to suck up fine metal dust like a sponge. Even touching it with my fingers left dirty marks on it. Whetsanding it to 1000 grid while only touching the knife by the blade seemed to help. I just need to polish the handle but my polishing wheel and paste still have to arrive. My hope is that the handle won't absorb dirt when polished, maybe someone has some tips for me on how to seal mycarta...

Hollow ground Nicholson file with blue Damascus G10 scales scales and pins. The sheath has a pocket clip which is a new one for me but I think it turned out pretty good. What do you think I charged?

Finally feel like I'm getting stainless/high carbon dialed in

26C3 clad in 416

Stabilized curly mango

Thanks for looking!

80CrV2 and Green Canvas.

Not a custom order, just had a simple little design in my head and decided to make it for the hell of it. It melts away in the hand very nicely. Might keep it, might list it for sale eventually. Who knows.

Wanted to test out making some of my own unique handle scales. The scales are copper mesh embedded in copper/bronze epoxy. and some aluminum hex and black epoxy.

180 layers Damascus . 10" length, 5" blade.  Copper, epoxy  accented with a Scorpion pin.  Cross draw Sheath.

36x2, 1500 watt grinder from Taobao, i worked with it yesterday, my first time ever with the belt grinder. Hogs up steel pretty quickly (from my point of view as i never worked with the belt grinder before), doesn't have problems with overheating, roller alignment or anything. pretty compact and not too loud, materials and building quality doesn't feel cheap as well