This week from the bench…

We'll review some of our latest projects and custom knives.

While nearly the entire country is shut down due to COVID-19, we decided to make a couple of modifications to the way we work. We've shut our doors to outside traffic by closing our Factory Store and Offices, but our small team of artisans is still hard at work filling orders and cranking out some awesome custom knives.

Last week, we finished up an order of custom knives and bearded axes for American Indian Services. They provide scholarships for Native Americans and focus on education, while still preserving Native American culture and heritage. Each knife is made with our Ribbon Twist Damascus Steel and features fossilized Siberian Mammoth Tooth Ivory on the handle. Brass bolsters and mosaic pins add just the right touch and really make the ivory scales stand out. Every knife comes with an artisan-crafted hand-stamped leather sheath complete with the AIS logo laser etched into the leather.In addition to the custom knives, AIS will receive a few custom viking bearded axes. These axes are forged in our Ripple Damascus Steel and hand textured, giving them a "chipped" look. The AIS logo is laser etched in the hand-sanded hickory handles. Each handle was satin stained in black, and the logos were relief painted in bright red. These bearded axes turned out so good, we hate to see them leave the shop.

In addition to the custom knives, AIS will receive a few custom viking bearded axes. These axes are forged in our Ripple Damascus Steel and hand textured, giving them a "chipped" look. The AIS logo is laser etched in the hand-sanded hickory handles. Each handle was satin stained in black, and the logos were relief painted in bright red. These bearded axes turned out so good, we hate to see them leave the shop.

With COVID-19 making its way across the World, we thought a couple of virus themed custom knives would be in order. The "Virus Badger" was such a big hit, it sold within 24-hours of hitting our website. This Badger features a unique, one of a kind, resin handle that even has parts that glow in the dark. The base layer of the handle is dyed and stabilized maple burl which gives a very cool sense of depth to the handle. The handle has a neon green G10 liner which adds a nice accent to the handle edge.. The fully hand-contoured handle feels natural in the hand and ensures there won't be hot spots when serious work is being done.

Second in the virus themed line-up is The Chaos Cure. The knife features a fully hand-contoured and shaped handle, made from a one of a kind hybrid scale that has stabilized maple, deep blue resin and aluminum hex mesh. The white hex will glow in the dark and represents that bright spot in a world full of chaos. There is a thin white G10 liner and spacer that adds further beauty and gives a nice contrast for the transparent blue resin. The blade comes from an "experimental" batch of knives and is high-carbon Damascus which is made up of 1080 and 15N20. This pattern of Damascus is not in production and is a complete one-off experimental piece of art. As of this blog post, The Chaos Cure is still available for sale on our website.

Next week, we'll talk about more customs that have come off the bench recently. Including the Black Bear Bowie, the Little Bear, and the Bigfoot Tracker. Until then, let's hope the hardest thing you have to deal with during these troubling times is what to have for lunch.