How to trace knife designs into NanoCAD
If you're like me you've been working from templates or simply drawing freehand at this point when making your knives. I've moved my designs from photoshop, to Tufnol templates and…
How to prepare a knife blade for heat treat
The hardening of a knife blade is the heart and soul of the knife. When done well, you'll have a versatile tool for life. When a knife blade is placed…
How to heat treat Sandvik 14C28N knife steel
Sandvik 14C28N is the latest development in Sandvik's (Swedish) range of knife steels. The optimized chemistry provides a top grade knife steel with a unique combination of excellent edge performance,…
Yoco POS Payments – A Knifemaker Review
As a knifemaker and small business owner in South Africa, time out of the shop has a direct impact on the production/output of knives from the workshop. Fewer knives coming…
How to Heat Treat Böhler M390 Steel
Böhler M390 is a third-generation martensitic chromium steel produced with powder metallurgy. Due to its alloying concept, this steel offers extremely high wear resistance, decent toughness, good corrosion resistance (food-grade…
Is carbon steel still better than stainless steel
So I was at a club meeting recently where we were talking about bowie knives (watch the full video on Youtube) and I asked a few people why they preferred…
How to Heat Treat Bohler K460 (O1) Tool Steel
Bohler-Uddeholm K460 (1.2510) (AISI O1) is a popular carbon cold work tool steel that knife makers have used very effectively for decades. Famously O1 has been used by Randall Knives…
How to Heat Treat 80CrV2 Steel
80CrV2 (1.2235) (AISI L2) is a relatively new steel for South African knife makers (2020). However, it is popular in northern Europe (Finland) as Swedish saw steel and has seen…
How to Plate-Quench Stainless Steel
Heat treating (if done in-house) is a critically important step in the knifemaking process. It’s also one that when it goes wrong it can go wrong very quickly, resulting in…
How to Heat Treat Bohler N690 Stainless Steel
N690 is Bohler-Uddeholm's best conventional stainless knife steel. High hardness and stain resistance make it a durable steel for every day use. Here's how to heat treat it.