Moving!

We now have MT Knives Dot Net up and running! We are still working on it. But from now on all my blog post will be over there, so stop by www.mtknives.net Thank You for all your support please subscribe to our mail list and be updated with new content and special deals.
Thank You
Patrick

Sharpening 101

So I though I would make a quick video on sharpening sense the one I filmed with Jack Spirko is missing in action. Ok so it is 18 mins long, it was quick because I didn't do any editing just posted it as is. I will be working on a full length sharpening video soon that will cover everything. If you have never been able to sharpen a knife try implementing this technique and let me know how you do! Please leave a comment and rate this video if you like it.
Thank You,
Patrick

Artist, Artisan, and The Craftsman

The Artist, Artisan, and The Craftsman?  This is a question I am still trying to answer. Which one am I?  "Why does it Matter" You ask. Simple, determining which one you are will prevent heartbreak, and failure. 

The Artist, this is someone who desperately needs to express themself in what ever they do. Willing to do what ever it takes, no matter the cost. The funny thing about an artist is most of the time they are broke doing what they are passionate about, few really appreciate what they are doing until they are gone.

The Craftsman, is someone who is skilled in a trade. This is a person who likes to work with their hands seeing the progress they make. They don't have this driving passion inside, they simply like to be productive and make a living. They become very skilled over time. They are practical, considering how they are going to make their living so they can do the things they really enjoy.

The Artisan, He is someone who has both the qualities of an Artist and the craftsman. Expressing Himself from time to time. But keeping in mind the cost of providing for his family. 

This concept was first introduced to me from Murray Carter, who considers Himself an Artisan. This is a question I am not sure of for myself, fortunately I make knives in my spare time for now and don't have to rely on an income from making knives. Right now I am pouring all the money from knives back into better tools. I can say this, I would consider myself a perfectionist, not at all saying my knives are perfect. Simply I have not yet made a perfect knife, every knife I make I could show you one thing or another that I would change.  I spend hours trying to make my knives perfect, knowing I am spending "to much time" on them, because I want to make the best knives I can.  So how about You? Which one are You? I would love to hear some feedback leave a comment. Thank You Patrick

Every Day Carry E.D.C.

Every Day Carry or E.D.C. it is pretty self explanitory. EDC is what you carry every day no matter where you go! For most people this would include their car keys and wallet. But what I want to talk about is being prepaired for what ever might come your way. And on the top of the list for that is a Cutting Tool.  For now we are only going to discuss just that, and what I carry.

 

First off I always carry my Neck Knife, the only time I take it off is when I shower and I put it on top of my clean clothes so I don't forget it! I tend to be forgetful sometimes :) I try to keep my Neck Knife Scary Sharp all the time. Once you see how nice it is to have a knife that is Scary Sharp and stays that way you will always laugh inside when someone hands you their knife and says "be careful it is sharp!" 

Next off is my Kershaw, This is my next knife of choice, it is reserved for dirty work like cutting cardboard when I want to preserve my edge on my neck knife, but really It doesn't get used much. Once you get use to reaching for your neck knife you will 9 times out of 10 have it pulled out and done with what you were doing without thinking twice about the other knives you have. 

This brings me to the point, there is a saying two is one, and one is NONE! Meaning if all you carry is one knife or one anything, when you need it most it is not going to be there!

I can not stress enough the importance of redundancy! Next off is my Leatherman, I really love my leatherman super tool 300 it has saved so much time, be it saving me a trip to look for a screwdriver or a pair of pliers, This tool has so many uses. I have used the knife on it but never because I had too. But if the need ever came up ( I don't know why it ever would) I have a third option when it comes to a knife.

And last, I only add this knife because I have it almost everyday. is a Buck Knife that Jack Spirko, from The Survival Podcast gave me. It is always in my coat pocket and I almost never use it. Once I opened a can of beans or something like that with it :) ok so that isn't its intended use but it worked. I would almost never do that with any knife I cared about. If you have never listened to Jack's show you should. He has all kinds of great material.  Maybe some shows aren't suitable for all audiences but don't let that stop you from learning all the good stuff he has to offer.  Also to learn more about Survival and EDC Check out Dave Canterbury at The Pathfinder School  Or Bush Craft On Fire with David Wendell. And if you haven't joined my Facebook page please take the time to Like it today. Thank You! Patrick

Knife Lingo

Sorry about this last picture, it should be flipped. These are some of the basic parts of a knife.
1. Butt or Pommel: Can be steel or brass, used to balance the knife and sometimes for striking.
2. Rivet or Mosaic Pin: Used to attach or secure handle to the knife.
3. Bolster: a decorative piece between the blade and handle and sometimes doubles as a guard.
4. Ricasso: Portion of un-sharpened area between the blade and handle.
5. Choil: A recessed space between the edge and bolster to allow sharpening of the entire edge, can also be used to choke up on the knife.
6. Spine: The Un-sharpened top of the blade.
7. Grind: The Secondary Edge Where the steel has been removed to form the edge.
8. Edge: The Primary Edge Where all the magic happens.... well on a well sharpened knife that is ;)
9. Point: Shouldn't have to explain this one, you will get the point
10. Full Tang: Where the Blade and handle are made from one piece of steel extending the full length of the knife. Makes for the strongest knife possible.
11. Liner: Using liner can Help strengthen the bond between the handle and the knife, it also looks good! ;)

Good to know info. If You have any questions please feel free to send me an e-mail at patrick@mtknives.net Please Like our facebook page to keep up to date with the latest info.

Type of Grinds

1. Sabre Grind: aka "Scandinavian Grind" this is a typical grind for a tactical, or military knife.

2. Hollow Grind: this is a typical grind for straight razors and now more common on massed produced knives. great for a sharp edge but causes the edge to be weak.

3. Chisel Grind: Mostly found on Japanese Culinary knives. Makes for a really sharp edge.

4. Flat Grind: Edge ground all the way to the spine, very sharp edge, but not real durable.

5. Convex Grind: Opposite of a hollow grind, commonly found on axes and such for heavy cutting.

6. Compound Bevel or Double Bevel: This is a great way to have a knife with a sharp edge that has more resilience than a flat grind. The red section is considered the secondary edge. and the black bevel would be considered the primary edge, ( the primary edge does the cutting) 

Having the right grind on your knife is important. There are many combinations or variations of grinds but these are the basic grinds. If your knife has the right grind for what it is used for, and it is a good quality knife. You shouldn't have to spend too much time maintaining your knife, a quick touch up and it should be ready to go. I only spend a few minutes to bring my knife back to shaving sharp and that is only after it has been used heavily. I hope You learned something new, if you have any questions about Knives I would be glad to answer them. Just e-mail me with your questions at patrick@mtknives.net And don't forget to LIKE our Facebook Page!
Thank You

One down, Six to go

Only thing left is to sharpen!!!

New Hire

I had to recrute some help, I am running behind!

Judah hasn't got enough of his daddy, he came crawling when I walked in the door and wouldn't let me leave so I took him to work with me. One thing good about working from home.

Groovy Grains!

Groovy Grains!
If You haven't Liked MT Knives on Facebook Please do it Today. Follow my progress, and see the new Knives! Thank You!

Malachi's Neck Knife!!!

So My son got a hold of one of our old neck knife cases and decided to put it to good use! :)

I believe kids need to start out learning how to be responsible with knives at an early age.  We teach our children safe cutting practices and watch them close.  But you have to know they are going to cut them selves this can be one of the best teachers (don't worry most of their cuts didn't make it past the bone ;) they will heal), One of the first knives Malachi had was one I carved him out of wood, he was so proud of that knife.

 

 He Has a fast draw so you had better watch out! And the Edge... well it is scary dull!

After I get caught up on these orders I will do a post on basic knife handling.

How Hard is it?

Hardened Steel Core To see if the knife has been fully hardened I test it with a file. When the Knife is fully hardened a file should not bit into the steel because the steel core is harder than the file itself. Now that is Hard!!! Here is a video of me trying to drill through a hardened blade. I had got in a hurry and forgot to drill the knife before I heat treated it so I ran into problems trying to drill it. I can take the temper out of the handle by putting the blade in water and heating the handle red hot while the blade is in the water. If you try to do this without the blade in water you will remove the temper out of the blade itself.

Heat Treating

Well time is running out and I still have a lot of work to do, so I pulled an all nighter. Heat Treating is done....(deep sigh of relief) all went well. I had a couple of knives I had to heat treat twice because didn't quite get them hot enough, but that is what happens when you teater on the edge of just hot enough and too hot. I am still working on getting some videos up but will probably be after the first of the year.
Thank You
Patrick

Forged blades vs. Stock Removal

This is a highly debated subject, and I would love to say that forging a blade makes a far superior product. The reason people think forged blades are superior is for the fact when you forge a blade you are arranging the grain of the steel to the profile of the blade, (constant like the natural grain of wood compared to say plywood). therefor making a stronger blade. (I think this is true but how measurable that is, is hard to tell) I feel what matters most is the skill level of the blade smith. That being said, forging is the way to go when it comes to strength in things like hooks on a crane that require extreme strength. But the fact of the mater is, I don't believe it makes a HUGE difference in a knife, a difference yes, but huge no. Forging can save time and material, it is a lot easier for someone to work the hot steel into the shape they desire, compaired to trying to grind away the steel. But the main reason I prefer to forge a blade, it allows the bladesmith to mold the blade into a piece of art, a lot like a potter molding in his hands what he already sees in his head. The way I see it is I could make a machine to grind and form a knife, but then it wouldn't be CUSTOM would it. It is hard to express how I feel, but to me I wouldn't be putting all that I had into a blade, with out molding it into that one of a kind, FORGED, piece of art, for You!

Patrick

Friday!

Today was a busy day. The crew showed up to finish some stuff on my shop and build a new room for Simply Cleansing. We have had enough business that we had to build a bigger store room for soap and soap supplies! That is a good problem to have, Thank You for your support! I am Hoping to soon have to make some more additions to my Knife shop. Like a New knife grinder http://www.twuertz.com/Home_Page.php :) Tomorrow is going to be a busy day I was suspose to work but I have too much going on here. So I will be working on knives!

Another Package!

This is my canvas, my hammer is my brush! Come take a walk with me as I paint a Master Piece!

Knife Design contest!!!

Knife Design contest!!! Design a Knife and send it to me, and we will let everyone be the judge of the best knife Award!!! I want to see Kids designs also. Please have your children design a knife take a picture and post it on MT Knives Facebook Page!!! I will make the winning knife design and the designer will get 50% off a Knife order!!!

MT Knives Facebook page

Nothing Exciting

Worked a 10 Hour day, then came home and tried to get the new site up and running... well there is something there but not much yet. Guess I am going to try to get some sleep! www.mtknives.net

Update video

Neck Knife Updates


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Update

Getting closer every day!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ixD5vnVVd0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Winner Is

Devin Freebern, Thank You all who gave feedback on my knives! Devin Has won a Ferro Rod, they are a lot of fun and might just save Your Life some day!