Each type of handle has its own process for creating, and just like the blades, a lot of work goes into their unique styles. Blaine enjoys creating gemstone and mineral handles, while Shawn makes handles from wood. Shawn and Blaine both make handles, though their styles are very different. Each alloy also has a specific process for tempering as well.Īll of this work results in knives that are ready to have handles attached to them. Then comes the heat treat process, which is done according to what specific kind of metal they are using. Once everything is looking the way they want it to, they drill holes in the tang, which is the part of the knife hidden by the handle. After shaping a knife on the grinder, they cut the bevels in. Shawn orders sheets of steel which he then uses to cut out the Stephensons’ own designs, or the custom designs of their customers. Shawn has created Damascus steel out of a variety of materials, including shrapnel from Afghanistan and steel from Russian tank armor.
It’s created through layering different types of steel, or in a canister. The process begins with them forging all of their own Damascus steel, which is a type of steel with characteristic banding and mottling. The Stephensons use a three-burner gas forge for their knife-making. The blade they made worked great to skin and debone the beast, and it retained its sharpness incredibly well. The first knife that they successfully brought to completion was used to clean and gut a 10’6” gator they had killed.
#Forging of an alligator skin railroad spike knife how to#
Through plenty of trial and error, including Shawn ruining his wife’s stove tempering his first blade, the two figured out how to create a serviceable knife. Shawn’s father, Richard “Dick” Stephenson, had an old farrier’s forge at the time, so Shawn and Blaine began to use that to experiment with making their own knives. The pair also saw a knife made from a rasp that piqued their interest. Shawn Stephenson and his son, Blaine, were visiting a gun show when Blaine found a railroad spike knife that he liked. The Stephensons have always been inclined towards making their own things, rather than just going out to purchase them. Shawn and his son, Blaine, both of whom are Air Force veterans, create the knives while Shawn’s father, Dick, makes the sheaths. Three generations are working together to hand-craft these unique blades for a variety of purposes. Stephenson Knives creates knives that are as beautiful as they are functional. In a shop out back on Hickory Hammock Road in Lake Wales, a family business is thriving. Local Family-Owned Business Puts Quality Craftsmanship in Every Blade Made
0 kommentar(er)
