Sharp Hello From Montana Knifemaker

[rawcustom]

I guess I should have started with a post here when I signed up, but I haven't added much yet, so better late than never. My main interest in leather is making sheaths for my knives, although I have taken a few other tack jobs on the side. My knife business is my user name RAW Custom, (nothing creative, just my initials). Since my leatherworking is more than just for my knives, I consider it a second business that I have christened Headstone Leatherworks. I just happen to be friends with a sexton, so all my leather tooling is done atop a marble military tombstone, hence the name.

For about the past year I have been focusing more attention on my sheaths and leatherworking skills. Part of this process has been acquiring leatherworking specifics tools. Even though I make knives, I began my search expecting to buy a couple leatherworking knives such as a head knife, trim knife, skiver, etc. It didn't take long for me to realize selection was rather poor. Seemed like there were plenty of cheap options, some vintage options and a select few custom makers, but I was unable to find the right combo of style and materials for the job. So I have developed my own designs with my preferred steels into what I consider the best option out there. (Of course this is a bias view, it's my opinion, but it's also what drives me to do what I do. If I figured someone else was doing it better I'd save myself a lot of time and money and buy it from them.)

So anyway I have been learning a lot on here reading old posts and applying it to my projects, and I've been making some knives for the leather trade in the background as well. I hope someday to be a pro at my carving and tooling skills and that my knives will find their way to the benches of some of the real pros in the industry.

Attached are a few of my leather knives, plus some of my sheaths.

I try to keep an active stream of photos to my facebook page. Check it out, and give me some likes.

Thanks

[rawcustom]

https://www.facebook.com/rawknives

[Troy Burch]

Them are some really nice looking knifes! I was wondering about the prices though because of the extra work you've put in with the file work, exotic wood, etc. I would love to have an extremely sharp skiving knife that holds an edge with just a occasional stroping but can you compete with the prices. I don't care about fancy I just want a very good sharp skiver. Naturally being a leather worker I'll be making my own sheath. Troy Also are they crynogenicly (spelling?) treated?

Edited February 27, 2014 by Troy Burch

[Eaglestroker]

That is a nice looking skiver!

[Eccho]

Your knives are stunning, I too was wondering what a custom made blade would be worth. Say a 4in. blade, just walking around, everyday,belt knife. I would make my own sheath. Nicely done.

[rawcustom]

Thanks for the compliments and interest.

Troy, I guess it's relative to who I'm compared with. I've done my research on what's out there before I started. I will say that compared to what I found to be the more popular brand, I'm using better steel and offering for less and I would put my craftsmanship against theirs anyday (not saying that others are making junk, but I know mine are equal if not better). My skiver is for sale in the classifieds here for $200 with free shipping (the one pictured on the rock) the other was already sold. I use a few different steels. The skiver above is made from Elmax which is a third generation powder metallurgy stainless steel from Bohler Uddeholm of Austria. I have my high performance steels heat treated by Peters Heat Treat in Pennsylvania. Peters is one of the best names for this in the custom knife industry, and they include a cryogenic treatment and Rockwell test of each individual blade. The skiver was set to 62 Rc and will hold an edge 2-3x over most any standard or pattern welded ("damascus") blades. It is what I classify as a high performance stainless steel. The handle is nothing too exotic, just spalted hackberry. It does have an increased expense since I had it professionally stabilized. I wouldn't say that it's making it fancy, more so than making it durable. Unstabilized wood will expand, contract, split, and can work it's way off your handle in time. It may cost a bit more, but I build my knives to outlive myself and I want them something a man can pass down through the generations. My brother inherited a head knife from my grandma's estate, with a cracked handle and brass handle pin bent to nearly a 45 angle on each side from the cracked wood handle pressing into it. It required a fair amount of repair and when finished still didn't keep a very good edge. That won't be an issue with one made from me.

Eccho,

It all depends on material. If i use 1080+, the only simple steel I use anymore, than I can heat treat myself. So a 8" (4" blade) EDC 1080+ with something simple such as micarta or some plain stabilized wood you could expect to be around $175 without a sheath. But this is a simple steel, so no chromium and it will rust. 1080+ has a dash of vanadium so it's edge holding will be decent. If you want Elmax, CPM-M4, K110 (which is an improved D2) then I have added expense of paying for outside heat treating. The steel costs me up to five times as much as a simple steel, and it eats up more abrasives and times to get it made. So starting price without a sheath on something like that would be $300. Without me making you a sheath I'm discounting about $50 for my time and material.

I know I'm not the cheapest, but in the custom world I'm far from the asking price of many. Plus I fully stand behind every knife I make. You ever have an issue or need it sharpened, I maintain them for free. It's my lifetime warranty. I'll service my knives as long as I'm alive, of course when I'm dead you're on your own.