Featured: Knives in progress, June 2007

Works in progress!

 I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my crazy knife making life. Here is a portion of the knives I'm working on now (written June, 2007). There are 69 knives in the photo. This is a rather large photo, so click on the photo or click here for a 900 KB version that will allow you to scroll around and look at each knife. The knives are all at various stages of production, from blanked-out and profiled blades to fully engraved, hardened and tempered blades with guards or bolsters attached ready for handles. The small plastic bins on the right of the photo are folding knives in production; all their pieces have to be carefully kept together. If you've ordered a knife in the last year or two, you might see it here. These knives are for military, law enforcement, rescue personnel, collectors, knife users, chefs, utility, for my inventory and future projects, and for the pure joy of making knives. If you make or collect knives, you know exactly what I mean when I say:

This is the life of the knifemaker!

If you've ordered a knife or piece of art, you're probably wondering how long it might take to complete.  Many folks try to pay up front, or hurry the artist along, but most don't realize just how much work might be going on in the studio.  There are delays, too, and these can be caused by a lot of things such as:

• Injuries and recovery (Whoops? Is that blood on your knife?) Click here, not for the faint of heart!

• Waiting on materials and supplies (There's a war on!)

• Machinery breakdowns or service (Nothing runs forever at 5000 Surface Feet Per Minute)

• Machinery upgrades and modifications (I need a new molecular discombobulator)

• Personal obligations (I don't have a real life)

• My love life and family commitments (she's an angel, and deserves more time!)

• Research time (new projects and designs, Mad Scientist stuff)

• Time off (I shouldn't sleep, should I? I should be working on your knife!)

• Preparing for shows (Nah, I don't do shows any more)

• Preparing packages for dealers (yeah, right)

• Travel to find materials (Hey, when is Afghanistan going to reopen it's Lapis mines?)

• Military obligations (there's a war on, you know!) (GOD BLESS THE AMERICAN MILITARY!)

• Sudden important orders that make me get out of bed at 2:00 A.M. to grind steel!

• Other obligations (stuff you probably don't want to hear about. Unless it's about your knife, right?)

• Gathering information for this page, and maintaining this entire web site!

• Maintaining the thousand page CDROM catalog, which is now working into two volumes

• Writing a book on modern knife philosophy, coming soon!

So, there are lots of things that may delay the delivery of your piece.  Remember that I do everything myself, even sweep the floor clean of your metal swarf.  Just know that  it will be worth the wait.

Knives in production

I've redesigned this section of the page, for a clearer picture of where your knife is in the lineup. The basic steps are very basic, for example, the control grinds (step 10) to finish grinds takes nine grinding steps, with both the hollow grinds and the flat grinds being worked over, offhand, until every previous scratch is removed. This takes hours and hours on each knife. So, I've condensed the steps to make it a little less daunting. Folding knives take about three times as much effort to design and construct, but they're condensed here too.

Often, a new knife client starts checking the status of his knife daily. Then, frustration sets in at about two weeks as he sees no change of his number. "What's going on here? Isn't Jay working on my knife? Is this just a scam to get $100.00 over the internet? Isn't he ever going to finish my knife? Why do I have to wait so long?"

To these clients, I ask that you reread this page. Understand that I do everything in the shop myself. There is a reason that one client writes:

The truth is, the reason your piece is not moving up the list is because it's sitting there, waiting. Waiting while I work for clients who've been waiting for months and months (sometimes over a year!) for their knives. I cannot exactly predict when your knife will be finished, I can only work, day by day, toward that end. Please rest assured, though that your knife, sword, hatchet, dagger, or project is in good company, sitting on the bench, begging for my attention among dozens of friends. What kind of friends? Look over the lists below and you'll see. I wish all my clients could meet each other, you're all a great group of people who believe in my efforts, and I'm thankful for each and every one of you!

Here's your last name, and the status of your knife or project. If you don't see your name on the list, you've requested anonymity, or you're a secret agent, or I don't want to make a knife for you. You'll be sure and let me know if I've made a mistake, right?

Please don't concern yourself with the designation. This is a tracking system I use in the studio for your knife.

Additional Knives in Production

Most of these knives are works in progress, available to clients. A few are private custom orders, special designs, or for inventory/stock. If you're interested in any of these designs, just email me here. Listed by style/design. Just a few, really...

Please pay no attention to the tracking designation. This is used in my shop/studio to keep track of all these knives, and has no other purpose. Yes, I use these charts, too!

The knife Type designation is C-collection (for collection or use), T-Tactical (includes CSAR), W-working, F-Folding Knives. Since many of these knives have many purposes, or may be adapted into just about any category early in the process of making, the Knife Type is left blank. Most of the knives have a link to the pattern page so you can examine the style and pattern.

Contact me if you're interested in any of these! Note: the fact that these knives are in production does not mean that you will get  a shorter delivery time. I have to be fair to all my clients and serve them in the order they have contracted for. Thanks for your understanding.

*The Designation is for my own tracking system in the shop/studio, and does not mean anything about the knives.

Interested in any of these knives? Visit the Pattern Name list to locate the knife on the Patterns page to see what they will look like, Then Contact me to fit the knife to your hand, your budget, your style!

Need more details? Jump to the FAQ Page here.