New BLOG Platform !!!
___________________
Greeting Everybody!
2010 was an amazing year for me. So I have created a new and more active BLOG for 2011 !
http://californiacustomknives.blogspot.com/
__________________
A Fast Recovery...but Still Work to do!
Well as some of you may know I had a major surgery on my left shoulder on August 4th 2010. I am still in the rehabilitation phase, but due to lots of Love by family and friends and blessings by the universe, I was able to do work for the up coming Tiber Canyon Show.
I invite you all to come out and see what I have created for this show!
I will be taking a break from working on knives for the first part of the year and will be spending more time on my rehab so my shoulder is nice and strong before I start back in the studio full time again. I will still be working on knives but will just not be finishing 9-knives in 1.5 months again! That was a lot of work! See Below the efforts of October and November:)
Introducing a Hybrid
I called it a hybrid and titled it "Dark-Star Camp Knife"......I know sort of corny.........
I thought of "French-Camp Fighter" as well. On the surface you see an adaptation of a French Knife for the kitchen. When you look closer and especially when you pick up the knife you realize that this is not an ordinary kitchen knife.
Several things happened along the way. I started with a slightly thicker stock than I normally would create a kitchen knife out of.....and as I was forging it........
I reflected on how much I like camping and that a big part of that is cooking.
I reflected on how a camp knife should be able to chop an split wood and defend the camper if need be.
I reflected on a particular so-called reality show in the field of culinary arts that featured abrasive chef personality that often made the others feel bad for trying or not doing well enough........and I got to thinking. What a knife would look like that may make the abusive-chef think twice about hassling the owner of such knife. So the long swedge was decided on.
The OAL is 12.75" The blade is 7.5" and features tapered tang, forge-texture finish and semi-polished bevels. I feel very positive about the edge geometry. That it is right on for being a quality chef knife and just a touch thick where it counts to split or chop wood. It is quick in the hand and the turks head knot at the butt locks it in the hand well.
My First Forged Dagger
it takes lots of power and control to forge this size bar by hand..... I got a bit reckless and tore the tang off the integral bolster and was left with the blade preform and bolster. so I cut off the bolster all together.
So....what to do with that shape? Dagger? Sure.
I have never done one and wanted to stick with the integral theme after all that work to make round flat! This is what I came up with.
A New Start for 2010
It is exciting to rebuild California Custom Knives website. I plan to focus on making culinary knives throughout 2010. Of course, I will create some camp knives and integral knives as well, however my main focus will be on knives for the kitchen.
Now, with that said, I am happy to present two French Knife Patterns that I made in 2009. The top knife is one I made for myself form a piece of 1/8"-1095 that was gifted to me by my mentor, Tai Goo. It was one of the first pieces that I heat treated in my new studio in Los Osos and I was truly happy with the results. The bottom knife is a super-light chef knife out of 1095 and with a handle configuration borrowed from Anton Wingen.