Sharpening

I receive a number of inquiries regarding how I sharpen knives and what angle I use. This will hopefully answer that question. I use DMT diamond hones and DMT's aligner guide. The guide clamps to the back of the blade and the "legs" control the angle. I use the 3rd notch and aligner leg(s) which gives an angle of approximately 30 degrees. Once I get the guide clamped on the blade, I set the hone on a rubber mat so it will not slide. When creating a new edge I start with the coarse hone, then switch to the fine hone. For the purpose of touching up an edge, the fine hone will do the job. I don't use the extra fine hone very much because I think an edge that is a little "toothy" cuts better. When I am done with the fine hone, I strop the blade on a piece of leather coated with green chrome buffing compound. This straightens the burr or wire edge created by the honing process. I receive a lot of comments that my knives cut extremely well, like a hot knife through butter, so I am pretty satisfied with this system. Below is a link to DMT's video of the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUridlcjmZ4

Hones, guide, and knife. The knife is a Semi-Skinner with fabricated ivory handles and red liners.

A couple of recently completed knives. The top knife is a Drop Point Hunter with a little more length added to the blade. It is 3 3/4" from guard to tip whereas the original Drop Point Hunter was 3 1/4". Not sure what to call it, but am leaning towards Large Drop Point Hunter.

The bottom knife is currently in the mail to Wisconsin, where it will be used on whitetails and small game. Note that it is missing the thong tube and has a rounded butt that is not typically what I make. This was per the customer's request and is one of the many advantages of having a knife custom made.

As always, if you are interested in commissioning a custom knife I can be reached at baumgartknives@gmail.com My current backlog is approximately two months.

Lee

Sambar Stag Semi-Skinner

Below is a Semi-Skinner nearing completion. The handle material is genuine Sambar Stag and this is the first knife I have made that has had something other than Micarta or wood for a handle. The irregular shape of the stag scales created quite a challenge.

Here is the same knife along with a Drop Point Hunter with a Desert Ironwood handle.

If you are interested in purchasing a knife I can be reached at baumgartknives@gmail.com

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my customers and those visiting this blog. Below are a few of the comments I received from customers this past year:

Knife arrived in morning mail. Absolutely beautiful!!! Better than photos. Anyone who wants a custom knife I can assure you, your work will be given the highest praise and recommendations.

Got it this AM and it is perfect! 

The knife arrived today. I looked it over and am very satisfied. It feels nice in my hand. Your fit and finish on the knife is excellent. I am impressed by the sheath as well. I really like the way the knife fits snugly into the sheath with your integrated locking bump between the knife and sheath.  Thanks for the fast shipment and quality handmade craftsmanship. In a world full of junk made in China, it's satisfying to handle a quality knife that was made with pride by a true American craftsman.

Received the knife & sheath today. Both are excellent. 

Just received the knives. They look and feel great. Exceeded expectations. 

Knife received - it looks great, and I really like it. Nice work!

Received the knife and sheath today from Lee. Both are excellent pieces of workmanship. Glad I bought 'em.

Lee makes quality knives. I have a number of them and they are great!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who purchased a knife in 2014! You are great people to work with and I wish you the very best in the new year!

Available Knives
I currently have two knives available; a Drop Point Hunter and a Caping/Bird and Trout knife. The Drop Point Hunter has a Desert Ironwood handle and the Caping knife has a Bocote handle. Price for the Drop Point Hunter is $180.00/shipping included and the price for the Caping knife is $125.00/shipping included. I haven't made sheaths for these knives yet, so if you are interested in purchasing one, you can specify a right or left hand sheath.

THE DROP POINT HUNTER IS SOLD.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these knives or having a knife custom made I can be reached at baumgartknives@gmail.com

Lastly, I thought I would share a couple of my Christmas gifts. One was from my wife and the other was from me :>). I am enjoying reading them and wish we could go back to that period in time when shooting was the national sport.

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Customer Photos

I really enjoy seeing and sharing customer photos. Below are some photos from a very good customer in eastern Washington. The absolutely wonderful buck in the last photo weighed 175 lbs. field dressed ! I think the knife in the first two photos is the third or fourth knife I made. I also made a caping knife, shown elsewhere on this blog, for this customer that was my first special request. Both these knives are in their second season of use and to quote their owner, "They are my favorite tools in my tool box".

This fall, I have a bunch of knives that will be seeing their first use in the field and I would like to encourage their owners to send photos as well as feedback on their performance. As always, I can be reached at baumgartknives@gmail.com

Thank you R.R for the photos.

Enjoy!
Lee

Cocobolo Semi- Skinner

Below is another Semi-Skinner. This one has Cocobolo scales. I ground this blade very thin and since I was curious about its cutting ability (which I thought would be good), I decided to sharpen it before I made its sheath (which I normally don't do). I just used it to slice a piece of 8-9 oz. leather and it was like I was slicing thorough a piece of paper! Now, I just have to be very careful as I craft its sheath.



I can be reached at baumgartknives@gmail.com

THIS KNIFE IS SOLD.

Here are a couple more websites I enjoy:

http://www.heritageguns.co.uk/hgframset.htm
I am signed up for Toby's newsletter and enjoy the updates, especially the updates on Moss the Delinquent Labrador.
http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl
I really like single shot rifles. I blame this, as well as my fondness for beer, cheese, and sausage on my German heritage.



Lastly, I have had a desire to build a 35 Whelen on a Mauser action for some time. If anyone has a 98 Mauser action that hasn't been cobbled up (drilled, ground, otherwise altered), I would be interested in trading some knife work.

New Model

As I alluded to in my last post I have been working on a new model. Below is my latest offering, a Semi-skinner. The specifications are as follows:

Overall length: 7 1/2"
Blade Length: 3 1/2"
Blade: 1/8" O1
Handle: Amboyna burl
Sheath: 8-9 oz. leather, hand stitched

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached at baumgartknives@gmail.com

Lee
 

Latest Work...

Here are some knives I have completed recently ...

This knife was made for a repeat customer. The handle is stabilized Buckeye burl. The sheath was something new for me... It sits horizontally on the belt and is cross-draw.

A couple of Caping knives. The top knife has a desert Ironwood handle and the bottom knife has a stabilized spalted Tamarind handle.

Another look at the Tamarind Caper...

A couple of Tiger Myrtle knives for a repeat customer. The wood for these knives was provided by Cecil Fredi.

New Model Coming

I am currently working on a new model that I am pretty excited about. It is a semi-skinner with  a finger groove. The first one will have a beautiful Amboyna burl handle. Once I have completed it, I'll post photos.

If you are interested in having a custom knife made I can be reached at baumgartknives@gmail.com

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Lee