Another Milestone Reached! We are experimenting with making a hamon on some blades.

Satanite applied before the heat treat

A hamon  is type of temper line created during  a differential hardening process.  It looks cool!  

After the heat treat with the Satanite knocked off and before the final grind and polish.

2 blades in the first batch cracked during the quench.  I'll get pictures of that later.  Live and learn.

Holiday Season Shows!

Hello all!  Believe it or not the holiday season is upon us and HBI is gearing up for our holiday show line up.  For more details see our 2016 Shows and Events Calendar tab.

Our first holiday show is this Saturday at the Cromwell High School in Cromwell, MN.  Show hours are approximately 9am until 2pm.

Please come say "Hi!" and support the Cromwell High School and your local blacksmith at Hunchback Ironworks!

A good excuse for light posting.....business is good.

I'm trying to get some stock built up, but paying customers come first.  These knives are all sold except for the one with the tan Micarta scales.  I need to replenish my sheath making supplies now.  

Before the etch

After the first etch bath.

Another Damascus blade is already to go to it's new home.  Just a set of snake wood scales and a black Kydex sheath to go.  More pictures coming when it's done.

Opposite side on the final etch. Is that an alien trapped in the blade?

Knives out the Wazoo

Knives with the edge put on.  The tape keeps our fingers where they belong.  After the handles are done it's time for a sheath. 

There is a large pile of used up grinder belts in the shop now.  There is another couple dozen new ones on the way.  We're trying to build up some stock for Xmas and take care of the customers who have orders in.  I'm getting lots of practice which is a good thing.   Get you order in sooner rather than later if you want to be on the before Xmas list.   Naughty girls move to the front of the list

Knives awaiting the sharp edge

Grinding dust everywhere!

The new maker's mark in action

The pace has picked up for the knife making part of the shop.  There several knives on order and I'm trying to build up stock for our Christmas shows.

5 knives in the batch are already sold.  

There is a nice layer of grinder dust on everything in the shop.  I'm not looking forward to cleaning all that up.   There is also the fun part of learning to order supplies and keep every thing straight.  Before business picked up, there was usually 2-3 knives in process and there is more than a dozen with plans for another couple of dozen.

A billet of Damascus ready to be forged into a knife for a customer

Flint and steel AKA strikers are now a going concern!

The top row of strikers fits in an Altoids tin.
The bottom row are  a Viking style of striker.

To the gentleman who inquired about the strikers,   here is what I have in stock at the moment.  I hope the email I sent you didn't end up in the spam folder.