Local bladesmiths

boilermaker

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I am looking for suggestions for a local (New England a must, but Mass preferred) bladesmith for a gift for a friend of mine down in Alabama. He likes knives and I would be looking for something different than your average hunting knife (not sure if there are more nautical focused knives or not). I think my price point tops out at $300, and less than that is preferred.
 
Bruce Gillespie, I bought a few at a show a couple years ago. Last I heard he was in New Hampshire. Don't know if he's still making.
 
Del Martin. Knox Trail Forge.
He has his shop here in the Berkshire Hills. I've known him for many years and he has been a hobbyist Smith who finally went full time with his craft. I don't know if he will have something ready to go for Solstice but you should check him out.

Knox Trail Forge
 
For a hand-forged knife, $300 is bottom of the barrel.

You can get decent stock-removal knives at that level, but the heat treating might be iffy.

Came here to say this. Mid/higher end range production knives are $300. If you’re looking for a custom, local and hand made knife, you might have some sticker shock.

I know OP said local, but Bradford makes an extremely nice knife. Off the shelf it’s $260 with an awesome steel, handle and leather sheath. I’m a knife guy and if someone bought this for me, I’d be floored.
Bradford Knives Guardian4 Knife 3D Carbon Fiber (Sabre/M390/Stonewash) - Blade HQ
 
Met these guys at the Foxboro gun show. Nice guys. Seem quite knowledgeable and make some nice looking knives. I bought a short fixed blade off them that is actually tough as hell.


Cape Cod Cutlery
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Just looked at Cape Cod Cutlery.

They look like your best bet. A bit rustic, but hand made and a really decent price for some of their “stock” pieces. Color me impressed.

As a steel snob, I might ask them what type of virgin steel they’re using as I couldn’t find it mentioned. Saying you use virgin steel is like saying you use barrels on your AR builds. The devil is in the details! That’s just me though.
 
I went back to Cape Cod Cutlery and looked at their gallery again.
Nope nope nope!! Sorry. I was a chef for 16 years. That lower knife is an abomination! Not only does it look unwieldy as hell, but what absolutely kills me is the heel. Now, I may be overreacting, or seeing things, but it looks like there is the slightest curve to the cutting edge, putting the heel a fraction of an inch lower. That slight curve (and I’ve delt with it before) means that every freakin herb or onion you try to chop is going to stay linked together by a thread because the heel contacts the board sooner! This can be exacerbated by a cutting board that needs to be sanded down or planed.
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Hold that knife at a 90 degree angle to that cutting board and shine a flashlight at the side. I bet you’d see light coming through the shadow of that blade. The grind on that edge just looks sloppy too. No definition or consistency.

I regretfully recant my previous endorsement.
 
Their choil notch on this one had me laughing, and that was after I shook my head at the oyster knives that looked like they'd been finished on a the coarse side of a 6" Harbor Freight bench grinder.

45070760_10215358461007232_18189822153719808_n.jpg


Then there's the fine engraving on their Thin Blue Line knives...

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Their choil notch on this one had me laughing, and that was after I shook my head at the oyster knives that looked like they'd been finished on a the coarse side of a 6" Harbor Freight bench grinder.

45070760_10215358461007232_18189822153719808_n.jpg


Then there's the fine engraving on their Thin Blue Line knives...

35799315_10214450376025675_5656096853633007616_n.jpg

Is that blue electrical tape inlay?
 
.....I shook my head at the oyster knives that looked like they'd been finished on a the coarse side of a 6" Harbor Freight bench grinder.
lol, honestly, the oyster knives were the only thing i cared for in the line up. [angry] unfortunately, i don't eat oysters.
 
Their choil notch on this one had me laughing, and that was after I shook my head at the oyster knives that looked like they'd been finished on a the coarse side of a 6" Harbor Freight bench grinder.

Don't laugh I met this guy at a show on the cape and he does indeed use a small Harbor Freight belt sander, he had it at the show and was working on knives there with it!

Here are a couple of mine, unfortunately both have been sold. If interested I have a couple of others but won't be able to get pics till Friday as I am travelling all week..
8250jt8.jpg
 
45070760_10215358461007232_18189822153719808_n.jpg

Their choil notch on this one had me laughing,

That may not be a choil, but instead a dowel-making notch, or primitive arrow dresser.
I little modification on the throwing spike and the right hardening and it would make a serviceable hole-drill.
But who knows... [smile]
 
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Probably a better profit margin in the sheaths too... compared to them blades...
 
Hand Crafted Knives

He lives in Holden. I know his stuff isn't the cheapest but they are really nice folders. Website says he is not taking orders but you could always contact and see if he has a canceled custom or something from a show that didn't sell.
 
I am looking for suggestions for a local (New England a must, but Mass preferred) bladesmith for a gift for a friend of mine down in Alabama. He likes knives and I would be looking for something different than your average hunting knife (not sure if there are more nautical focused knives or not). I think my price point tops out at $300, and less than that is preferred.

I don't know this maker but Sam Densmore makes a sailor's pattern, sheepsfoot with a marlinspike. He' in MA.

BOATING — Densmore Knives
 
Hand Crafted Knives

He lives in Holden. I know his stuff isn't the cheapest but they are really nice folders. Website says he is not taking orders but you could always contact and see if he has a canceled custom or something from a show that didn't sell.
I have a very early frame lock knife of his before he got his lines crisp the bevel is a bit blended but other wise a fine small gentleman knife / money clip knife
 
Shoot me a PM. I've been making for a long time. I dont make knives as often as I did in the past due to having a family, but still take orders from time to time depending on what you're looking for and the timeframe you'd be looking to have it made within.

$300 for a custom fixed blade is absolutely do-able but it would depend on the materials, size and anything special you'd be looking for.
 
Shoot me a PM. I've been making for a long time. I dont make knives as often as I did in the past due to having a family, but still take orders from time to time depending on what you're looking for and the timeframe you'd be looking to have it made within.

$300 for a custom fixed blade is absolutely do-able but it would depend on the materials, size and anything special you'd be looking for.

Interested, I am.
 
Shoot me a PM. I've been making for a long time. I dont make knives as often as I did in the past due to having a family, but still take orders from time to time depending on what you're looking for and the timeframe you'd be looking to have it made within.

$300 for a custom fixed blade is absolutely do-able but it would depend on the materials, size and anything special you'd be looking for.

I sent you a PM on Nov 30th but never heard anything back. I will resend
 
Bumping this because I have a couple Spydercos I need sharpened/shortened because the tips broke when I was being a dingus. Any recommendations for basic sharpening and resizing / point work? Super new to collecting and want to restore them.
 
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