OK GUYS I WAS ASKED TO DO A WIP THREAD ON THE FORUM SO I DECIDED TO DO ONE , THESE ARE THE STEP BY STEP PHOTOS OF HOW I MAKE MY KNIVES,I FREE HAND AND HARDLY EVER DRAW OUT PATTERNS I GO BY LOOKS AND FEEL SO THATS WHY YOU DONT SEE ANY LINES DRAWN ON THE BILLET OF SAN MIA,WATCH YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE A RAW FORGED BILLET OF W2 AND 203E MADE INTO A KNIFE,FOR MY CREWS VEIWING PLEASURE, HERE WE GO
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/026-3.jpg
I KNOW FOR MOST WTF IS THAT, WELL THATS THE SAN MIA BILLET NOT VERY PRETTY HUH?? WELL JUST IMAGINE WHAT I GO THREW ON EACH KNIFE,IT ISNT EASY TO BE CHEESY
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP002.jpg
PROFILING NO PATTERN DRAWN,THIS IS HOW U GET ONE OF PEICES
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP006.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP009.jpg
STARTING MY GRIND
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP015.jpg
IM ROUGH GROUND NOW DABBED ACID ON THE BLADE TO FIND MY PATTREN OF 203E ON THE BLADE
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP029.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP033.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP039.jpg
NOW IM READY TO PUT THE BLADE IN THE FORGE TO BRING IT UP TO PROPER TEMP TO TAKE A QUICK BATH IN MY QUENCH OIL TO HARDEN IT,IMAGINE HOW FUN THIS WAS HOLDING IT WITH ONE HAND AN TAKING PICS WITH THE OTHER???
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP041.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP044.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP045.jpg
STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FORGE INTO THE QUENCH TANK
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP047.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP061.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP066.jpg
NOW I PERSONALLY REGRIND MY BLADE UP TO 1000 GRIT BEFORE I PUT IT IN THE TEMPER OVEN TO SEE IF I HAVE ANY CRACKS OR DEFECT FROM THE QUENCH CYCLE,AND SAVES ME THE TROUBLE OF HAVING BAKED ON OIL I HAVE TO CLEAN AFTER THE TEMPER
BLING!!
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP074.jpg
NOW INTO THE OVEN WE GO FOR 2 CYCLES OF TEMPERING AT 400 DEGREES FOR 1HR EACH I LIKE A STRAW TO GOLD LOOK ON MY BLADES MAKES THEM RIGHT!
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP078.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP080.jpg
WERE OUT OF THE OVEN AFTER AIR COOLING
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP085.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/026-3.jpg
I KNOW FOR MOST WTF IS THAT, WELL THATS THE SAN MIA BILLET NOT VERY PRETTY HUH?? WELL JUST IMAGINE WHAT I GO THREW ON EACH KNIFE,IT ISNT EASY TO BE CHEESY
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP002.jpg
PROFILING NO PATTERN DRAWN,THIS IS HOW U GET ONE OF PEICES
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP006.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP009.jpg
STARTING MY GRIND
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP015.jpg
IM ROUGH GROUND NOW DABBED ACID ON THE BLADE TO FIND MY PATTREN OF 203E ON THE BLADE
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP029.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP033.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP039.jpg
NOW IM READY TO PUT THE BLADE IN THE FORGE TO BRING IT UP TO PROPER TEMP TO TAKE A QUICK BATH IN MY QUENCH OIL TO HARDEN IT,IMAGINE HOW FUN THIS WAS HOLDING IT WITH ONE HAND AN TAKING PICS WITH THE OTHER???
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP041.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP044.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP045.jpg
STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FORGE INTO THE QUENCH TANK
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP047.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP061.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP066.jpg
NOW I PERSONALLY REGRIND MY BLADE UP TO 1000 GRIT BEFORE I PUT IT IN THE TEMPER OVEN TO SEE IF I HAVE ANY CRACKS OR DEFECT FROM THE QUENCH CYCLE,AND SAVES ME THE TROUBLE OF HAVING BAKED ON OIL I HAVE TO CLEAN AFTER THE TEMPER
BLING!!
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP074.jpg
NOW INTO THE OVEN WE GO FOR 2 CYCLES OF TEMPERING AT 400 DEGREES FOR 1HR EACH I LIKE A STRAW TO GOLD LOOK ON MY BLADES MAKES THEM RIGHT!
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP078.jpg
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP080.jpg
WERE OUT OF THE OVEN AFTER AIR COOLING
http://i963.Rule #2/albums/ae117/backwoodscustomknives/BACKWOODS%202/WIP085.jpg

This was great and I really enjoyed it, your forges and specialty tools are really cool also. Thanks so much for showing us your process. I too will have one of your knives one day!