custom knifes

Custom Knives

Folders

Building of a Skinner

Moose Skinners

The Perfect Skinner

To view a selection of Craig's knives that are

currently available, scroll down .

Above are some of the fine knives Craig Stevens has built over the last couple of years. The folders are AUS 8 stainless that has been cryogenically treated (bathed in liquid nitrogen), the

handle materials are stabilized birdseye birch burl, stabilized cotton wood birdseye burl, and the rarest of rare, diamond willow birdseye burl (also stabilized). Some have fossilized walrus core ivory (the center of the tusk), others have malachite with abalone heart shell inlays. Each comes with a soft black nylon sheath and wrench to adjust the blades silky smooth action.

The very first one of these Craig built was of cottonwood (the lightest wood you see in folder knives in the top right hand picture) with wooly mammoth ivory inlays in the shape of a grizzly claw scratches with a fine ebony border surrounding each inlay. He has had it for going on 4 years and it still looks as beautiful as the day he made it.

The perfect skinner is 6A high carbon steel that has also been cryogenically treated (it gives it amazing edge holding capabilities, yet still allows it to be sharpened ) All Craig Stevens knives are done this way. Most of the woods he uses he harvests himself. It takes approximately 3 years to season, (spalting takes another 2 years) slab and sticker these beautiful and rare woods. About 70 percent of each burl will become sawdust and scrap. The remaining 30 percent is then dried for another 6 months, cut oversize, then sent out to be stabilized. When it returns, most of it is warped, some cracked and even broken. Luckily the breaking is only one in every 20 to 30 blocks, so don't worry, He uses the broken pieces to make earrings. The blocks are cut, then ground and sanded back to dimensional and usable lumber. Craig has some of the finest woods in the world. He worked for over 5 years as an apprentice, making high dollar pool cues, (some went for over 30,000 dollars). This allowed him to learn to select only the very best materials.

Some of the woods such as diamond willow burl are so rare you could not buy it at any price. Try doing a search on the Internet and you can see for yourself . Diamond willow burl is the reddish folder at the far right, top. The picture truly does not do it justice... it is simply stunning! Speaking of rare woods, take a look at the moose skinner in the center. It is Cocobolo wood, but not just any Cocobolo; it is curly grained. And has colors going from jet-black to burgundy, red, orange, and yellow! Craig says that was a ,(and I quote ) "jump up and down and kiss your grandma kind of wood."

Note from the artist:

I try and build each and every knife I make special. I look at it as If it was one I was building for myself, my dad, my brothers or one of my fishing buddies. I love beautiful woods. I am always searching for the finest,rarest and most beautiful. The ivories, abalone, mother of pearl, turquoise, and even opal has to be stunning. Most of my knives have stabilized woods, then 4 coats of hand rubbed polyurethane finish. It takes more work but it seals them from moisture ensuring they will last for years.

So let's take a look at some of the knives currently available.....

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This knife is a custom folder, the steel is Aus 8 that has been cryogenically treated and has

a satin finish. The bolster is stainless steel as is the pocket clip. The handles are birdseye diamond willow burl. To say it's rare is a under statement. This wood cannot even be bought. there simply isn't any for sale. In thirty years of searching the woods and I have only found 3 small burls.

It goes from back to orange to yellow with incredible flame in the grain. The inlays are fossilized walrus ivory (the center of the tusk called core ivory) and green abalone heart. Each has been bordered by ebony to accent them. The action is silky smooth and feels like butter. It comes with a wrench to adjust the tension and a black nylon sheath to protect it from getting scuffed or damaged. The wood has been stabilized with a polymer resin then coated with 4 to 6 coats of polyurethane finish.

The knife is 4 and 1/2 inches long closed and 8 inches long open. The belt clip can be removed. I love this knife enough that I carry one myself.

This knife is made the same components as the one above...the blade is Aus 8 and stainless steel.

Just the handle material and inlays are different. This one is stabilized cottonwood burl that has been spalted. The inlays are malachite and green curly abalone shell. They are also bordered by a thin line of ebony. I love the black striations! The flame and chatoyance is also very pronounced in this wood.

This knife is a siki city damascus folder. (siki steel is some of the finnest damascus in the world. made from the samuri sword makers of japan!) the entire knife is file worked with a vine pattern and the blade is deep etched and colored with my own special prosess. it has also been clear coated with some of the hardest finish known to man. the bolsters are blue carbon fiber(verry strong and beautiful!) they two are coated. the scales are 40,000 year old wooly mammoth ivory tusk with 22 inlace inlays! scales have been cleared as well.

This knife is a custom made siki city damascus folding knife. the blade is 78 layers of hand forged stainless damascus. the rockwell hardness is 60! it is deep etched, colored and baked with my own special prosess.(the fishished blade is the hardest finish there is.) the knife is file worked around the entire liner and along the top of the blade. The bolster is deep blue black marcian masure birch burl with x-lay afzailia handles. there are 22 inlays for the tlepord sots! as with all my lives they are smooth to operate and come with a custom nylon sheeth for cary.

price, $325

Price $425

Price $365

Sold

Price $ 425

Siki city damascus folder. 40,000 year old wooly mammoth tusk bolsters with blue,geen and black sedement coloring. the scales are deep jade green marcian masure birch burl with african ebony inlay and ice blue opal! beautiful little thing huh! file worked on entire knife frame and along top of blade with a vine pattern. 78 layers of hand forged stainless damascus with a core of extreemly hard carbon steal rated at a rockwell hardness of 60.

Price $ 325

Siki city damascus steel with blue black marcian masure birch burl bolsters. knife is file worked the entire frame with a vine patteren and also along the blade top. scales are blue and lavender box elder burl. inlay is african ebony with glacier blue opal!

Price $ 610

Siki city damascus folder with coboltium bolsters and 40,000 year old wooly mammoth tuks scales! Each scale was hand scrimshawed with a leafy pattern with a dimond underlay. they were then coated with 6 coats of hand rubbed high end polyurithane to protect the scrimshaw. scales were finnished on both fronts and back to incapsulate the ivory and protect it from moisture and wear.

this is the first knife i have scrimshawed in 7 years and it was nice to get back into it. hope you enjoy looking!

Click on this little picture to see more pics of this knife!!!

Price 165.00

Click on this little picture to see more pics of this knife!!!

This is a spring assisted black tactical knife with 3D marcian masure birch burl wood and mosaic pins. it has file work along the back of the knife and to open it you can eather use the thumb stud or pull the nob on the back of the knife lightly and the blade will come out with a THWAAK! I have carried one of these for the past year and a half and realy like it! the action is silky smooth and they are just way to much fun to open and close! the blade is 440c stainless steel. enjoy!

Click on this little picture to see more pics of this knife!!!

Price 165.00

This is a spring assisted silver tactical knife with jade green marcian masure birch burl wood and mosaic pins. it has file work along the back of the knife and to open it you can eather use the thumb stud or pull the nob on the back of the knife lightly and the blade will come out with a THWAAK! I have carried one of these for the past year and a half and realy like it! the action is silky smooth and they are just way to much fun to open and close! the blade is 440c stainless steel. enjoy!