The Birth of a Tool, Part 3
Ashley 07.28.14
Last week, we shared parts 1 and 2 in John Neeman Tools’ “The Birth of a Tool” documentary. Part 3 concludes the series and is my personal favorite, as it showcases the process of creating a knife from scratch.
This particular knife is a Scandinavian Damascus Steel knife. The video begins with some beautiful footage of the snowy Baltic landscape before panning into the rustic workshop. As in the other videos, the process begins with heating and shaping the metal in a forge. The Damascus steel is hammered into shape, and then sharpened on a grinder. The knife is built from tip of the blade to the handle, and the wood handle scales are made independently–more cutting, more sanding–before being affixed to the knife. After the handle wood is stained, the video then shows the process of making a leather sheath.
The result is a gorgeous fixed blade knife with a Damascus blade and a custom sheath.
Catch up on part 1 and part 2 to view the processes of making an axe and a chisel, and visit John Neeman Tools’ website to view their inventory. View the knifemaking video below.
