# Made myself a new knife, ELMAX and pine cone



## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

I have not posted on AT in a long time, but I made myself a new knife out of ELMAX, I hope its the blend of both worlds like I have heard, edge and sharpening of High carbon but wear resistance and corrosion resistance of powered super stainless. So far I noticed its easy to grind and work. It also took a very fine sharp edge, now lets see how long it stays that way. I will carry this one at least through next archery season to make sure my heat treat makes a high performance blade.

This one is 7 3/4" total With a 3 1/4" blade.
Blade is ELMAX stainless
Handle is green stabilized pine cone.


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## TsavoCreek (Jan 24, 2006)

Nice work


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## Willyboys (Feb 12, 2010)

Love it!


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## leoncrandall74 (Apr 9, 2017)

WOW!! That looks amazing. I love what you did with the tang. Nice touch. 

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## douglasjwood (Apr 19, 2017)

Very nice work! I have made a couple of knives and an axe years ago when I was a kid. Now with the show Forged in Fire, my interest has peaked again to make a knife. I really want to try doing a Damascus blade. Now I just need to make the time. Sweet work and thanks for sharing!

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## Takeum (Jul 22, 2005)

Incredible,,,,where and when can I buy one? I really love that handle... Amazing


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## tim2970 (Jan 10, 2010)

Well done!


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## ozarkmtnhunter (Jul 17, 2005)

That is the coolest looking handle I have ever seen. A friend of mine if making turkey call pots like that also. I haven't thought about a knife handle.


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## Montalaar (Jan 26, 2008)

The handle is amazing, looks really great.


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## pman (Jan 16, 2009)

I want one!!! Really!!! 
Nice job.


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## stanmc55 (Sep 29, 2010)

Really nice!!!! My wife saw it and wants one!! Lol


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## daymanSC (Apr 25, 2017)

That is not a tool. That is art!


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## Huntin Madness (Jun 25, 2010)

Very inspiring, was it a file originally?


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## rockrollnload (Apr 30, 2011)

Very nice! I always enjoy seeing your work!


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## Njdeerhunter76 (Jan 10, 2018)

Very nice!! I've made a few out of old files.


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## burdog (Aug 3, 2008)

Nice work fellas! I love that file knife in the top right. I wish I could find one.


Njdeerhunter76 said:


> Very nice!! I've made a few out of old files.


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## Njdeerhunter76 (Jan 10, 2018)

Just got done checking out your other work. WOW!! Very talented. I'm going to remove my last post. I'm not worthy!! LOL Do you make your own Damascus or buy blanks? Something I've always wanted to try.


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## Njdeerhunter76 (Jan 10, 2018)

burdog said:


> Nice work fellas! I love that file knife in the top right. I wish I could find one.
> 
> 
> Njdeerhunter76 said:
> ...


Thanks. If I ever get around to making another one I'll try to look ya up. More of a hobby for me.


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

Njdeerhunter76 said:


> Just got done checking out your other work. WOW!! Very talented. I'm going to remove my last post. I'm not worthy!! LOL Do you make your own Damascus or buy blanks? Something I've always wanted to try.


I buy billets of Damascus (Alabama Damascus http://www.alabamadamascussteel.com/) then cut my own knives and grind and finish from there. I have made my own Damascus but I got over it pretty quick. If I had a nice press or auto hammer I would, but to make it with hammer and anvil kills me.


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## whack&stack (Oct 15, 2007)

Wow looks amazing


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## krieger (Jan 24, 2007)

Neatest handle I have ever seen. Amazing ! Let us know how the edge holds. I will be picking up some knives soon from your OK neighbor, Mr McCoskey. He makes a trapper set that are a 5 degree grind and they hold their edge for a loooooonnnng time. Apparently he's a temper genius.


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## aussiemick01 (Jan 4, 2018)

Where did you get the handle from? That is sweet

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## Njdeerhunter76 (Jan 10, 2018)

randallss7 said:


> Njdeerhunter76 said:
> 
> 
> > Just got done checking out your other work. WOW!! Very talented. I'm going to remove my last post. I'm not worthy!! LOL Do you make your own Damascus or buy blanks? Something I've always wanted to try.
> ...


LOL! I can imagine it would. Everything on my knives is done by hand from filing in the bevel to sanding it up to 800 sometimes 2000. It really gets to killing my hands. Really enjoy the end product though so I deal with it. 
Thanks for the link and again, very nice work. Be safe


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

randallss7 said:


> ... I have made my own Damascus but I got over it pretty quick. .....


LOL!! I've seen guys making it without a press or hammer and completely understand.

Love the pine cone and file work. Beautiful as always.
I have a Kershaw folder with Elmax steel. It's a good knife and good steel. I've just never has gotten excited about it. It may be that I just don't understand the steel as I should. Of course, you could say that about most other steels too. I have a couple of S30V folders that I alternate EDC. I really like that steel, except when it's time to sharpen it. 

Allen


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## slowen (Jun 27, 2006)

Some very talented artists out there....I’m not one of them!


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## stiff_muffins (Oct 24, 2017)

Fantastic! Wish I had the knowledge…(patients) to make my own blades like this!


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## HALBowman (Jan 25, 2018)

very cool, love the pinecone handle. This knife should preform well if you did the hardening right. At least thats what the internet tells me. I'm usually into high carbon steels, but am starting to branch out and learn about stainless.


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## Thecougar (Oct 2, 2016)

That’s awesome. Never thought about using pine cone!


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

so far so good, been EDCing it all week, still sharp, I cant tell If its better than s35vn which was/is my go to stainless, time will tell. No hard cutting that I can remember, but I have been using it every chance I get. Its all I can do to not touch it up, but I want to see how it holds, then I want to see how hard it is to sharpen.


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## Alaska at heart (Aug 25, 2009)

When I ordered my Guthook from you a few years ago, I was looking seriously at those pinecone scales and balked at the additional cost. Seeing them again, it really piques my interest. You do great work, sir!


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## Bows for me (Mar 17, 2017)

You my friend have a gift true craftsmanship


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

This one has Mesquite scales, with stainless steel bolsters and nickel silver pins, nine 1/16" pins a 1/4" Mosaic and a 1/4" lanyard tube. The blade on this one is 5/32" stock thickness CPM S35VN stainless steel with a highly polished finish.




7 7/8" total length with a 3 1/8" blade


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## burdog (Aug 3, 2008)

Njdeerhunter76 said:


> Thanks. If I ever get around to making another one I'll try to look ya up. More of a hobby for me.


Please do. I've been looking for a quality custom file knife for a long time.


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## NoDeerInIowa (Mar 5, 2012)

randallss7 said:


> This one has Mesquite scales, with stainless steel bolsters and nickel silver pins, nine 1/16" pins a 1/4" Mosaic and a 1/4" lanyard tube. The blade on this one is 5/32" stock thickness CPM S35VN stainless steel with a highly polished finish.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is this one for sale?

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## louiemax (Jul 12, 2016)

Gorgeous work, for sure!


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## Wasatch-Vectrix (Nov 27, 2012)

Very talented! Nice work!


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## JoshfromCincy (Jan 5, 2018)

Good job man, beautiful work for sure.


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## ohiomike1 (Dec 4, 2017)

nice knives


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## diverdwn8 (Sep 12, 2007)

They look good. The green pine cone is beautiful


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## ZAB1 (Jul 12, 2016)

Awesome! Great work


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## BigJoeRoo (Jan 18, 2014)

Nicely done


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## arrowslinger11 (Feb 15, 2011)

That is a sweet knife! Great job


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## survivalistd (Jun 26, 2017)

That's beautiful great work..

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## jajennings (Feb 21, 2015)

thats a good looking knife


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## israelluis001 (Nov 28, 2017)

Nice work 


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## Kudla77 (Aug 16, 2016)

Wow!


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## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

very nice


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## huntercole (Nov 3, 2010)

Nice work. I love that handle


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## bowfreak1970 (Mar 31, 2011)

like...


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## aread (Dec 25, 2009)

Now that you've had a little time with the ELMAX, how do you like it?
Is it meeting your expectations?

Allen


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## CladStabber (Aug 19, 2017)

Sweet blade buddy

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## Patterson#52 (Feb 22, 2018)

looks great


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## nvcnvc (Jan 27, 2009)

That is pure art!!!! Great job!


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## Jplan06GT (Apr 16, 2018)

Sweet knife! I’ve been playing around with some old farriers rasp but I can’t seem to get the edge razor thin and sharp. Definitely takes time and practice that’s for sure!


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## kevin.elijah22 (Apr 12, 2018)

Man that's a sweet looking knife

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## Alaska at heart (Aug 25, 2009)

I bought a guthook from Randalls that is really nice, but wish I had hung tight on my original plan to get the pinecone scales. Every time I see them I just stare......awesome knife maker, sir.


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## Pbzeppelin4 (Oct 10, 2017)

Beautiful. Just beautiful


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

Jplan06GT said:


> Sweet knife! I’ve been playing around with some old farriers rasp but I can’t seem to get the edge razor thin and sharp. Definitely takes time and practice that’s for sure!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE
> ...


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## randallss7 (Nov 9, 2007)

I have not been on the forum in a while. I'm still EDCing the knife. When I first started using it I was not really impressed, didn't seem to me to hold an edge that well. After about the 2nd time I sharpened it, it seemed to come into its own. I'm not sure what that was about, maybe initial bevel was to fine, my imagination not sure. At any rate I'm sold now, I use it for everything it holds an edge really well. Its harder for me to get, Elmax than s35v and I'm not sure that in real life you can tell the difference, maybe in a controlled test it would prove out to be a little better, but in real life it seems comparable, I might like it a tad better.


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## leoncrandall74 (Apr 9, 2017)

Nothing like the art work you do and its the first time I ever tried anything like this so thought I'd share. I just replaced the scales on my old hunting knife gave a new look to a 30 yr old knife. I'm quite pleased how it turned out. I think the hardest part was get the proper fit and placement without doing any sanding on the steel to preserve the patina.









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## JusAguy (Mar 9, 2017)

randallss7 said:


> I have not been on the forum in a while. I'm still EDCing the knife. When I first started using it I was not really impressed, didn't seem to me to hold an edge that well. After about the 2nd time I sharpened it, it seemed to come into its own. I'm not sure what that was about, maybe initial bevel was to fine, my imagination not sure. At any rate I'm sold now, I use it for everything it holds an edge really well. Its harder for me to get, Elmax than s35v and I'm not sure that in real life you can tell the difference, maybe in a controlled test it would prove out to be a little better, but in real life it seems comparable, I might like it a tad better.


I'm a little late to the party, but do appreciate your thoughts on ELMAX.

How did you heat treat it or did you send it out for that (if so, to who? - i know Peters HT in PA has a well-established protocol for it)?

I've been wanting to buy a piece and form a design i have in mind, but i've some other things a bit more pressing at the moment so have time for research.


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## jnoble2017 (May 7, 2018)

that thing is awesome. nice work


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## woko (Feb 9, 2018)

Very Nice, i like the contrast that the first set of images has.


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## Hoyt Huntsman (Oct 13, 2014)

That is one beautiful knife. Very well done, sir!


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## allankuz (Mar 17, 2013)

Decided to take a quick look at the post - but glad I did, you did a great job - well done!


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## azscorpion (Feb 12, 2010)

Put me in for an order!


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## Rpri5684 (Jun 1, 2018)

Wow! Nice Job!

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## BowhunterJT (Jun 4, 2009)

I've seen some nice custom knives, own a few, and know a few custom knife makers but I don't think I have ever seen a handle that cool, beautiful ever before! That is striking the way you incorporated that pine cone. I've see pine cone handles before but not the way you used yours. Truly awesome look it has. Nice job!


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## lucky-stops.com (Jul 3, 2018)

Very nice Work!


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## zaq (Jul 14, 2018)

Is the handle somehow made out of a pine cone?


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## Farm-All (Feb 18, 2018)

Nice


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## Jackpine Willy (Jun 25, 2018)

Sweet!


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## brodie1978 (Jul 24, 2008)

excellent work!


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## Wayniac3 (Mar 11, 2015)

outstanding work.


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