My name is David Wesner and I have had an
obsession with knives and the outdoor life-style
since I was a young boy. I have been in the mold
making and machining industry for 25+ years and
use my experience to create custom knives. I have
used new state of the art materials such as
Titanium, Talonite, and the new Crucible CPM
steels. Micarta, G10, and Carbon Fiber are the
most durable of Handle materials and I use them
often.
I still have one foot in the past, that's where my
love for Forging Blades using High Carbon steels
comes in. I also offer Cable Damascus blades
forged in house. Natural materials, such as Stag,
Mother of Pearl, Ivory (Elephant & Mammoth) and
Exotic Wood for handle materials are also
available and usually in stock. What I don't have
in stock can be ordered if you want something
special.
Research and learning about this craft
"Bladesmithing" is a lifelong learning
experience. Every Blade that I make brings new
experience along with many new questions. My
goal is to bring you,the customer, the absolute
best possible tool that can be made.
Most Bladesmiths have the unique opportunity to
experiment with many different Blade Steels.
After many years of making and using my own
Blades I am narrowing down what I believe to be
the best Steels available and will be offering
more of my Blades in those Steels. For Stainless
Steels I will be using primarily CPM Steels,
Crucible Steels New Powder Metal Technology.
Dependant on the Blades intended use I will be
using the CPM products CPM 154CM, CPM S30V, CPM
S60V and CPM S90V. D2 is also always on my stock
shelf, and is the material that my personal EDC is
made from. 5160 and A2 is the Steel that most of my
Camp Blades will be made out of. One thing I
really like about A2 is that it is an "Air Quench
Steel", giving me the opportunity to "Plate
Quench" Blades made from this Steel. An
advantage when making large Camp Style Blades
that could potentially have warpage problems
during Heat treat. These are my personal all
time favorites, they are simply outstanding in
the area of toughness and will hold an edge
through more abuse than most Blades should be
put through.
As always I will use most any material requested
on a commissioned project. I have worked
extensively with many, many different Blade
Materials and personally most are very good. So
many of my customers are becoming very
educated about the properties many of the Blade
Steels offer. I don't want to limit myself (or the
customer) to just one or two choices. If you are
not familiar with the many different steels I
would be more than happy to suggest what I
believe to be the best material(s) for any given
project and why. I am currently working on
technical information that will be added to the
site that better explains what is available and
the properties they possess.
I really enjoy creating Hamons by Clay coating
High Carbon Steel Blade in the Traditional
Japanese Technique. That is something I offer too,
and a "work in progress" on the learning curve.
Many Bladesmiths spend their entire lives
learning the finer points of this process.
You will also see many "one offs" in my Gallery.
The only way I can increase my knowledge and
skills is by experimenting with new techniques
and styles. If you see something strange looking
or weird that is my excuse, "I was trying
something new". I hope that I can make you that
Special Blade, one that will be passed down
through the generations. That's how I strive to
make my Blades, to last forever.
As I stated, I'll be adding quite a bit of technical
information in regards to testing of materials
that I have done and am currently in the process
of doing. Thanks for taking the time to look
through my site and check back often.
David Wesner - Knifemaker
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