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Making a Fancy Hunting Knife
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- Published on Apr 18, 2026
- In this video, I make a fancy hunting knife with a desert ironwood burl handle and file-worked stainless steel spacers. A thorough narration walks you through the process from start to finish along with my design decisions along the way. Next week's video will show how I make a sheath for this same knife.
This knife was made on commission. If you are interested in something similar or something wildly different, please send me a message at jordanlamotheblades.com/contact and we can discuss details.
Beautiful work. The client should be very happy.
I'm getting some "the gunsmith of Williamsburg" vibes from your video, which if you don't know is a great thing. I love the calm narration as you go through the steps. Great work.
knife so good u gained a new subscriber , brother
Thank you! So glad you like it.
Your an awesome craftsman..... Great build....
Astoundingly beautiful!
Exquisite! Subscribed.
Very nice. I really like the file pattern on the spacer; it really makes it pop.
Amazing work Jordan!
That's one special knife.
real sweet job
My goodness! I thought i was a knife maker, until I saw your work. Very fine work son.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I am machinist for 50 years but still learning something new from yang smart kids everyday and I like it.
Linda Hunter. Muito legal a narração explicando cada técnica e etapa da confecção da faca.
Very beautiful work.
Awesome blade brother❤
Great Job. Thank you very much !!!!!!!!!!
Exelent video as always
That is just so awesome!
You got Mad skills man.
Awesome work❤
I bet you can’t watch this without smiling!
Good job !
nice knife👍
Awesome
Gorgeous
Gorgeous knife dude, thanks for sharing your process.
fantastic video
J’ai vraiment apprécié la vidéo, le couteau est magnifique. Merci pour le partage.
Nice work. Would have loved to have seen some more of the filing you did on the spacer on the spine.
Well done🔪👍🫡
beautiful
Impressive Jordan. An absolute show piece.
Thanks!
Very similar to my process. But your fit and finish are miles better!
Great video, super useful to see the full process (compared to tiktok), great editing and beautiful knife!
Once again Jordon….absolutely gorgeous. Love your videos!! Would love for you to do a video one day on your technique for plunge lines.
This gave me goosebumps! Did it happen to you too?
thats a beautiful knife and excellent workmanship, I wish I could get the knife pattern to make one myself.
Stunning, as always. Thank You for sharing ❤
My pleasure. And thank you!
Your work is always so impressive. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! And you’re welcome!
great tutorial, really like it, thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it
Супер
What a stunning piece!
Thanks!
Your work is some of the best iv seen
Thank you!
Another stellar creation, bravo. I’m learning so much from you Jordan, just sold my first knife this week and I’m absolutely over the moon about it. Thank you for these detailed videos, you are a treasure trove of valuable tips and advice.
Thank you! Glad you enjoy these
This is incredible. Truly a master of your work! Love your videos!
Thank you!
eu gostei
The way you explained this is SO clear. Thank you
My pleasure!
i really enjoyed the make. Thanks for sharing this.
I'm so glad to hear it.
I’ve enjoyed all your videos so far Jordan, but I like this one the best so far. I found this to be very helpful to see your processes to compared and contrast with my own to pick up little tips/tricks along the way.
I’m so glad to hear that!
thats one high end hunting knife beautiful work😳
Thanks Mark!
I honestly love your full length videos, I was watching one of your shorts the other day and was thinking, I wish this guy did more full length videos. You are a true master craftsman sir. God bless and keep up your fantastic work. Love from Australia
Great to hear! I’m working on more. Thanks for your encouragement
Just found your channel . Excellent work! She's a beaut, Clark
Thank you!
That is a beautiful knife.
Thank you!
Beautiful!
Thank you Jetta!
Thanks for the video. Elegant pattern, precise work. Greetings from the Czech Republic.
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing 👏👏👏👏👏🤜🤛
My pleasure
The level of detail in your videos is fantastic, Jordan. They're like a master class in fit-up!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful work
Thanks so much!
Thanks for this great video, that illustrates your quiet passion for your craft. I love the rooster and chickens in the background.
Thank you! ‘Tis the soundtrack of the farm haha
Nothing like a hand made knife!!! Very good craftsmanship!! Well done my man!
Thank you!
Thank you very much for sharing your work here and especially for giving so many in depth tips that I’m sure took long to find and apply, be it the file pattern or checking the guard slot with a drill bit!
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for sharing this video Jordan, an amazing work! It gladdens me to hear some good words for stock removal knifemaking from a high reputation maker like you, I think in the majority of the cases it is the way to go when working with stainless steel. Cheers from Italy!
Francesco
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
Subscribed at 15:01; what detail! I'd buy from this Craftsman!
Much appreciated!
Why not wet it it and sweat it, with silver solder
Hey mr Lamothe , as a young knifemaker you are a huge inspiration ❤👍
Ps: that gard is super neat 👌
Glad to hear it! Thank you
Thanks Jordan! It came out Amazing! Can’t wait to see it in person. What a cool Birthday present.
hi
That's a beautiful piece of work there, what sharpening stone are you using ?
Thank you. It's a Belgian blue whetstone
Awesome video what is the time it takes from start to finish?
Thank you! I haven't tallied up my hours for this project yet, but I suspect it was around 25 hours from start to finish
Great knife my friend, many people like me when we make designs with a file fill it with glue with color, but yours looks very nice, I will try to do it too, I am anxiously awaiting the next one....
Thank you! I’ve got some exciting projects in the works that will make for some great videos in the next couple months
@Jordanlamotheblades I am sure of the result,I would like your permission to try to copy it, greetings from Greece, my friend.
@tom69zax12 I definitely encourage you to try doing polished file work without filling it. It’s been done that way by smiths for well over a century
I have tailored a career, fathered children, and seen grandchildren in the time it has…
Thanks so much for putting in the time to push out these videos. It’s fantastic how frequent your channel has content now. 🙏🤘👍
And not that I’ve ever made spacers as intricate as that before, but the dummy spacer is a brilliant idea. Logging that in memory bank for when I reach that point in my making
It's a helpful trick for sure
What a beauty, thats some clean work!
1:35-2:04 I used to forge every knife by hand. Didnt even know stock removal was a thing for a couple years. Now most of my knives are stock removal, and its kinda annoying whenever some one says your not a real knifemaker if you do stock removal. Also with bevels, using a jig is cheating in they eyes of some. Ive had more than a few people say these things. Like you, I just do whatevers most efficient and whatever gets me the best results, and 99% of the time that happens to be stock removal and jig grinding bevels. If someones got a problem with that, well its theirs to solve.
Well said.
That grinding technique to create the 4 pointed stars is awesome. Where did you learn that? Also, a dummy spacer for grinding is quite clever.
Thanks! The filework design is one I figured out through experimentation, though I’m sure plenty of other folks have done it before
I thought I was the only one that enjoyed hearing my tools when I'm working. A lot of people say they put on music or podcasts while they're hand sanding or filing or forging but i enjoy hearing the sound of the tools while I'm at work. Wonderful work as always Jordan, you're an inspiration.
Thanks so much. It means a lot to hear that. And yes, I do love the sound of the tools
Beautiful work. Dont have to worry about billit inclusions or anything. The gaurd and handle look incredible! Why couldn't you drill the gaurd slot with your mill? If anything couldn't you just use your drill press for the z axis? Beautiful work
Thank you! I didn’t have a small enough endmill at the time I needed to make the guard, but otherwise, you’re totally right that would be a good way to do it
fancy sheath too please
That’s the plan!
Excellent work! I do almost everything you do except I use Dykem blue layout fluid to scribe my marks on. Easier for me to see at the mill and band saw. Good tip on using wax to coat the trial pin. That would work on the blade above the guard to keep epoxy from leaking onto it too. I take it you don't silver solder your guards?
Thanks! Wax can be used to clean up epoxy as well. I don't silver solder my guards. I used to use dykem for layout, but I found it scratched off too easily, and then it made things more difficult to see. It could be that my bottle of Dykem is just too old or got frozen a few too many times.
Bob loveless was of the opinion that stock removal was more efficient than forging and did most or all of his knife making from stock removal
Absolutely. I agree for the most part. There are some shapes that are more efficient to forge, like integral bolsters and T-back swords, but the vast majority of knives are faster to cut and grind.
People don't realize this used to be a somewhat protected craft. Back in 2005-2015... people were hesitant to share this information because it could take their clients to another maker. It took me a quite a few years of experimentation to get all this right... You go to blade show atlanta? I'd love to see you next year.
I’ll be at Blade show indeed. Table 3S is the place to find me
Awesome!
all glory to Jesus Christ thank you for sharing the etching process and this beautiful knife
My pleasure!
Why quench before grinding through bevels???
Thinner knives generally warp when quenched, so it would be a problem
I love hunting patterns for custom knives. I think it provides an opportunity to create something unique, beautiful, and functional. It also provides a challenge. With all of the hunting knives out there, How do you make your version of a hunting knife not only unique, but desirable? In my mind, it's quite the challenge. When a maker like Jordan creates a beautiful hunting knife like this, it's a real nod towards their skill and creativity. Well done, Jordan! I would be proud to own that knife and the owner is most definitely going to be showing that one off to his friends.
Thanks so much! I’m honored
Yes sir I will!😂
"Forged in Fire" would toss this entry out by the first round. "It's not called 'Ground In Fire,' son."
Haha very true. When I was on the show, they tossed one of my competitors out for that reason…
As a machinist use an endmill that is smaller than your width of your slot and go little by little untill you reach full depth. Then move your table to one side to finish that side then move across to finish the final side then square up the corner era and adjust fit with small files and you won't have that fitment issue. Also use coolant if some sort but not straight water. WD-40 us pretty good or even just air to blow the chips away will help tremendously so your endmill doesn't recut shavings which dulls it, can make it cut oversized, and make them break as well. Just a little FYI...
(Edit:) Btw... You do have the ability to drill with that mill. You moved the endmill down to the stock with the handle on the side didn't you??? I know you're not a machinist but there are many ways to do what you claimed to not be able to do on your mill. I could really help you out with that sometime if you would like.
I appreciate the advice! I did not have a small enough endmill at the time I made this knife, though I usually do exactly what you suggest. It is quite a bit faster to mill the slot rather than drilling and filing
Do you heat treat the stainless spacer as well? I think the corrosion resistance is higher when heat treated properly but obviously still has good resistance untreated. Just curious 🤔
The stainless steel spacer is 304, so it can’t be heat treated, but it also has very good corrosion resistance. The guard is 416, which could probably benefit slightly from heat treatment, but it’s definitely not necessary for it not to rust. With high carbon stainless steels, you’re absolutely right that hardening improves corrosion resistance
Hey Jordan. Where did you get your anti-scale coating? I'd like to get away from foil packages, but I'm having a hard time locating Z1100.
Thanks!
I called up the Duffy Company directly, and they sold me a can.
From where can i buy custom stencil for etching logo?
IMG electromark is the company
Hi! Amazing work man - gorgeous knife! I have one question if you don't mind? How do you manage to separate the different layers of spacers again without damageing them?? When I make sandwitch layer-knives I use dabs of superglue and a very thin razorblade to separate the layers of of spacers after doing filework, but I sometimes damage some of the spacers... So frustrating! Thanks for sharing btw!
Hit them with a file handle or a piece of wood, and the shock will break the glue. Cheers!
@Jordanlamotheblades Oh, okey I will test that out - thank you so much for replying!
what find of fancy person does fancy hunting with a fancy knife?
Makes you think huh? I’d fancy some answers
😞no forge
Not in this video! Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of great forging videos coming in the near future (or almost any of my other published videos)
@Jordanlamotheblades I will check out
I’ve got an honest question. Not a criticism at all. I am really wanting to get into knife making. But as a user, and having gone from buying cheaper knives and using them until they are no longer serviceable or safe. Throwing them away and buying a new knife. To buying more expensive knives, using them without abusing them like I used to with the cheaper knives….. well to an extent. I am still tough on knives but have found that I’ve only had 2 knives from the pricier knives fail. And both were actually not being abused at all. Both were hidden tang knives that are why I am more reluctant to purchase knives with hidden tangs.
Which brings me to my question. I’m both knives they were as I said hidden tang. But I’ve had hidden tang knives, even cheaper ones that survived way more. With these they failed right where the tang met the ricasso met the tang. And what I noticed was that on both they met at a 90% sharp corner. My question is, I’ve heard makers say that it doesn’t matter. Others say that anywhere you have a corner it cut in it needs to be rounded. Not so much with cut out corners don’t create a weak spot but cut in 90%s do. But then I’ve heard other makers say that it doesn’t matter. Is it dependent on the type of steel? The hardening? Should the tang be softened into the ricasso? Or is it better to always have a rounded inner corner where those meet? Both of the ones that failed were extremely sharp 90% and were more premium steels. 1 was S35vn and other was magnacut. I had several cheaper knives that were hidden tangs break in the same spot. Specifically 3 Ka-Bars. But surprisingly my SK5 CS SRK didn’t. Which I only found out recently that the SRKs are rounded in those corners.
I apologize, it is a long winded question. But is absolutely the only reason I stay away from hidden tang knives as a buyer now. And why when I finally get set up to make knives was planning to stay away from them. But I truly love the looks of them and if could insure I wasn’t creating a weak point would love to experiment with handles.
Be a good site to watch if you cute the talking out.