Price Frontier Hunter/Skinner with Big Bear tooling

Recent custom work posted below.

This is one of my customized Price Frontier Hunter Skinners
with an antiqued stag handle.  Antiqued steel pins and brass
washers.

If your jumping here from the net and just
finding out about my work here are some more details.

The blade on this knife is just about under 5" and the forward
part of the blade has a tapered swedge clip.

This knife has also been customized with a rear lanyard hole.

The sheath was hand stitched and made to wear high on a belt
and cross drawn.

The lower face of the sheath I hand worked a big bear scene with
tooling and custom carving/line work.

Also posted below is some custom leather tooling I created on a
custom sheath. As all my tooling and leather work everything was
done by hand starting with a sketch on paper, or directly in the leather.
If I can ever get some time to make a video on the techniques I use
for this I will.

Thank you

Matt
ML Knives
http://www.mlknives.com

Jigged horn Hunting Skinning Knife

This knife I made awhile back as a custom order to be used
as a large game hunting and skinning knife.  This knife would
also easily handle many field tasks as well.

Knife was made with a blade about 4 1/2" long pattern and
patina aged with hand file worked spine.

Handle is black horn that was jigged by hand.  Brass pins and
rear lanyard hole.

Belt sheath was hand stitched.

A new photo below from a recent woods journey.

Thank you
Matt
ML Knives
http://www.mlknives.com

Carry Knife Used Hard Everyday

Once and awhile I will post some of the knives I carry and use
as well as knives I have made for family members.

The knife posted below originally had a leather stacked thin handle,
I posted here on the blog awhile back.  Sine then I decided to
put this rough cut rustic maple on instead.

Most of the aging and darker color you see on the handle is from
me using it.  This knife gets carried often, mostly in my pocket
and is in my shop allot.  So it gets used hard.

I have used this little knife for everything from making small
kindling to cutting leather, food, fire making.  You name it.

I wanted to post a picture of it so you could see the aging
on the knife.  Everything has aged very nice.

Thank you

Matt
ML Knives
http://www.mlknives.com

Close Fighter Custom

Back I think it was in 2005 or so I designed the knife below.

I called this design "the close fighter"

Basically its a shorter version of a longer fighter style at about
a 4 1/2" blade with a tapered forward swedge clip.

There is a pic of one of my early customs in my past
work extended gallery

The close fighter below was done for a recent custom order
with antiqued hickory, steel pins and rear lanyard hole.

This knife has a beefed up 3/16" spine and will equally handle
hunting and skinning chores with no problem.

On a recent journey into the snow covered woods I took some nice pictures.
One I posted below.  I will post more images from the trip in future posts.

Thank you
Matt
ML Knives
http://www.mlknives.com

The Secret of Knife Making..and Business

Okay so I get asked this question all the time, especially from
people wanting to start making knives or having the idea
of knife making.  Or someone might want to make
knife making their business.

"What did you do to start, or how did you start your 
business?"

I could probaly write a book just on this topic
of running a small business.

When I started making knives full time it was a huge risk
just like starting any other business and still is.

There are many things to consider (I wont go into all
of these things in this post).

Nothing is easy or free.  It is a full time 110% dedication
and if you have no passion about what your doing.
DO NOT..even try it.
You will work many seven day weeks, and many long hours
and if you don't than you need to be.

I quit a full time job I held for eleven years with full time
benefits and risked it all.

There are more things to consider besides just the act of making
knives.  Don't get me wrong this is my main Passion and love
it very much.  But when you run any full time business there
are many considerations especially if you have a family or
other people to support.


If I get time in the future I will post more on this topic.

Thank you

Matt
ML Knives
http://www.mlknives.com