This is a new design for me and is christened the Straight Hunter. As the name would indicate, this blade has very little drop. Whenever I design a new knife I like the first one to have handle material that is a little special. I purchased the scales on this knife when I attended the Oregon Knife Collectors show in early April and had this knife specifically in mind as I walked the aisles. These scales are stabilized Maple and have about all the figure and contrast you could possibly want.

Specs for the Straight Hunter are as follows:

Blade Length: 4"
Handle Length; 4 1/4"
Blade Steel: .125" CPM154, HRC61, Satin Finish
Handle: Stabilized Maple, Brass Guard, Brass Mosaic Pins, and Brass Thong Tube

This one is sold, but I have another in the works with Desert Iron handle.



While I was working in my little shop this morning I took a couple of photos. You don't need a lot of room or a lot of equipment to make knives. I have a grinder with a couple of different sized contact wheels and a flat platten attachment, band saw, drill press, and buffer. The buffer is a game changer when it comes to finishing handles! Here's part of my shop, the photos on the wall are mostly from AR members using my knives in the field.




Thanks for looking,
Lee
baumgartknives@gmail.com
Baumgart Handmade Knives

Very nice design and very clean shop.. Well done

Looks a lot like a USA knifemaker grinder.

richj,

Thank you for the comment. Regarding the shop, I have a bit of OCD and I hate looking for things. I can be working at the bench and reach up, without looking, and get what I need. When I have rearranged my Craftsman tool chests to make room for new hand tools, I'm sideways for about a month!

lindy2,

It is. Instead of going with the no-weld version I had it welded by my brother who does that work for a living.

Lee

Lee,

Very nice, clean shop area! Keep up the fine work.

Wes

How do you keep so clean with all the metal/grit dust that is constantly being created as you shape a blade?

Lee, How much will these knives cost? I really like the semi-skinner I bought from you and one of your straight hunters would be a great companion piece.
Jim White
Prescott, AZ

TCLouis, I run a shop vac A LOT. I actually end up with more dust shaping handles then when grinding blades. If you look at the first photo you'll see a plastic square funnel under the contact wheel. When I am working on handles I attach the shop vac to it and run it continuously. It does a good job of capturing most of the dust. I wear ear plugs whenever I run the grinder and a respirator when I'm doing handle work.

Jim, It depends on the handle material. This one went for $349, shipped. Since I made your knife I have switched to stainless steel (CPM154) which costs significantly more than O1 tool steel and has to be sent out for heat treatment.


As an aside, I have been using Jeff Mutz of Tru-Grit Abrasives for heat treatment since I made the switch. His pricing is reasonable and his turn-around time has been good.

Lee
baumgartknives@gmail.com
Baumgart Handmade Knives

Thanks, Lee I will be watching for some with Ironwood scales. Jim

Lee, have you done a bird and trout with the stabilized maple? The sheep horn knife you made me is going on a moose hunt this fall!
Thanks,
John

Should work well.

John,

This is the first knife I've put stabilized maple on. If you have an interest in a bird and trout knife with it, I could certainty make one up.

Lee

Here's another Straight Hunter. Scales are Desert Ironwood. It's currently listed in the Classified section.

Thanks for looking,
Lee