How a knife is made

My knives are made by hand and machines in the workshop in Antwerpen, the most frequently used tools are a belt grinder, cnc milling machine, conventional lathe and milling machine,  drill press, surface grinder, blasting cabinet and heat treatment furnace.

Some small parts, like pivots pins, stop pins, washers and screws are bought from other manufacturers.

All other components are made in the workshop in Antwerpen from bar, sheet or rod.

Knives are made in small series of 4 to 10 pieces.

The last finishing steps are done for each knife individually to improve quality.

Modern stainless steels like M390, Magnacut and RWL34 are used for blades. Heat treatment is done at home using an electric furnace, aluminium quenching blocks and dry ice.

Grade 5 titanium (Ti 6Al4V) is used for the liners and locksides of frame-and linerlocks.  The lockface of a liner-or framelock is carbidised to reduce lock wear and lock stick, alternatively, some knife models feature a hardened steel lock insert.
My preferred handle material is micarta (a composite material of textile and resin) because it combines a natural feel and touch with the stability of a modern composite. Handles and inlays often also feature other materials like G10 (glassfiber composite) , carbon fiber, wood and many more.

Use of the round hole opening is licensed by Spyderco.

Some pictures of the workshop (february 2024):