Steve Johnson Knife Progression
1.  Steve Johnson – Made
his first knife in his Boy
Scout Explorer advisor’s
shop 40 years ago.  His
advisor was Gil Hibben.  
And what an impressive 40
years it’s been
2.  Material used to make the knife. The red fiberious
material is water resistant and its exposed edge
polishes up nicely on the finish of the knife.
3.  After planning the design for his new knife, based
on Steve’s Classic Fighter design, it is accurately
drawn out. For strength and a pleasing appearance,
the top grind is terminated forward of the bottom
grind by about 5/8”.
4.  When the design is complete, the pattern is cut out
and then glued onto stiff cardboard, plastic or even
steel, for transferring its outline to the knife steel.
5.  The outline for the new knife is scribed on
suitable bar of BG-42 steel.
6.  After transferring (or scribing) the pattern onto the
bar of steel, the knife is sawn out on a slow-speed band
saw.
7.  A line for the center line is scribed on both sides
of the blade using a steel scale and a carbide scribe.
8.  The guideline for the knife’s edge is scribed along
the edge of the ground-to-shaped knife blank. Using a
tool designed to place the finished edge exactly in the
center of the blade.
9.  Grinding the blade’s bottom bevel is done on an
8” wheel prior to heat treating.
10.  During the grinding operation, the blade is cooled
when necessary in a nearby water container before
continuing with the top grind of the rough grinding
stage, on a 3” wheel.
11.  For the top bevel, a 3” wheel was used. Steve
holds the knife’s handle with his bare hand but uses
a glove to hold the blade end, where the heat is
generated.
12.  The “thong slot” at the rear of the handle is first
drilled out with a 1/6” drill laid out in a line. Then the
remaining steel is ground out and shaped with a carbide
burr mounted in a very high-speed air grinder.
13.  Using a “pin press”, the 3/32” diameter stainless
pins that pass through the tang are pressed into the
bolster for an invisible fit.
14.  The knife, with polished blade and temporary
mounted bolsters, is now almost ready for attaching the
rough-shaped Mother-of- Pearl handle slabs.
15.  Bolsters rough-shaped, handle slabs in place,
ready to be drilled for handle screws (top). Bolsters
shaped (below), MOP mounted and the
profile-shaped, screws in place, holes for pins drilled.
Photos from the book
Custom Knifemaking,
by
David Darom
16.  “David’s Fighter”, 2004 – This fighter has a 5.5” BG-42
clipped blade and T-416 stainless steel bolsters, handle
screws and pins. Premium Mother-of-Pearl handles