Welcome to B. K. Johnson Custom Knives. I specialize in building high performance knives for high performance people. Whether you are a military professional, law enforcement officer, search and rescue/ firefighter, government agent, or outdoor enthusiast, a well made knife can mean the difference between life or death in a bad situation. Although I make my knives as aesthetically appealing as possible, function is always the number one priority. Many production knife companies (and even some custom makers) produce overly stylized knives, loaded with useless design features and exotic shapes for the sake of appearing "tacticool". These knives are not built for the professional user, but rather to convince the aspiring Rambo to open up his wallet. Oft times, these features compromise blade integrity and performance, or make the handle uncomfortable. You will not find these kinds of designs on my website. My knives are designed to get the job done quickly, effectively, and reliably. The blade must cut well, and the handle must fit comfortably and securely in the hand. I do not add features that compromise these requirements. When it comes to hard-use tactical or survival type knives, I prefer to use non-stainless carbon steels. My standard models are ground from O1 tool steel. This steel has a broad performance envelope and is my favorite material for most applications. I favor tool steels because they do not sacrifice performance in exchange for corrosion resistance. In order for a steel to be stainless, it must contain large amounts of chromium. A small amount of chromium in a steel is typically beneficial, but the large amounts required to make a steel stainless cause the blade to develop a coarse and brittle grain during heat treatment. A coarse grain makes it difficult or even impossible for the average user to achieve a scary-sharp razor edge. Since stainless blades are more brittle, they cannot be heat treated to high hardness levels without the edge becoming overly susceptible to chipping. Some people attempt to overcome this by sharpening the cutting edge to obtuse angles that significantly reduce the blade's cutting ability. The O1 tool steel that use in my standard models has a very fine grain and nearly double the impact resistance of 440C stainless. It can be heat treated to very high hardness levels and sharpened at shallow (and consequently very sharp) angles without chipping under normal usage. Since it resists chipping, there is no need to constantly re-grind the edge and waste precious steel on a sharpening stone. When the edge starts to dull, it can usually be returned to shaving-sharp with a few swipes on a strop. Whenever I venture into the field on a campout or hunting trip, I carry a strop to maintain the edge and nothing else. I have simply never found a need to carry around a bulky and complicated sharpening system. Although tactical/survival knives comprise the bulk of my sales, I also have a soft spot for decorative hunting and fishing knives. Few things can compare to the beauty of a well executed melding of polished steel and organic handle material. These knives I will make with a variety of steels. Aside from O1, I also frequently use 1075/15N20 Damascus forged by Guy Isom. Mr. Isom produces exceptional quality steel that is both durable and beautiful. In instances where corrosion resistance is a top priority, and a coating is undesirable, I will occasionally work with stainless steels. Stainless blades are outsourced to Paul Bos for heat treatment at an additional price. I don't offer any decorative knives as standard models. Most of the time, they are one-of-a-kind tools designed for a specific customer and there are simply too many variables to post a price list. If you would like to order something like this, please contact me with your requirements for the knife, and I will give you a set of options and corresponding prices. Regardless of the steel used, a blade's performance depends heavily on the accuracy of the heat treatment. Some makers use acetylene torches or propane forges with an oil quench to harden their blades. Even the most experienced craftsmen cannot maintain accurate temperature control with these methods. Aside from stainless and other air-hardening grades which I send to Paul Bos, I heat treat my blades in my state-of-the-art marquenching system. A marquenching system utilizes molten salt baths for the austenizing, quenching, and tempering phases. This allows me to control the temperature and soak times with pinpoint accuracy and consistently extract the maximum performance from the steel. Marquenching also induces less stress on the steel than a traditional oil or water quench, and results in a tougher blade at any given hardness. My knives are optimized for cutting things like wood, rope, cloth, and flesh. They are constructed with thin, sharp cutting edges, and proper hardness for the intended application. They are not designed to chop through cinderblocks, turn screws, or cut through car doors. I build my knives with a good margin of durability so that they can be used outside the normal performance envelope in an emergency-- but remember that a knife is still a knife. Just as a hunting rifle makes a poor (and expensive) shovel, a knife makes a poor screwdriver or prybar. With this in mind, all my knives should last a lifetime under normal usage. If one should fail, I will gladly repair or replace it free of charge for as long as I am reasonably able to work. The warranty does not apply to knives subjected to destructive testing or other intentional abuse. Brian K Johnson