MCraft Customs

Batch of fire sticks. Excellent to practice some blacksmith fundamentals. Is it just me or does anyone else see flames the way those are laying? #futureblacksmithproject #firepokers #camping #handforged #canadianmade #yxe #saskatchewanmade

Another piece of the puzzle just showed up. Huge thanks to @maritimeknifesupply for shipping this out so fast! 1 piece left to arrive then i am set!

Working on a production run of fire pokers. Twists, folds and forge welds. Doing them all the same so i can get a process down and work on my consistency. #educationalprofit #forged #blacksmithing #firepoker #firepit #forgewelding

Grinder down? Forge down? No problem! Lots of other things to get caught up on. A vertical wood lathe from an extra drill press won't be an everyday tool but i won't kick it out of my shop. Another weapon in the arsenal! #verticallathe #woodworking #downtime #makeatool

Spring shop cleaning! Anxiously waiting on a new addition so figured now is a good time to do those little tasks that need attention and doing some maintenance and TLC. It's amazing how fast you can run out of room! More shelving and bench space will be the next upgrade.

Spring shop cleaning! Anxiously waiting on a new addition so figured now is a good time to do those little tasks that need attention and doing some maintenance and TLC. It's amazing how fast you can run out of room! More shelving and bench space will be the next upgrade.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FAIL! Very first attempt at san mai. Wrought iron over W1 using the taco technique. Love the depth and dimensions the wrought iron brings to this. I didnt think it would look this way when i started, definitely gonna keep at it! #wroughtiron #w1 #sanmai #test #beautifulfail #handforged

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FAIL! Very first attempt at san mai. Wrought iron over W1 using the taco technique. Love the depth and dimensions the wrought iron brings to this. I didnt think it would look this way when i started, definitely gonna keep at it! #wroughtiron #w1 #sanmai #test #beautifulfail #handforged

1st side roughed in with files. Taking my time, leaving just a bit for any future corrections. About 30 hours invested so far, loooong way to go yet and loving every minute. #wakizashi #handforged #filing #elbowgrease

Hand filing to refine the muni. Gonna try a little reverse sori at the tip as well to reduce the overall sori after the yakiire. Hopefully i am using the terminology correctly.

New stencils on the horizon????? I'm thinking yeah.

WARNING: Sensitive details ahead. Shared with permission. On Wednesday, August 22, 2018 we lost Greg Lloyd Hanwell. Father, husband, friend, rugby player, beer brother. Greg and I became rugby brothers years ago. He was as fierce on the pitch as he was off. It wasnt until I got to know Greg a bit that I truly started to appreciate what a quality guy he was. Several of our conversations still resonate with me to this day and its those moments that I hold most treasured. ... When I heard of his passing it became my mission to create a tribute to someone I am proud to call a friend. This is the story of that mission and the finale to my personal healing process that was years in the making. After much planning and testing for a year, I had decided that I would attempt a hamon using ash from articles of Greg's clothing. The knives were custom designed for a close friend that was also a close friend of Greg. The clothing I obtained was a pair of rugby socks Greg had worn. I took part of one sock and cut it down to mix with charcoal and added it to my hamon clay. Since hamons are inherently random, the intent was to let Greg's 'spirit' influence the hamon and permanently 'infuse' part of him into the knives. The infused clay mixture was applied as normal and given a hybrid quench using water and oil. The hamon turned out as a candlelight pattern on both knives. When I saw the first one I thought I had messed up. When i saw they were both the same, it became apparent this was the way they were supposed to turn out. The knife with the yellow handle has a small hamon which I thought was perfect for a daily user. The black handle has a slightly larger candle hamon with subtle ashi that runs up the length of the blade. I've never seen a hamon do this but I love the way it turned out. This knife was originally meant to be a display item but after some feedback, I changed my mind and made it a fully functional replica of the yellow knife. One was created with a bright yellow handle as per the original request with the liner being a swatch of Greg's rugby sock. The other knife has black, green and white representing the Regina Rogues Rugby Club that Greg played for. I am very happy with how they turned out and am extremely appreciative to Carrie, Moe and Reola for their participation and allowing me to do this. Greg, I am a better man for having known you and I will never forget you or our conversations. Ex nemo non feces brother Talisman. That sweet chariot swings low to carry you home.

That should be enough #wroughtiron for me to play with during the winter. #staywarm #noshopheat #letsdothis #trynewthings

Its been a bit since i posted anything but honestly nothing i have done lately has been that interesting. Here is one of the latest WIPs along with a silicone mold i made for making micarta handle scales. Should have a couple things to show by the end of the month but what's everyone else got on the go? Let's see those wips!... #siliconemolds #wip #handmade #forged #micarta #handlescales

Skinner auction has now closed. I want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone! I will be in contact with the top bidder shortly. I can see me doing another one next spring/summer so if there is a style that you would be interested in seeing going up, drop a comment! Again, thanks to everyone for participating.... All the best, Mike

Patina? What's that? Had questions about what to expect when carbon steel knives get used. Lots of posts on shiny new knives but rarely do you see them later on in their lives. Hopefully this helps. Results will vary, this is just 1 example of my own experience.

Small kitchen knife. Had my daughter help design it and give me feedback on what 'the client' might want. What i didn't tell her was that it was for her! Surprise! Happy birthday to my aspiring little chef! 5160 steel with purple heartwood handle. Satin finished blade. #madeincanada #madeinsaskatchewan #handmade #kitchenknife