Lazy S Knives
A solo artisan in Santa Fe, New Mexico that designs and creates functional knives in a variety of styles.
How Lazy S Knives Are Made
Lazy S Knives are made with a "stock removal" technique - the knives are not "forged." Once a knife design has been finalized, the "knife blank" outline is cut from a sheet of steel of the appropriate type (stainless, high carbon, etc.) and thickness. The best method of cutting knife blanks in multiple quantities is a water jet. This provides consistency to the shape and preserves the temper of the metal around the edge.
Heat Treating
The knife blank is then heat treated in a high temperature kiln to somewhere between 1500 to 1900 degrees F depending on the steel used. The knife blank is removed from the kiln and immediately "quenched" to harden the steel. High carbon steels are usually quenched by submersing in a special oil. Stainless steels are quenched by clamping the blade between two thick plates of aluminum and cooling with compressed air. Stainless steels are also "cryo treated" immediately after quenching. This is done by submersing the knife blade in either liquid nitrogen or a mixture of alcohol and dry ice. This further increases the hardness of the steel. The final step in heat treating a knife blade is "tempering" in an oven at a temperature between 300 - 400 degrees F for several hours. This reduces the "brittleness" of the steel, increases the toughness of the knife to bending stresses and increases the ability of the knife to hold an edge.
Grinding the Bevels
The next step is to "grind" the bevels - the angles on both sides of the knife blade that form the cutting edge. The bevels are ground by hand on a belt grinder using successively finer grits of abrasive belts until the basic shape is obtained.
Hand Sanding
Next is the hard, tedious work of final shaping and polishing the blade by hand. Loathed by many knife makers because it seems to be never ending, this is the "Zen Practice" aspect of knife making to many. This is where the actual knife begins to emerge and the beauty of the metalwork becomes increasingly obvious.
Creating the Knife Handle
The knife "scales" are what makes the handle of the knife. Two thin slabs of wood, resin or whatever material has been chosen for the handle is epoxied to the two sides of the blade. These two knife scales are held in place by special metal pins that are placed through drill holes in the handle material and through the handle portion of the metal knife blank. Finally the handle is shaped by hand using a combination of belt grinder, hand sanding and polishing using a buffing wheel.
Final Preparation
Finally, the knife is etched with the Lazy S Knives "maker's mark" and hand sharpened on a guided sharpening jig. A hand made leather sheath is included for most knives other than those meant for use in the kitchen.
Contact Lazy S Knives
Lazy S Knives
Hand Made Blades
Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico