Depending on your end-game needs, you will benefit from one type of steel over another. Please take the time to investigate some steels I prefer to use and decide what characteristics suit you best. Additional steels not listed below such as Crucible Super Steels and a variety of others are always available upon request.

• N690/N695 – Powder Metallurgy Steels. Good edge holding and stain resistance. Works well at high Rockwell Hardness.
• Elmax/M390/M398 – Powder metallurgy steels. High wear resistance and corrosion resistance at high working Rockwell hardness.
• CPM20CV – Powder metallurgy steel. High wear resistance and corrosion resistance at high working Rockwell hardness with better than average ease of sharpening.
• Pattern Welded – Known commonly today as “Damascus” these steels are highly ornate and can be either high carbon or stainless. My preferred Damascus provider is DAMAWORKS.
• Z-FiNit/Vanax – High Nitrogen Alloy Tool steel. Refined micro structure steel, nearly 100% corrosion resistance, durable and high working Rockwell hardness.
• CPM M4/3V/4V – High Speed Tool Steel. Extreme superior toughness at high hardness, wear resistance and edge retention without brittleness. Only true caveat its lower percentages of chromium as it is not stainless.
• S7/8670/Z-Tuff – Ultra shock resistant steels. Not corrosion resistant but excellent impact steels.
• 52100/5160/80CrV2 – Lower alloy steels. Very tough, great torsional and fatigue strength, but not corrosion resistant. Great impact steels.

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Depending on your steel choice a multitude of finishing options are available to enhance and protect your custom creation.

• RAW – This finish will showcase the steel on the face of the blade in its most primal fashion. Elements of the raw steel will be left on the face giving the face a ‘well worn’ appearance.
• Satin – Subdued and low reflectivity are key features of this finish. Millions of microscopic ‘scratches’ blend together to form the silky-smooth satin appearance.
• Cerakote – High temperature ceramic coating in nearly any color. This is a very durable coating and used to maximize anti-reflectivity while improving the quality of blade life. As this is a coating it WILL develop wear marks with usage of the blade or tool over time.
• Cold-Blued/Blackened – For use on non-stainless blades and tools to produce a ‘Smokey Grey’ to Black surface slightly enhancing the immediate corrosion resistance of those steels.

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Nearly as important as the steel used on each tool is the handle material accompanying the blade to compliment the style and usage.

• Carbon Fiber – Extremely strong and light fiber reinforced resin based polymer containing carbon fibers. Works well in all environments and temperatures. 5X stronger and 70% lighter than steel. Protech Composites is my preferred source for premium carbon fiber products.
• Wood/Stabilized Wood – Beautiful domestic and exotic woods of nearly every variety are available upon request. When possible, stabilized wood will be used to reduce the opportunity for expansion/contraction with weather fluctuations or introduction of liquid.
• G10 – A high-pressure fiberglass laminate favored for its high strength, low moisture absorption, and chemical resistance. Excellent material in all temperatures and humidity conditions. Available in a vast variety of colors.
• Micarta – Resin impregnated fabrics including canvas, burlap, linen and paper crafted under high pressure creating a stable material in a variety of colors.
• Antler/Horn/Bone – Wonderful for a natural or rustic appearance. Many varieties, species, and textures are available upon request.

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Securing your custom handle scales to the tool properly with strength and beauty is a key component of the overall package.

• Carbon Fiber/G10 pins and tubing – For use with most synthetic handles. Helps to create a mono-structure with the addition of epoxy binding resins.
• Copper Rod – Beautiful with darker woods and collector pieces.
• Titanium pins and tubing – Optimum stain resistance used often on dive knives or in brutal conditions.
• Mosaic Tubing – Intricate patterns beautifully enhance high end blades for both collectors and users.
• Chain Ring Bolts – Absolute BEASTS for the most solid handle adhesion for maximum difficult conditions. Often used in conjunction with carbon fiber pins and tubing.

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,Now that you have your custom blade, it needs a safe place for carry and deployment. Several options are available to protect your tool and keep it close at hand.

• Thermomolded Holstex or Kydex – Thermomolded sheaths protect the blade on your person with solid retention, not allowing the blade to ‘accidentally’ become dislodged from the sheath. Each sheath is crafted specifically to the tool. These sheaths are slim and wonderful for a multitude of applications.
• Handcrafted Leather – Each sheath is meticulously hand-crafted by Caleb Kalisch. Machines are not used to stitch these heirloom sheaths together. Depending on the setup, Caleb will waterform or mold each sheath to the individual tool using only the highest-grade leathers and componentry.
•  Carry styles/positioning, attachment options – Depending on your intended purpose, sheaths can be built to carry in a variety of ways. Standard sheaths for pack, pocket, or purse are built without loops for attachment. Thermomolded sheaths do have eyelets for leashing points with that configuration. If loops or other attachment points are needed, sheaths can be crafted to be carried in vertical, horizontal, cross-draw, small-of-the-back, or inside the waistband (IWB). In addition, other attachment devices such as Discreet Carry Concepts, Ulti-Clip, Molle, TeK Lok, Pull-the-Dot, Ballistic Nylon or other variations are available to suit.

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