Ok this is too much fun. I’m just beginning the process of learning to engrave. I actually took a couple classes way back in 2010, but I haven’t touched it since then. I’m pretty serious about getting good at it. These are just practice plates, and to the trained eye they look like they were engraved during an earthquake. But at this stage my goal is to just get some time on the gear, build familiarity with the work, and identify the right questions to ask. #engraving #embellishments #learning #practice
This elegant little letter opener is a companion to the axe cane I posted yesterday. It features a 3.5” blade in ‘Dragon’s Fire’ Damascus steel with gold accents, mother of pearl frame handle, and a sneaky little bezel set diamond. Photo by @sharpbycoop #stationery #stationeryaddict #executive #luxuryoffice
I thought I’d start off 2026 with something a little unusual. This is a piece I just completed for an international client. It is a refined interpretation of a shepherd’s cane, a walking stick with a blunt axe that can be used to fend off predators with devastating effect. The head is solid ‘Dragon’s Fire’ damascus steel, and the shaft is stabilized lace sheoak with zitan spacers for height adjustment. Both the head and the foot feature exceptional 24k inlay and engraving by my good friend Tyler @wanderer.metalworks including a family seal on the obverse side (not shown in order to protect their privacy). I made several milestone pieces in 2025, and this was surely one of them! Photo by @sharpbycoop of course. #sheoak #walkingstick #gentlemanstyle #handmade
Mail call from @greenberg_woods ! Ben gets some great material. Pictured here I’ve got some promo amboyna burl, gidgee, and black & white ebony. Good handle materials all. Thanks Ben. #stabilizedwood #handlematerial #amboynaburl #woodwork
My last look at ‘Resolution’ one of my finest pieces to date. She’s off to her new home in an exceptional collection later today! #sword #yataghansword #khyberknife #damascussteel @artknifeinvitational
SOLD: A 7” chef in AEB-L stainless and stabilized spalted curly maple. Great gift for someone who loves to cook! #chef #chefknife #kniferoll #cookingknife
Well. This was…orders of magnitude easier than I expected it to be. Fun. #titanium #metalsmith #decorative #details
SOLD: a custom piece in Texas wildfire damascus and stag. #damascusknife #handmade #bladesmith #craftsmanship
Liner lock goofin’. #linerlock #handmade #foldingknife #knifemaker
Mother of pearl, gold, damascus steel, and stainless. This is a peek at the frame handle I built for a custom letter opener project. #motherofpearl #letteropener #handmadeknifes #gold
A 6” chef based on my River Gaucho model for a special client. This is a three-bar twist composite with a stabilized myrtle handle. #chef #culinaryknife #damascuskitchenknife #handmadeknife
Mini dragon’s fire. #damascussteel #damascussteelknife #patternwelding #bladesmith
‘Resolution’ is a large, single-hand sword. Its design is my own fusion of the yataghan and the khyber, and this one features a ~30” blade in complex multi-bar damascus, with fittings in damascus and gold, and a grip of exquisite curly koa. Photo by @sharpbycoop #yataghan #sword #curlykoa #damascussteelsword
‘Totem,’ an integral push dagger in high layer san mai damascus steel and 18 karat gold. 4” blade, 6.4” overall. #pushdagger #artknife #integralknife #damascussteel
“Ethos.” 18” blade in 1000-layer damascus steel, with a hilt in African blackwood and fittings in gold, jade, and steel. The bolster features extensive engraving, sculpting, inlay, and overlay by @wanderer.metalworks . Last week at @artknifeinvitational I had @sharpbycoop do his thing and capture the piece in all its glory. #mastersmith #metalwork #fineart #finecraftsmanship
Grasshopper. A puukko riff featuring A 3.5” scandi-grind blade and fittings in firestorm damascus, with stabilized Karelian birch and silver accents. A traditional(ish) scabbard with goat hid wrapped over birch, with a four-strand plait belt loop #puukko #scandinavian #mastersmith #damascussteelknife Photo by the incomparable @sharpbycoop
And finally, ‘Grasshopper,’ my last piece for @artknifeinvitational 2025. This is a fairly Zack-ish riff on a puukko, the iconic knife of Finland. This one has a scandi-ground 3.5” blade of twisted w’s damascus with fittings in the same material and a straight-cushion-fluted grip in arctic karelian birch, with spacers in sterlium silver (a sterling alloy made with germanium to improve tarnish resistance). #puukkoknife #puukko #karelianbirch #damascussteel #handmadeknife
‘Totem,’ another of my pieces for @artknifeinvitational 2025. It features a 4” blade of very fine san mai damascus steel, with 18k gold studs adorning the integral bolster. #handmade #damascussteel #bladesmith #talisman
This is ‘Resolution,’ another of my pieces for @artknifeinvitational in Las Vegas. This is a BIG piece, with a ~30” blade and ~36” overall. It is a fusion between a khyber knife and a yataghan, with plenty of my own flavor mixed in for good measure. The blade features three different damascus patterns, a twist, a feather, and a gordian twist, all corresponding to its equally complex cross section. It is a T-back blade featuring six fullers (including two on the spine), a hollow grind, and then a crisp break to the convex edge. The hilt is epic curly koa with twenty 22k gold dot inlays, an 1800 layer damascus bolster, and a gold plated bronze bolster. This piece is large and imposing but surprisingly balanced and comfortable. #damascussteel #patternwelding #mastersmith #bladesmithing
This is ‘Ethos.’ I will have it on my table @artknifeinvitational in Las Vegas on 10/25/25. It is a unique design, fusing elements of the kard, the pesh-kabz, and the rugger with my own personal style. The 18” blade features shimmering, 1000-layer ladder damascus with a groove along the spine and a reinforced point. The grip is African blackwood, with 18 karat gold and nephrite jade spacers. The bolster is blued steel with outrageously good engraving, sculpting, inlay and overlay in 18 and 22 karat gold by Tyler Sofie @wanderer.metalworks . The whole piece is 24” long. #kard #peshkabz #museumquality #mastersmith
