Sharing the Art of Knife Making

Scott shared the art of knife making with his cousin Peyton this weekend. Peyton is 10 years old, is absolutely fearless at the grinder, and showed a true aptitude for making blades. There wasn't enough time to forge a knife, but together Scott and Peyton knocked out two really nice stock removal Runts.

Grinding, heat treating, knife handling, and sheath work were all on the syllabus. 

The only casualty was a t-shirt! Yes, Peyton, the knife is sharp!

 The hands of a true bladesmith.

Guinea Hog Forge

guineahogforge@gmail.com

Mamba with a Twist

Scott finished his first big Damascus knife today - a Mamba with a twist pattern. 

Twist Damascus Mamba

Steel: 1080/15n20

Overall Length: 14 inches

Blade Length: 8 1/8 inches

Handle: Curly Koa (from Burl Source)

Guard: 416 Stainless

Above - finished blade waiting to be handled. Below - the finished product. 

As a bonus, Scott added some texture to the front of the guard.

Thanks for looking.

Guinea Hog Forge

guineahogforge@gmail.com

Cottonmouths from Shiny to Black

 Scott's been playing with vipers in the shop again.

Two fine finish Cottonmouths above - one dressed in curly walnut and the other in African blackwood. One Cottonmouth Blackout in African blackwood below.

All three bite.

Thanks for looking!

Guinea Hog Forge

guineahogforge@gmail.com

Zebra-Pattern Damascus Zulu

Scott recently forged this Zebra-Pattern Damascus Zulu. Check it out!

This Zulu was a 3-part experiment. Scott had the pattern in his head and just had to try it. He's also been itching to dry dry welds (no flux in this pattern), and the finish is unique as well. The 1080/15n20 pattern welded steel has a matte finish we're calling Tac-mascus. While the pattern is crystal clear, the brighter lines are not shiny so the steel has dark tactical essence that's quite nice.

Zebra Pattern Damascus Zulu

Pattern Welded Steel: 1080/15n20

Finish: "Tac-mascus" (Matte finish Damascus)

Overall Length: 9 5/8 inches

Blade Length: 4 5/8 inches

Guard: Bead blasted 416 Stainless

Handle: African Blackwood

Thanks for looking.

Guinea Hog Forge

guineahogforge@gmail.com

Month of the Black Knife

January was the month of the black knife at Guinea Hog Forge. A run of black fighters for Wilson Combat, a Bushman Elite for a giveaway at the San Antonio show, and a brand new design - the Merlin - that was snatched up by our favorite dealer. 

The Merlin

Steel: 1084

Finish: Bead-blasted, Parkerized, & hand-rubbed

Overall Length: 11 5/8 inches

Blade Length: 6 1/2 inches

Guard: 416 stainless

Handle: African Blackwood

The Merlin is a small fighter with Scott's signature clip. The blade and guard were bead-blasted, Parkerized, and hand-rubbed to give them a matte finish, and the African Blackwood handle was bead-blasted on the underbelly to give it a unique look and nice texture.

Bushman Elite

Steel: 1084

Finish: Bead-blasted & Parkerized

Overall Length: 10 inches

Blade Length: 5 1/4 inches

Guard: 416 stainless

Handle: Bead-blasted black Micarta

The Bushman Elite was made for the Elite Knifemakers for Elite Warriors giveaway organized for the All Forged Blade Expo in San Antonio. We weren't able to make the show but heard it went well, and the knife will eventually go to a US Marine from an elite special forces group. 

Most of the month, however, was taken up by a run of black fighters commissioned by Wilson Combat. If you're not on their mailing list, it might be a good time to join!

 

A Damascus Mamba and a run of custom Cottonmouths are next on the list.

Thanks for looking. 

Guinea Hog Forge

guineahogforge@gmail.com

Pork Crown Roast - Guinea Hog Forge Style

We celebrated Christmas in high fashion this year with a Pork Crown Roast made from fresh American Guinea Hog grown on our farm. Scott's not just a fine knifemaker, he's also one heck of cook, especially when mama McGhee is the sous-chef and the McGhee clan has his back.

Prep Time: 9 months if you grow the Guinea Hog; 2 hours if you start with a butchered rib cage

Cook Time: 2 hours

Crown Roast Ingredients

Full rib cage and loin of an American Guinea Hog

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Chipotle Pepper

Scott broke the hog into pieces with his daily carry knife, then trimmed the ribs to equal length with a reciprocating saw. The saw was fitted with a 10-inch Milwaukee Torch blade that cut through the bones in a smooth manner much like a meat saw . . . even through the spine.

Then he separated the joints of the vertebra so the ribs could be displayed in a crown. 

To further define the crown, Scott trimmed the rib tips with his daily carry.

Next, Scott and Peggy seasoned the meat to taste with 

Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and Chipotle Pepper . . .  

 . . . tied the two pork rib roasts together . . .

. . . and made a beautiful presentation.

The crown was baked in the oven for 1 hour at 275 degrees . . .

. . . then tented in foil and returned to the oven until the internal temperature was 180 degrees.

While the pork was finishing up, Papa McGhee and the girls made paper hats for the crowns.

And Scott made the stuffing and glaze.

Stuffing

1 lb Guinea Hog sausage

1 diced apple

1 large can of mushrooms

1-2 cups apple cider

2-3 pieces of dried toast

2-3 pieces of leftover biscuits

Cooked to perfection, the crown rib roast was garnished with sage and brandied peaches . . . 

 . . . glazed with apple cider and juice from the pork . . .

. . . browned with a torch for presentation . . . 

 

. . . and filled with a sweet pork stuffing for maximum flavor.

The roast was spectacular all by itself but the homemade paper hats were the crowning touch.

 

Absolutely fabulous!

Merry Christmas from Scott, Lydia, and the entire McGhee clan.

Hope your holidays are grand!

Guinea Hog Forge

guineahogforge@gmail.com