Raker Knives and Steel

I started forging knives in 1989 from springs and in 1993 I found out that they made high carbon flat bar. I did stock removal for a while and now do mostly forging. I forge my knives from a round bar of 52100 that is from 3/8″ up to 1 3/4″ diameter. In the last few years, I have been making a style of knives that I consider both useful and simple in design. It is also a very beautiful knife style and has recently seen a surge in its popularity. This knife is the integral style knife. Most are of hidden tang construction as that seems to be the simplest design for a using knife. Small handle to metal contact area and less weight when used for long periods of time. I am a member of the American Bladesmith Society, the Alabama Forge Council, A.F.&A.M., the Knife Group Association, the Kansas Custom Knifemakers Association, the Arizona Knife Collectors Association, and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.