Custom knives seem to be very popular these
days. At many large gun shows, it appears that there are as many
knives as guns; maybe more. However, many custom knife makers
are better described as custom knife assemblers. They buy knife
blanks and handle blanks, assemble the two with a bit of
polishing and sharpening, and call the product a custom knife.
Then there are knife craftsmen like Scott Black of
Picayune, Mississippi. Scott runs a one-man knife shop
called Copperhead Forge. I met Scott’s knives before
meeting Scott. My cousin Melvin showed up with one
of Scott’s drop-dead gorgeous hand forged knives a couple of
years ago. Since that time I have seen a few others, and all
have been as impressive as the first.
Scott makes both folding and fixed blade knives,
along with hatchets and such if the customer desires. Each blade
is hand-forged, one at a time, and Scott also makes his own
leather scabbards, custom fitted to each knife. His blades are
made from either 5160 or 52100 carbon steel alloys. In addition
to these steels, Scott also forges his own Damascus blades from
multiple layers of steel, along with blades made from steel wire
cable, heated in his forge and pounded into shape.
Everything that he makes is high-quality blade-grade stuff, and
his handles are made from natural materials such as buffalo
horn, whitetail antler, and natural woods.
I recently got to meet Scott Black in person for
the first time, but both his work and his reputation as a
craftsman and all-around good guy had preceded him. At the time
I was introduced to Scott, cousin Melvin presented me with my
own Copperhead Forge knife. He wanted to buy one for me, and
being a good younger cousin, I put up no argument. It is shown
here in the photographs along with my air
weight Smith & Wesson thirty-eight for size
comparison. I have been looking for a similar knife for a
long time. I like about a three-inch edge, but a full-sized
handle. With most makers, a small blade gets you a small handle.
To get a large handle, you get a longer blade. This knife is
just right. It has a hand-filling handle made of buffalo horn,
and a sturdy carbon steel blade that is tapered in thickness. I
like a knife to use for cutting, not as a pry bar or hammer.
This knife has a blade made for cutting; not too thick, but with
enough thickness in the spine for rigidity, flat ground to a
razor edge, beautifully finished, with Scott’s trademark
copperhead cut into the left side. The blade has a slight
drop point of three inches, with a three-quarter inch choil
section, and a hand-poured (by Scott Black) pewter spacer. The
edge has just enough belly to make it a very good all-purpose
blade, and it will ride on my belt everyday. Scott does
not merely assemble these knives, he creates them, and the
quality of his craftsmanship is evident in every knife that
bears the Copperhead Forge trademark.
Unlike many knife makers, Scott doesn’t have a
few select styles from which to choose. He will make what the
customer wants. This is the difference between a
semi-custom knife and a true custom work of art. I’ve owned a
lot of knives, and still have several. Most are good production
knives such as a few by Cold Steel and Kershaw. I
also have a decent semi-custom knife that I bought in Tulsa last
year. However, this Copperhead Forge blade is the finest that I
have ever owned, and I highly recommend the work of Scott Black.
If you have an idea for that blade that you have always wanted,
give Scott a call. His work is first-rate, and his prices are
very reasonable.
Contact Scott by email at: copperheadforge@bellsouth.net
or by telephone at: 601-799-5939.
You won’t be disappointed.
Jeff Quinn
UPDATE!
Recently, Cousin Melvin went to Picayune,
MS and had Scott Black make another custom knife for him. Cousin
Melvin was the first to turn us on to Scott's work, and already
owns several of Scott's fine knives. Melvin took his digital
camera along, and captured Scott's progress in hand-forging his
new knife.
Scott begins with bar stock, and uses a forge of
his own design & fabrication.
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All blades are hand-forged by Scott Black.
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Blades are hammered to rough thickness on a power
hammer.
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The blade begins to take shape on the anvil.
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Scott hammer-forges all blades by hand.
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There is no substitute for the hand of a Master
Craftsman.
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Each blade is a unique, one-of-a-kind creation.
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After the blade is roughed to shape, Scott cuts
the tang to length.
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Scott hammer-forges the tang to shape by hand.
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Scott punches his Copperhead Forge trademark into the
blade.
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The steel has been roughed into shape.
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The finishing process begins by hand-scaling the steel.
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Finish shaping, like all other aspects of Scott's
operation, is done by hand in the traditional manner.
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Hand-forging and hand-finishing is largely out of
fashion in today's world, but the final product is worth
the extra effort.
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Scott hand-files the scallops in the blade spine.
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Scott puts the final edge on the blade.
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The finished product. All components, including
the sheath, are hand-made by Scott Black.
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A selection of Copperhead Forge blades. All of Scott's
knives are useful works of art...
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...including Scott's version of a "Railroad
Spike" knife (bottom).
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