Polishing, Kasumi Finish & Etching

[pd7077]

Lucas Gumbiner (@gumbinercustomknives on IG) is a young blacksmith that I met last year. The kid is pretty adventurous, and he took on a challenge made by someone online to make a wrought iron clad yanagiba even though he has ever tried making one before. He told me that he would accept the challenge as long as I agreed to do a bit of sharpening and polishing work on it. I’m a bit of a sucker for wrought iron so I couldn’t really turn it down. In keeping with his personality, he decided to go big. The core is W2 tool steel, and the heel to tip edge length measures out at 312mm. Mirroring out the ura side took a lot of effort, but polishing the bevel side after sharpening was extremely rewarding and it reaffirmed my love for wrought iron.







I made a quick video of the knife. Here’s the IG link:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B--qGxtDX2E ... x2rgn9ggh1

[salemj]

Deez boyz got game.

[Jeff B]

Always impressed Steve, truly impressed...

[pd7077]

Been a while since I last polished a knife, but I had to spa my Hiromoto AS 270 after getting it back. I sent it out to Lucas for a custom handle, and he was able to really bring my idea to life. The handle is spalted curly maple with black pins and a super comfy coke bottle shape. He was able to do an impeccable 3 layer liner/spacer, and he made a leather saya to complete the project. With all the black going on, I decided to do a polished hairline finish with an etched core.

[michael1778]

Been a while since I last polished a knife, but I had to spa my Hiromoto AS 270 after getting it back. I sent it out to Lucas for a custom handle, and he was able to really bring my idea to life. The handle is spalted curly maple with black pins and a super comfy coke bottle shape. He was able to do an impeccable 3 later liner/spacer, and he made a leather saya to complete the project. With all the black going on, I decided to do a polished hairline finish with an etched core.

Truly amazing. Also, inspiring. I need to do something with my same Hiromoto AS 270mm. Make it special or sell it, I suppose.

[Altadan]

Fantastic!

[nakiriknaifuwaifu]

The handle on that looks so clean

[pd7077]

The handle on that looks so clean

Thanks. Lucas really does great work. He has done a lot of handles for my friends, but this is my first one from him. It was only the third or fourth western he has done, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at how clean his work is. He’s a true young up and comer, and his work is damn near flawless. Dare I say...he’s like a young Delosso!

[arthurfowler]

Awesome as always Steve!!

[pd7077]

Has it really been almost 2 years since I last posted on here?!? Hope everyone has been doing well. Life has been busy since CoVid hit so my knife life dropped off during the ride. Got my first new kitchen knife since all this drama started. It’s a wrought iron clad 26c3 (aka spicy white) integral petty by Lucas Gumbiner. I needed a small knife to match my wrought iron 52100 integral that Jeff (Black Lotus) made for me, and Lucas was able to match it by doing a ringed gidgee handle with a nickel and black G10 spacer.





Here she is alongside the BL 270 gyuto



The BL gyuto was my primary knife for the past few years, and I didn’t really have much time to polish her up until now. I used the same fingerstone progression on both knives, and I can’t wait to get some patina on them!!! Hopefully I can get back into the knife game soon, but for now this combo of integrals should do the trick.

[mauichef]

Amazing!!!!!!

[Altadan]

Amazing!!!!!!

+1

Also, on those 2 years of dropping off. Sheesh!

[Jeff B]

We've missed seeing your awesome work Steve!

[LaVieestBelle]

So happy to see both you and nakneker back this week. Christmas and my birthday rolled into one...

Thanks for letting us see some of Lucas's fresh work.

[pd7077]

We've missed seeing your awesome work Steve!

Thanks Jeff! Hoping to get back to doing more polishing this year. I was just happy to see that I didn’t completely lose my skills

So happy to see both you and nakneker back this week. Christmas and my birthday rolled into one...

Thanks for letting us see some of Lucas's fresh work.

Hey C!!! How’s that Kipp fishhook treat in’ ya?

[LaVieestBelle]

We've missed seeing your awesome work Steve!

Thanks Jeff! Hoping to get back to doing more polishing this year. I was just happy to see that I didn’t completely lose my skills

So happy to see both you and nakneker back this week. Christmas and my birthday rolled into one...

Thanks for letting us see some of Lucas's fresh work.

Hey C!!! How’s that Kipp fishhook treat in’ ya?

The amazing and incomparable Kipp? It is beloved.