•  
  Forging is a test all by it's self, the bible talks about being tried by fire. We take that to an extreme. Forging starts refining the grain structure in the steel, the harder and colder you work it, the finer it refines the grain. If there is a flaw in a blade, each hammer strike and thermal cycle tries to to brake it wide open, not all blades make it past the forging process. Those that do only passed the first 1/3 of all the test. (Click the picture below, as it shows blade blanks in various stages of the forging/shaping process. )

  .

• Each time the blade passes another stage in it's heat treat process, it is given another test. Annealing 3 times, numerous normalizations and manipulations each refining the grain structure. Triple Quenched , Triple Tempered, and only then given the final couture and profile. When this is complete  comes the  final, it is etched for the pattern, every detail of the blades molecular structure is exposed, . An honest and true blade has nothing to hide. We can give you a digital 'finger-print' of your Crow Valley Forge blade, as it is preserved in the way your blade takes an etch. We can ship your knife in it's full etched state, highly polished or in any shade in-between. (Click the picture below, as it shows various blade-etch finger-prints)

• .Nothing different then when we were in school, it all boils down to the 'Final' And we go all out. First the blade gets sharpened just like it's going hunting, but subjected to a lot more then you would ever ask it in the field. Edge-flexing, Tip-point test. Stump-sticking.  Hacking knots out of a 2X4  (one of my favorites). Cutting rope, we start getting excited if we pass 100 cuts in 3/4" manila (sisal rope, we get ours from Home Depot so you can duplicate the same test) ,  Then we cut cardboard, lots of cardboard, then it still has to shave arm hair. Whittling, for a test, we don't recommend it, but we whittle on some aluminum, bronze, brass and copper. When it passes all that, we shave the print off of news paper! Sound like a lot of test? This is all before we put on handle and finish the blade. It's tough to be sold as a Crow Valley Forge knife. Hope you understand that we need to be tough, see our warrantee! (Click the picture below, as it shows a tip-test, perching a forged flat 52100 - ball-bearing, not recommended, but we need to, if we're offering you a lifetime of service from your CVF knife!)

The bottom line, it has to cut, a lot and last you a Lifetime!

Crow Valley Forge Knives tested against other well known makers.

Given the chance to meet proud owners of custom and factory knives, we will not miss the chance to 'do a little cutting!

Keeping score on how many slices we can cut through a length of manila (sisal) rope, we have not meet our match yet!

Here is a very well known German Maker, PUMA Knives, and there famous 'Puma-Steel' . To make a long story short, Germany still makes good chainsaw's and beer!