Knife Maker

Tom has been making knives for 25 years. Knife making is an art that involves many skills: shaping high grade stainless steel, tempering steel for flex and extreme hardness, crafting brass bolsters, choosing and applying natural or exotic handle materials, and polishing to bring out luster and shine. Most knives come with a protective sheath of heavy, durable, and decorative leather which is commonly supported on a belt.

His knives fall into the basic categories of hunting, filleting, skinning, kitchen chef, and whittling. The purpose of the knife directs its shape, thickness, and blade length. Handle materials vary from natural and exotic wood to horn, synthetic material, and even mammoth tusk. The handle material, while decorative, also needs to be stabilized to prevent moisture absorption (which causes expansion and shifting).

When visiting Tom's workshop, you will be taken on the journey of a knife. His demonstration is captivating.

 

 

2

Tom's Shop

1

Hardening a knife

 

Viking

Viking Axe, © Tom Laxdal

 

huntskin

Hunting and skinning knives, ©Tom Laxdal

mapleburl

Maple burl handle fish filetting knife, © Tom Laxdal

ten_knives

Ten Filleting Knives, © Tom Laxdal

 

Click for Video link for ten knives

Meat cleaver- 440 c stainless steel, 61 Rockwell hardness,

maple burl handle ©Tom Laxdal

Meat deboning knife- 440 c stainless steel,

caribou horn handle. ©Tom Laxdal

Blade 440 C stainless steel,

handle - white tail deer antler
Tom Laxdal

440 C stainless steel blade,

white tail deer antler handle
©Tom Laxdal

neck2

Neck Knives_2_2020 ©Tom Laxdal

neck3

5” neck knife- 440C blade steel, Black African

handle wood ©Tom Laxdal

Neck_Knife

Neck Knife_2020

neck1

Top 6”, bottom 5”neck knives_2020 ©Tom Laxdal

2019-5

Hunting knife- 440 C blade, maple burl handle, inlayed with a service pin

©Tom Laxdal

Lax1

Elk horn handle knives, hunting & skinning blades- 440 c stainless steel © Tom Laxdal

Lax2

Elk horn handle knives, hunting & skinning blades- 440 c stainless steel © Tom Laxdal

Big Game Skinner 1 ©Tom Laxdal

Big Game Skinner / Kitchen Chopping knife 1© Tom Laxdal

Black Ash Burl handle; moose skinner 1 © Tom Laxdal

Chef Carving knife 3 © Tom Laxdal

kit_chef_2020

Deer horn handle chef knife_1, 2020 ©Tom Laxdal

 

Chef Carving knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Chef carvinbg knife 2 © Tom Laxdal

Chef Chopping knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Chef Chopping knife 2 © Tom Laxdal

Chef Chopping knife 3 © Tom Laxdal

Deer Skinner 1 © Tom Laxdal

Deer Skinner 2 © Tom Laxdal

Deer Skinner 3 © Tom Laxdal

fillet1_2020

Spalted maple handle filleting knife_1_2020

©Tom Laxdal

 

Filleting knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Filleting knife 2 © Tom Laxdal

Filleting knife 3 © Tom Laxdal

Fish de-boning knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Hunting and skinning knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Hunting and Skinning knife 2 © Tom Laxdal

Hunting knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Hunting Knife 2 © Tom Laxdal

Hunting knife 3 © Tom Laxdal

Hunting Knife 4 © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef; web wood handle 1 © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef; web wood handle 2 © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef Knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Laxdal Knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Maple Burl handle, Moose Skinner 1 © Tom Laxdal

Moose Skinner 1 © Tom Laxdal

Moose Skinner 2 © Tom Laxdal

Paring knife 1 © Tom Laxdal

Paring knife 2 © Tom Laxdal

Small game and fur skinner 1 © Tom Laxdal

Small Game Skinner 2 © Tom Laxdal

Small Game Skinner 3 © Tom Laxdal

Spalted Pecan Handle, Moose Skinner 1 © Tom Laxdal

 

Chef chopping knife- 440c stainless, 1/16 th,

Dymondwood handle © Tom Laxdal

Small & Lg chef knife

© Tom Laxdal

 

Lg chef - 440C 1/16 stainless steel, 61 Rockwell hardness,

maple burl handle

©Tom Laxdal

 

Small chef knife, 1/16 440C stainless steel blade,

maple burl handle © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen chef- 440 C 1/16 stainless blade , 61 Rockwell hardness, Dymondwood handle

©Tom Laxdal

Lg chef - 440C 1/16 stainless steel, 61 Rockwell hardness,

maple burl handle © Tom Laxdal

Hunting knife- blade 440 stainless steel, 61 Rockwell hardness, handle - Dymondwood © Tomk Laxdal

Kitchen chef - 440C, Dymondwood handle,

1/16 thick place, 61 Rockwell hardness © Tom Laxdal

 

Hunting knife with spalting pecan handle

©Tom Laxdal

Hunting Knife

© Tom Laxdal

Kitchen deboning knife

© Tom Laxdal

Assortment of Hunting Knives

© Tom Laxdal

Filleting knives: Blades 7”,

handles Dymondwood,

440C stainless steel, 61 Rockwell hardness

Hunting and Small Game Skinning Knives

 

Hunting Knife - Dymondwood handle 6

Hunting Knife - Dymondwood handle -3

Hunting Knife- Dymondwood handle -4

Hunting Knife - Dymondwood handle -5

Hunting Knife - Dymondwood handle -2

Hunting Knife

Hunting Knife - Dymondwood handle -7

Hunting Knife - Red Ash burl handle

Hunting Knife - Dymondwood handle 1

Hunting Knife - Curly Birch handle

Hunting Knife - Black Ash Burl handle - The Boss

small game skinning knife -1

Tom at Evergreen 2017

Small game skinning knife -2

Small game skinning knife -4

Small game skinner

Small game skinning knife-3

 

Deer Skinner

Chef knife - 440C stainless steel
- diamond wood handle © Tom Laxdal

Copping and carving chef knife © Tom Laxdal

Large hunting and skinning knife
Specs: - ATS 34 stainless steel
- buckeye burl handle © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knife © Tom Laxdal

 

Filleting Knifes. © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

Filleting Knifes. © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef © Tom Laxdal

Filleting Knife. © Tom Laxdal

Filleting Knife. © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef © Tom Laxdal

Filleting Knife. © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef © Tom Laxdal

Cheese Knife. © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

 

Filleting Knife. © Tom Laxdal

Filleting Knife. © Tom Laxdal

Filleting Knife. © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef © Tom Laxdal

Kitchen Chef Knife © Tom Laxdal

Small Game Skinning Knives. © Tom Laxdal

Hunting Knife © Tom Laxdal

Hunting Knife © Tom Laxdal

Hunting Knife © Tom Laxdal

Hunting Knife © Tom Laxdal

Filleting Knife. © Tom Laxdal

 

Skinning Knife © Tom Laxdal

Assorted Knives © Tom Laxdal

 

Assorted Knives in Leather Sheathes © Tom Laxdal

 

Four Medium Hunting Knives © Tom Laxdal

Large Chef's Knife © Tom Laxdal

 

Hunting/Skinning Knives © Tom Laxdal

 

 

In my workshop you will find an assortment of specialized grinding tools, a plasma cutter, a mig welder, chop saws, a metal band saw, felt polishing wheels, a tempering oven reaching of 2000F, leather tooling equipment, a drill press, and a metal lathe. It has been my dream to retire by a lake surrounded with nature’s beauty and having a workshop equipped with plenty of picture windows and good craftsman tools to allow hand and mind to be creative.

Email: tom.laxdal@gmail.com

Tom Laxdal
(306-940-6645. ) Cell
Post - Box 387, Christopher Lake, S0J0N0
Home - 104 Alleyne Ave, McPhail Cove, Emma Lake

Find me at Site 3

Tom welcomes by-appointment visits to his studio outside of 263 Art Studio Tour dates.

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