Neilson's Mountain Hollow - Custom Knives by J. Neilson, American Bladesmith Society Mastersmith

This full-tang scalpel is just under 1/16" thick and forged from 397 layer high carbon damascus steel. The design is from an antique scalpel a friend loaned me with a main cutting edge (1 3/4") and a small, broader half-blade (7/8" cutting edge). The contoured handle scales are premium African Blackwood and are secured with three stainless steel pins. Overall length is 6 3/8".

Price for a similar piece: $995.00

These letter openers are forged from common HC railroad spikes. The blades have roughly a 4 3/4" cutting edge and are brush satin finished. The twisted handles are acid/forged finished with the rises on the twist and the spike head itself mirror polished. The stands are acid etched metal discs with rough forged rods to hold the spikes upright and a small leather pad to protect the tips.

Price for a similar piece, with stand: $675.00 each

Here's another somewhat off the beaten path. This sickle has a double ground blade and fork of pattern welded steel about 22" from tip to tip. The 5" bottom spike is from the same billet. The shaft is 3' of Ebony with para-cord wraps/knots, stabilized Buffalo horn end caps with Red Jasper spacers and nickle "hob-nails". The shaft eye has a domed, stainless steel set pin.

Price for a similar piece: $7,950.00.00

My "Shoe" knives are actual horseshoes cut in half with acid etched, forge marked 1084 blades forge welded into the cut. The other end (tip) of the shoe is split and scrolled. These knives come in right and left handed and normally have blades between 3"-4". All come with tooled leather belt sheaths.

Price for a similar piece, with leather sheath: $550.00

This piece is definitely a bit different. It is the knife I made for Gabe Newell's "Toast-Cutter" contest...basically a more creative way to remove the crust from slices of toast. My entry knife had a blade with two 90 degree bends made from a single piece of my 500 layer high carbon damascus and file worked. The neck is peined into the blade. The neck and guard of this knife are from the same damascus billet as the blade and the neck is also file worked. The handle is a solid warthog tusk with a throat of malachite and a black spacer. Comes with a Quilted/Curly Maple cutting board. (You can e-mail me for more detailed photos.)

Price for a similar piece, $6,950.00

This knife is best known for it's use after the Civil War as an eating utensil for those soldiers who had lost a hand/arm in combat, acting as both a one-handed knife and fork. This knife was made from 52100 steel with a hand-rubbed finish. The handle is Desert Ironwood Burl with black liners, stainless steel handle bolts and lanyard liner and a matching Ironwood fob. The knife comes with a carved leather case with a "woodland squirrel" motif.

Price for a similar piece, with leather case: $1,375.00

This spike knife is a little different. It is an old spike that was stamped HC on the head and has a fine grain of it's own in addition to the added L-6 steel in the blade's twist. The blade (sharpened area) is 4", 9" total length. The rises on the twisted handle and the spike head are polished then etched.

Price for a similar piece, with tooled leather sheath: $695.00

I always loved sharks as a kid along with knives so.. why not combine the two. This knife is fashioned with a fossilized Megalodon shark tooth. The blade side of the knife is done in "Frontier" damascus with a nickle- silver guard dividing the two parts. The blade is convex ground and contoured to match the lines of the tooth. The sheath is stingray skin with a magnetic (rare earth) inlay to assure a secure, solid hold on the blade.

Price for a similar piece, with sheath: $3,500.00