5 Elements Forge

08/11/2026

I'm calling this a yoroi-doshi tanto, and armor piercing knife. This is a rare form, and this one is just my take on the style, so all errors in the build are mine alone.



Length in scabbard is 14.5"

OL 13"

BL 6.5"

Stacked cable damascus with a reenforced tip

Textured copper collar

Black Locust burl and Bloodwood

Scabbard is Fir with red and black faux lacquer finish



The red and black finish is my first attempt at this sort of thing, I like it and I will try to more of this sort of thing in the future.

$550 USD shipped CONUS

08/11/2026

For the next 30 days, until September 16th, I will donate 100% of my sales to the Red Cross for wild fire relief. Anything currently posted and any custom orders. If you have thought about a hand crafted blade, this is the time.

08/07/2026

08/07/2026

I have not talked about this build at all, it's pretty far off the beaten track for me. There is a story (isn't there always) about this build. First, the blade was a demo piece from one of Dave Lisch's open house events many years ago. I don't remember what the point was, something to do with twisting the billet. Then it sat in a corner because I didn't have a clue where to go with it. This year it made it's way to the surface and I started playing with a sort of left hand dagger idea that never really went anywhere. The handle is part of a buy of carved pieces from a maker in Bali. I bought them because I thought they were cool, but they don't really match my normal work, so they sat. The two sort of banged together on the bench and there you are.



Part two of the story. In the '70's I was introduced to a writer named M. John Harrison. If you don't know his work, I highly recommend it. Part of it is a short series of stories about a place called Virconium. Virconium is a place at the end of time, there is magic, there is tech, there are strange things in far off places. The stories are in four volumes: Virconium Nights (short stories), The Pastel City, The Floating Gods, and A Storm of Wings. The stories do not sit in nice, clean order, just so you know, but they are related. In a couple of the short stories there is a character named Rotgob. He is described as a "hideous dwarf with an unlovely profession". He carries a sword that is described as the broken end of a rapier. There is no other description, which lets me call this Rotgob's sword. He appears in the story “The Lamia and Lord Cromis” as a companion to the "hero", Cromis.



Without too many more words, here it Rotgob's sword.



24" long in the scabbard

20.5" OL

16" BL

15n20 and 1084

Blade is triangular in cross section

Carved antler handle

Carved Monel bolster

Handle set with a mix of rough gems, sapphire, garnet, amethyst



Scabbard is turned figured maple and bloodwood

Mammoth throat and antler toe mounted with an amethyst

$2500 shipped CONUS

07/05/2026

A new piece that has been eating up my time. The blade is in the style of a Qing dynasty Goose Quill Saber. I made this one to look like a provincial manufacture, not made in the Imperial armories. The blade is 26'5" to the guard, 33" overall. Just under 2lbs. Reverse edge is just sharp, the main edge is not sharp yet. Copper spacers and butt cap with a bone crown and copper tassel ring. The handle is mineralized whale bone wrapped in twisted copper wire. Copper blade collar. The blade is welded and stacked cable in a Tibetan hairpin style. There will be a scabbard in the next few weeks (I hope). It will also be in a "rustic" style

04/24/2026

Things that make you go "Yarrrrr!"

Just off the bench a knuckle bow fighter. 12" blade of 1080, sharp clip, vine worked spine, Forged steel knuckle bow, bronze spacer, butt cap and nut. Copper collars and a ray skin handle. 18" overall length. This is not a take down, the pictures were taken before final assembly.

At this time there is no sheath, $1500 delivered CONUS

04/10/2026

Here we are at the Oregon Knife Collectors Association show. Come see us at table M09

03/31/2026

New one for the table at OKCA in a couple of weeks

8" blade, 13" overall, bone, bloodwood and walnut, forged mild steel guard. $700, no sheath