STEK Knives  White Hunter

A beautiful one of a kind knife from Craig Steketee

Blade : Damascus

Handle : Whitetail Stag

Brass Guard and Pommel

Overall Length : 11 3/4"

Blade Length : 5"

Leather Sheath

I began designing and crafting custom knives full-time as Stek Knives in 1991. I am a member of "Professional Knifemakers Association" (PKA) and "The American Bladesmith Society" (ABS). I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ft. Wayne Art Institute in 1974 and a Master of Fine Arts from Western Michigan University in 1976 majoring in sculpture and printmaking. I taught art at the university level from 1977 through 1991. My sculptures, paintings, and prints have been exhibited at numerous art galleries and museums throughout the country. I first began forging and casting steel while in graduate school. My knives have been illustrated in the Knives Publication (by Ken Warner), the Knife Magazine, Blade Magazine, Fighting and Tactical Knives.

Stek Knives are produced almost exclusively from Damascus steel which is hand forged in my shop. Damascus steel is the result of multi layers of steel forge welded together to create a variety of patterns. The two main types of steel I use for my blades are 1080 and 15N20. A mixture that is alternately stacked, forged and hand welded together to make a billet. Four to eight billets are then stacked together to make a completed billet of 240, 360, or 480 layers. Because of the different layers of steel, a Damascus blade has an excellent cutting edge similar to a serrated knife.

 The majority of my knife styles are Bowies, fighters, daggers and hunters.  I like using natural materials for handles, such as Sambar Stag from India, Ivory and Oosik from Alaska and exotic woods. The buffalo horn and nickel silver spacers which accent many of my knife handles along with the “Stek designed” Damascus guards and pommels are all distinctive trademarks of my knives.  Brass is also a favorite material for guards and pommels especially on hunting knives.