How to/DIY

There are more than 150 videos on Jake Hoback's YouTube channel, spanning a period of many years.  Here's some of our favorites, organized by topic so you can get right to the content you want or need!


MEET JAKE HOBACK

Jake describes his start in knife making this way:  "I'm an 80's kid, and always searching for information.  I started making knives back in 1990 in my back yard, pounding out knives on a huge chunk of steel with a framing hammer and fence post nails.  Went from there to working in the summertime with my best bud at his dad's blacksmith shop in Virginia City, NV.  From there on out I was hooked.  I started professionally making and selling knives in 2003 and have been on a roll ever since.  If you want to know my background, you'll have to get to know me. All you have to know is this:  "I can break a steel ball in a rubber room. I make my knives according to that."



KNIVES & ACCESSORIES

Thousands of Jake's knives have already come off the machines and into the hands of users and collectors -- from a variety of fixed blades, to the popular "A" series folders (A8, A10, A15), to the gold standard in knife making, the Kwaiback, with all its variations in size (MK Ultra), handle materials and finishes. Jake is always coming up with something new, but one thing always remains the same -- he is relentless about giving customers Rugged, Reliable, and Precision-Engineered knives. As he like to say, "Made for hard work, my knives are built to be tools, not just trophies."



COLLABORATIONS

Jake Hoback loves collaborations. He readily shares his design ideas with others, and has mentored and lent a helping hand to a bunch of knife makers -- some of whom are just getting started in the industry. He is one of the few makers who openly shared all of his design and machining details online and available to anyone who asked (for the OSF, or Open Source Folder). In the years to come, you can look forward to dozens of collaborations between Jake Hoback and many of the finest companies and knife makers in the world -- including those whose designs are just waiting to be "discovered" by a guy with Jake's talent and vision.



KNIFE ADJUSTMENT, MAINTENANCE & REPAIR

These videos will show you everything you need to know about adjusting, maintaining and repairing your knife. They also show you how to install or change out hardware and other components, like backspacers, standoffs, pivots, inlays, and HRDs. If you watch all the videos and you're still worried about doing it yourself, you can purchase a Knife Service Package and we'll do it for you! 

SHARPENING OUR KNIVES

In this video, I’ll show you how we sharpen our knives,
and how you can tell whether your knife is sharp (besides cutting yourself)!

You can sharpen your own knife (there’s a lot of great options out there),
or try our Knife Sharpening Package and I’ll do it for you!



THE SHOP OF YESTER-YEAR!

Everybody who loves knives seems to be fascinated with the details of how they're made. Jake spends a lot of his waking hours in the shop, so he shot a bunch of videos to show you everything from machinery to fixtures to the way he designs and manufactures knives. Hope you enjoy these looks around Jake's "old" shop!  New shop videos coming soon!

 

ASININE TESTING TUESDAYS