Historical Techniques
Hand forged with the heat of a charcoal fire, constructed and finished with historical methods and natural materials.
see the process
Traditional Tools
Human powered hand tools from the time steel is first put in the fire through to the sharpening and final assembly.
tour the forge
Reclaimed Materials
Steel, iron, copper, and brass are sourced from salvage. wood and mounting materials come from found sources.
watch a tanto being made
Truth and elegance in form
“Dave’s work is something I have both followed and collected since I first discovered him. They are works of deep meaning, exhibiting elegant functionality with all of the core classical elements of feudal Japan.
As a collector of high-value antique arms & armour, and also as a three-decade student of Japanese martial arts including the katana and tanto, I first encountered Dave’s work while pursuing non…”
Hand forged tools for adventure
crafted from natural materials
Tools for Satoyama
A charcoal forged blade, water quenched with clay, sharpened with waterstones, and finished simply and humbly in the age-old style of farm and foresting tools used in managing satoyama, the borderlands between village and wilds.
The subtle and rustic appearance of hammer marks on the blade and carved wooden handles finished with natural urushi lacquer–like hand-hewn beams in a kominka farmhouse darkened by smoke drifting up from the irori hearth.
Heirloom tanto, traditionally
crafted in the classical style
Classical Tanto
Traditionally crafted charcoal forged classical style heirloom tanto, made by hand from reclaimed and natural materials using 13th century techniques and the aesthetic of beautifully simple design, based on the Japanese sword.
Highlighting the potential for creative transformation in discarded objects and working within the constraints of the classical tanto form and nihonto handle mounting technology, crafting on a foundation of 13th century aesthetic and technique.
2011-2020: A Decade in Review
Portfolio Book
This documentary book project is the result of many weeks of editing and design work and can be enjoyed by the collector, enthusiast, and craftsman alike.
It contains over 200 photos and highlights more than 30 knives spanning the past decade of work at Crossed Heart Forge since relocating from Japan in 2011. Hardcover, A4 landscape coffee table size, full colour, 92 pages, inspiring quotes.
“It arrived today—absolutely gorgeous book filled with beautiful photos and very inspiring work!”
Netherlands
“Thank you for the beautiful book! I love your work, and this book gives me a little peek behind the scenes and a lot of inspiration. Glad to have this one on my bookshelf.”
Canada
“Thank you for your beautiful works. I’ve just ordered the book. I’m really looking forward to seeing it.”
Japan
“Just got my copy. Absolutely stunning book. Now all I need is to accompany it with one of your blades!”
USA
「カナダから届いた美しい本、見事な仕事。」
Japan
“I love the book so much I purchased an additional copy for my sensei.”
USA
Includes photos of forges and workspaces since moving from Japan in 2011, a tanto section with full spreads and specifications for ten featured works along with photos of several others, a section on outdoor knives and the Tools for Satoyama project, an almost 60-photo visual process overview, a selection of forging photos taken by photographer Jordan Wende, overview articles on charcoal making and yaki-ire, and a basic tanto glossary and list of sword terminology.
“Materials are the most perfect medium for the experience which shall illuminate the soul and ripen the mind: for they oppose your effort, and against that
beneficent and lovely resistance
you work out your ideas, with patience, with forethought, with skill, with pride, with self-revelation.”
– Edward Yeomans, Shackled Youth, 1921
Forging Adventure
One of the current projects at the Parksville Museum forge involves hand crafting knives from series Land Rover leaf springs. Series spring steel has not changed spec since the first run in 1948 and replacements today are even made with the same composition. The projects shown below are made from original 1965 Series 2a Land…
Japan Countryside
A curated collection of views from the countryside of Japan in early spring. The mist can be heavy in the mornings and the days are still cool but the sun is beginning to warm the earth. There are a few spring greens but most of the winter colours remain. Plum blossoms are out, sakura have…
Tsukimizu Tanto
Tsukimizu (月水, “tsu-key-me-zoo”) literally translates “moon-water” and carries the idea of the reflection of the moonlight in the ripples of a pond or stream. The name is drawn from the layered steel ripples along the edge of the hamon and also ties into the motifs of the fittings. This is a unique combination of a…