I've been hitting the sketchbooks hard the last few weeks. My heart is ready for a new creative leap forward. Never thought I'd be considering apprenticing with a master blacksmith – but in order to make the pocket tools and knives I've started imagining, I want to understand the metal in a way that will only come from many hours of forging, heat and patience.

Here's to admitting I don't know a whole lot about knife-making or blacksmithing yet, but the passion to create is undeniable. Here's to casting fears aside. Here's to showing up to learn something new and putting your whole heart into it.

Here's to making my first knife.

It all begins with a steel blank.

Shaping the knife profile.

Finished profile, ready for heat treat.

Prepping the metal for a molten salt bath before going into the heat treat oven.

My knife took a nap while it bathed in the molten spa for a few minutes.

Heat treated and ready to begin grinding.

Applying the initial 45 degree cutting angle.

Let the grinding begin!

David Lisch showing us how a master does it.

First attempt at grinding a test blank. Once I finished one end, I flipped it around and went at it a second time.

First grinding the basic area of where the final cutting edge will be.

The end result and my very first knife ever.

A Premium 3-piece Executive Pen

Every Alpha Pen is precision crafted to the highest possible standards. Designed from the ground up to complement only the Montblanc Fineliner cartridge or the Montblanc Rollerball cartridge. This means no extra parts to lose, no fiddly springs, a thread-in cartridge, and components that fit like a German car door.

Special Edition: Brass Alpha Pen

17/50

Engraved: KIMBERLIN

From Jason's notes: "So, why do I want to make a pen?

I manufacture my own high-end LED flashlights, but I'm also a huge pen fanatic. I have bought nearly every pen I've seen in search of the ultimate writing experience. When I discovered the Montblanc Starwalker (with Fineliner cartridge) I lost interest in searching for the ultimate pen...because I thought I'd found it.

I used to think of a pen as one item, "a pen," but after looking at Montblanc prices I realized a pen was really two pieces, a cartridge ($7) and a holder ($320-$15,000). I was really in love with the cartridge, and realized wanted to make my own pen to hold it.

Precision that's not marketing hype. I don't deal in hype. I machine precision parts for a living and you can (and should) expect world-class craftsmanship. If you are buying a pen that is machined, you are going to feel the difference when it's designed and manufactured by a machinist!

I know it's not cheap to order this pen...and that's because you get what you pay for... just like your dad told you. It represents the real cost of manufacturing quality goods, in small volume, right here in the USA. The Alpha won't be for everyone, but if you know quality and demand the best (right down to the screws) this pen is for you.

Why the 3-piece design?

Because the 3-piece executive is a classic. Because I love the ceremony of the screw cap. Because they just feel like a pen should. No gimmicks, no tricks, just simple and purposeful. It's like drawing a sword, and you know what they say about pens and swords.

For me, the writing experience is about feel. The feel of the pen in hand and the stroke on paper. Period. I love the way a Montblanc writes (I do actually have one) but I don't carry it around because I like to fly under the radar. So, it sits in a pouch on my desk, which is sad. I like to own things that I actually use, otherwise why own them?

The Fineliner cartridge ($7) sports a fiber tip, but it's very firm and doesn't break down over time like a marker. The fiber tip allows differing pressure and angle to vary the stroke weight. It writes a lot like a fountain pen, but without all the hassle. It's phenomenally smooth. I make a lot of people try my pen, just to see their reaction, and people are blown away. When's the last time you were blown away by a pen?

The Montblanc Rollerball (if ball-point is how you roll) is the exact same price and size as the Fineliner so you can choose that if you like. It's a great cartridge too, but it won't freak your mind."