I’ve made all my hoof knives throughout my 60-year career. When I started, you could buy a Frost knife from Sweden for less than $10. A full set of nailed-on shoes was $11, gas was 28 cents a gallon and my first new truck (1968 GMC Handi-van) was just barely over $2,000.

So, why did I make my own knives? I learned that skill from Lester Hollenback, who also made his own blades. That was a skill I would use throughout my career, so I wanted to master the process to the point of consistency and serviceability. Some will comment that there are a lot of quality and beautiful knives on the market; however, I like the utility of making my own.

I make them in two sizes, one slightly less than a half-inch wide and the other about 5/8-inch wide. Why the two blades? I use the heavier blade to open the hoof and after trimming, the smaller blade makes finishing the hoof bottom handier. That way you don’t dull your only sharp knife.

Source Material

The steel is from hay rake springs (Figure 1). You…