About Vancil Messer Werks
My name is Stacy Vancil. I grew up with a healthy appreciation of knives thanks in part to my father who would gift me a knife almost every birthday or Christmas and also gave me opportunities in the outdoors to really appreciate them. Fast forward (well into) adult life and I needed a hobby. While working in the corporate IT world by day and killing braincells staring at the idiot box by night, that is when it came to me. Make knives …and if you are going to make them, make them well! I started building my shop from the ground up, with the sole purpose of making a high quality knife meant to perform. Years later and several hundred knives practice, my hobby has become a passion. Every knife I make, I still try to find a way to make it better than the last. Feel free to reach out with any questions, criticism, or to just say hello!
The Steel
All VMW knives are made from annealed barstock steel of various dimensions based on application. I primarily work with stainless steels and the majority of the stainless steels are powder metallurgy processed. PM steels produce a finer carbide structure and generally offer superior performance over traditional wrought produced steels. Some might say that most of the "super steels" are PM steels but the term super steel is debatable. A traditional wrought steel may be perfectly acceptable for certain applications (or budgets). I primarily work with the PM steels because they are typically newer steels, produce consistent results, and can achieve high hardenability and wear resistance (at the cost of toughness and ease of sharpening).
*All materials are sourced from U.S. companies and the majority of the steel is from Crucible, an American steel manufacturer.
The Heat
A steel is only as good as it's heat treatment. I built a kiln that can achieve an evenly distributed 2200° within a 2° tolerance. All steels are heat treated according to manufacturers datasheets and/or Dr. Larrin Thomas' recommendations. I typically heat treat slightly harder than most production makers for any given type of steel and purpose for knife. After heat treatment, all VMW knives are tempered at least twice for two hours each cycle.
The Testing
The Rockwell C Hardness scale (HRC) is the industry standard for knife steels. Each VMW knife is tested on a machine calibrated with ISO & ASAB certified test blocks. Each knife is tested a minimum of three times with one of the test points exposed (this will be a small dimple close to the spine and scales above the VMW mark). The results are then averaged and rounded down to the nearest half point. Theoretically every VMW should be slightly harder than listed.
The Furniture
Once the knife is basically finished, it's time for scales. I use both synthetic materials and natural wood scales and it seems the options are near limitless.
If a VMW knife has wood scales and the wood species is a good candidate for stabilizing, I have stabilized it.
*Stabilizing wood is a process of vacuum impregnating a heat activated epoxy into the wood to "harden" the structure. Basically making it more resistant to moisture.
*Dense and/or oily wood species do not take well to stabilization nor do they need it.
The Final Edge
Geometry is important, so is ergonomics. Each VMW is fine-tuned during grinding for it's application and the final edge will also be tuned to a specific angle, typically between 14 and 22° and razor sharp.
The brand
The name pays homage to my German ancestory. Not every knife makes it to the point of branding. If I am not proud to put my name on it, it does not leave the shop. Each knife is individually engraved with the VMW mark, the type of steel used, and the hardness of the steel.
If the knife is used as intended it will last a lifetime, if there is an issue with the craftsmanship, I will gladly make it right!
Contact
Have a question or interested in a custom build? Please reach out!