BajaNomad - A plug for Zihul

A plug for Zihul

pjpvi - 3-30-2023 at 08:32 AM

Before leaving for Baja in February I stumbled on a business card from Zihul buried on my desk. I have no idea when or where I got it but got me thinking of a tip from a moose rack I have been carrying around since a teenager that I acquired while backpacking in Mt. McKinley NP in the 70's. Don't judge please .... I was a teenager and had no idea it wasn't cool to cut the tip off of a moose rack I found back in the mountains. I wouldn't do it now.

Anyway, I've always wanted to make a knife out of it so I found it buried in my toolbox and brought it along with me. I stopped at Zihul's on the way south and he agreed to make a knife using it as the handle. After my unexpected long stay in La Paz, I finally made my way back to Guerrero Negro to collect my knife. I couldn't be happier! It's very cool.

On the way south I also bought one of his knifes as a gift for a friend in Agua Verde. He was delighted to receive it!

If you are looking for a cool hand crafted high carbon steel knife, I highly recommend stopping in on Zihul. These are not shiny stainless steel perfect looking knifes, but I personally like the rustic look of the high carbon steel hand shaped blades.

boe4fun - 3-30-2023 at 08:36 AM

X2, Zihul’s da bomb!

TMW - 3-30-2023 at 08:46 AM

cool

pjpvi - 3-30-2023 at 09:04 AM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by pjpvi

...I personally like the rustic look of the high carbon steel hand shaped blades.

Cool! What does he make them out of, files?

Haha. I have no idea what the source of the blade material is. I will say it's a very sharp edge on it.

JZ - 3-30-2023 at 09:54 AM

Good story.

AKgringo - 3-30-2023 at 10:12 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pjpvi

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by pjpvi

...I personally like the rustic look of the high carbon steel hand shaped blades.

Cool! What does he make them out of, files?

Haha. I have no idea what the source of the blade material is. I will say it's a very sharp edge on it.

I wonder if leaf springs would make good knife stock? They wouldn't be as hard as a file, but probably easier to work with but are high carbon and capable of being tempered.

I occasionally pick up shed deer antlers on my property in Nevada county. I left a whole pile of antlers in Anchorage when I sold my house there a couple of years ago.

bajaric - 3-30-2023 at 10:25 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Quote: Originally posted by pjpvi

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by pjpvi

...I personally like the rustic look of the high carbon steel hand shaped blades.

Cool! What does he make them out of, files?

Haha. I have no idea what the source of the blade material is. I will say it's a very sharp edge on it.

I wonder if leaf springs would make good knife stock? They wouldn't be as hard as a file, but probably easier to work with but are high carbon and capable of being tempered.
.

Only if they are from a Volkswagen --

(That is a little inside knife joke, some say German steel makes the best knives)

LancairDriver - 3-30-2023 at 11:27 AM

I sold a machine to a guy in Sandpoint Id who makes very expensive knives and sells to most of the large Sporting Goods stores.
He uses these blanks. Supposedly the best steel with different patterns.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1336470617/damascus-steel-bille...

David K - 3-30-2023 at 11:59 AM

Zihul is a Facebook friend, has his knife shop and little campground in Guerrero Negro, named 'Spondylus'.

He speaks English and will offer to assist travelers in need. Zihul also leads tours to places like the giant cave paintings, past El Arco and Pozo Alemán many of us have been to.

https://www.facebook.com/zihul.martinez
https://www.facebook.com/ZihulKnives
http://www.zihul.com/

Bajazly - 3-30-2023 at 05:32 PM

I ran into him and some of his family out at the cave paintings near Piedra Blanca a couple years ago while we were pre running for the 1000.

We had found a dog wandering along the road out in the middle of nowhere so we picked him up and figured we could find a good home for him in La Bocana when we got there that night. Zihul ended up taking the dog saying he looked like he needed a good home.

He invited me to his place when we were coming back north after the 1000 but we were pressed for time and couldn't stop in, I look forward to stopping in next time I'm down that way, he was a super cool dude and I'd like to see his work.

BajaBlanca - 3-31-2023 at 07:52 AM

We never had the chance to meet him either but his work is certainly beautiful.

surfhat - 3-31-2023 at 08:14 AM

Zihul is a true Baja treasure. His passion for history and knowledge of the local desert regions when guiding us up to Cueva del Carmen makes every trip, whether it is the first time or a repeat, like new every time.

His former career as a local college professor did not end when his teaching career came to a close. He is now setting up an art school at his shops property to teach others how to make items so they too can become self sufficient by working with their hands.

A talented craftsman he is and it shows. Stop by his shop and you too will see some beautiful knives, jewelry, coral earrings, and other cool items like whale tail pins and so much more.

His specialty was engineering and in the past he set up a back country communications system for the ranchos that previously had had no means to communicate with the outside world. He used some mules or burros to haul the transmitters and receivers up to the highest points of the local mountains to create a network that could work for the ranchos to have a reliable means of communication. I am no engineer. haha Let him tell you all about it. It is still in use a couple of decades later.

Every trip with Zihul is an education. I could go on, but stop by and find out for yourselves. A day with Zihul is a highlight of my and my friends annual gray whale sojourn to GN.

surfhat - 3-31-2023 at 08:19 AM

If anyone stops by the Mision Santa Maria Hotel in Catavina, [highly recommended], he has some of his handiwork in the small shop off the side of the lobby inside a cabinet there. His fame must be growing beyond GN.

WideAngleWandering - 3-31-2023 at 10:15 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

I wonder if leaf springs would make good knife stock? They wouldn't be as hard as a file, but probably easier to work with but are high carbon and capable of being tempered.

I can tell you they do as I am currently in San Felipe admiring my new leaf spring knives.

In July I drove down and delivered the leaf springs I'd taken off my land cruiser and asked him to make a variety of knives. I just picked them up. I wanted to have camp knives made out of my own truck. He said he often uses leaf springs but he had to adjust his tempering process for the toyota steel (something about the vanadium/tungsten content).

They are bad burro knives for sure. Very happy with this project.

Asked, and answered!

AKgringo - 3-31-2023 at 10:22 AM

Thanks for the response. I kind of thought that might be the case.

pjpvi - 3-31-2023 at 12:06 PM

Quote:

I wanted to have camp knives made out of my own truck.

I think that's a great idea! Any pics you can share?

jwheel1970 - 4-1-2023 at 09:37 AM

The storefront in Guerro Negro is very cool - Zihul does some great work for sure. The idea of camp knives from your own vehicle's leaf springs is pretty great!

shari - 4-7-2023 at 08:38 AM

Zihul is an outstanding artisan, guide, husband, father and friend! He started off with knives but has expanded his repertoire to include beautiful jewelry made of local shell and bone and petrified sharks teeth etc. His shop is a must see in Guerrero Negro and just around the corner from our new hacienda BAja Magic!

He is also the best guide around for tours to the cave paintings, Pronghorn Preserve, ranches etc.