Custom Knifemaker Interviews

Filip de Leeuw is a Belgian knifemaker who makes some amazing folders. I came across his website, DeviantBlades.com and fell in love with his classically styled knives featuring modern materials and enhancements like pocket clips, thumb holes and titanium frame locks. His knives are clean, simple and meticulously finished. I find myself drawn to the elegant lines and find his knives a joy to behold.

Through emails I found Filip to be cordial, funny and extremely humble. I really enjoyed learning more about his work and I know you will too so lets get right to the interview.

Hey Filip, thanks so much for joining me. To start off, please tell us a little about yourself.

Well, I’m 33 years old and live in a small town near the city of Antwerp, Belgium. I live alone with my two dogs, both Spanish greyhounds. I spend my weekends and evenings working in my house (rebuilt almost everything about it) or in my workshop.

As for a day job, I’m responsible for evaluating the shooting permits. I’m one of those people who had the chance to turn his hobby into his job.

When did you decide to make knives? Why did you decide to make knives?

After graduating from university, I didn’t find a job right away. Wanted join the Police or Homeland security, but that didn’t work out. They weren’t recruiting people with my specific background at the time. So, I spent my days at home, looking for a job and doing some small jobs. At that time, I was living with my grandmother, because she couldn’t live alone anymore. One day, I was cleaning the shed in her garden and found my grandfathers old anvil and forge.

I was always interested in knives so when my dad suggested that I give it a try, I didn’t think twice. Of course, it didn’t work out like I had hoped. The metal just wouldn’t do what I wanted. A couple of days later, my dad found a book about knifemaking on the internet. We ordered it and I started making my first knife with a nice piece of precision ground RWL34. It worked out a lot better and I never really gave forging another try.

Do you have a “design philosophy”? If so, please tell us about it.

When I first started, I wanted to make ‘cool’ knives. The crazier they looked, the better I liked it. At that time, and with the help of the internet, I was in contact with some other knifemakers in Belgium. I noticed that most of the European makers had a very sober style; drop-point blade, standard wooden handle.

On the internet, I saw that the new makers used modern materials like G10 and Carbon fiber. I ordered some and used it to make freakishly looking knives that were totally unusable.

These days, my style really evolved, but it’s still pretty recognizable. My shapes look a lot more natural and I love it when the knife has flowing lines. I learned that the ‘basic’ blade shapes are still the most useful. No more extreme recurves for me!

Most of the time, I start a design with just some fluent lines on a piece of paper. With those few lines, I get in my shop and start cutting out a blade. More than often, I have no idea how it’s going to look like when finished. My ‘Freestyle’ model for example, is one of those knives that was never even sketched on paper. I found a piece of leftover steel in my shop with a shape that I really liked. I drilled a hole were I thought the pivot should be, and started working on it.

I know you license the “Spyderhole” from Spyderco (which is pretty cool in my opinion) and use it in some of your designs. How did Spyderco react to your designs? Were they supportive of your work?

I contacted Spyderco pretty early in my knifemaking career. On the net, I noticed that other folder-makers used the spyderhole with permission of the company. So I contacted them to ask what I should do. Peter H. Jhones, from Spyderco, let me know that I had to send some pics of my work to them and that they would decided if my work was up to their standards.

I replied that I was just starting out, and that my knives were still a ‘work in progress.’ They let me know that I could contact them whenever I felt it was the right time.

A couple of years later, I was ready. I sent Spyderco some pics and was given permission to use the opening hole. A milestone for me. You can call it a mental boost ! Off course my family and friends liked my knives, but well, you know, they kinda have to… When Spyderco said they liked them, I was really stoked !

Hah! Great story! Validation from one of the most respected knife companies has to be very satisfying.

I think it’s very interesting how you started out wanting to make folding knives – many knife makers start out with fixed blades and then “graduate” to folders as the moving parts and engineering involved is more complex.

How difficult was it to make your first folding knives? Do you have any background in metalworking, engineering etc?

I never learned anything about metalworking or engineering… sadly enough. I had to learn the hard way. When I was young, I always like making model cars, but that’s about it. I studied both Law and Criminology at the universities of Antwerp and Ghent.

Like everyone else, I started making fixed blades. But I never really liked fixed blades, because I can’t carry them in Belgium. So I wanted to build a folder. Problem was that I could find any parts in Belgium. It took me about 10 months to find some pivot pins. Titanium was impossible to get a hold of, so I couldn’t make a locking folder. (I read in a book that you needed titanium liners) So I started with a friction folder. (insane recurve and the ergonomics of a brick, but hey, it folded )

A German knife collector bought one of those early friction folders and talked me into trying a framelock version. At first, I was really hesitant, but he convinced me to give it a try.

So I ordered some titanium in the States, bought the Peter Atwood video about building framelocks and started.

At the different knife shows that I visited (SICAC Paris, Blade show Atlanta, Gembloux Belgium, Solingen Germany,…) I talked to my heroes about folder-making (Jens Anso, Matt Cucciarra, Alex Salsi…) and asked them how I could improve my folders. You have no idea how much I learned from those short talks.

I can only imagine what you gained from speaking with those modern masters – very cool.

I will say you also make some beautiful fixed blade knives as well. I see you have done it all from paring knives to swords. Do you have a preference between making fixed blades and folders?

I do all my work on a very small belt grinder at the moment. (2×20 inch belts, ½ HP) It’s really hard to make big blades on that machine. On top of that, there are not many folder makers in Belgium. Most guys specialize in neck knives and hunting knives.

I wanted to do something different. Nowadays, when you mention ‘the guy that makes framelocks’ in Belgium, most people know who you mean.

That’s why I prefer folders at the moment. The feeling that I get when I finish a framelock and everything ‘fits’ together, it’s just awesome.

I can only imagine, a well built frame lock is an amazing achievement.

That said, I love the simplicity of your friction folders and despite the undeniable popularity of your frame locks, the friction folders still seem to be very popular. Can you explain their background and appeal a little more?

At the Belgian knife shows, I used to be one of the few makers to use modern materials (g10, carbon fiber, titanium, gunkote, …) The younger visitors (18-25) really liked my style, but couldn’t afford to spend 200+ euro. A fixed blade is less expensive, but like I said before, it’s almost impossible to legally carry it in Belgium.

So I wanted to come up with a solution for them. I wanted to make a folding knife with good materials, modern looks, that was affordable. It also had to be legal to carry in most European countries. I thought about it for a while and came to the simple solution: a friction folder. I built a couple of them years earlier and even made a tutorial about it.

I cleaned up the old design, lost the horrible recurve, bought some cheap but good steel (A2) and some gunkote to prevent corrosion.

I made a couple of prototypes and they sold in a matter of minutes on British Blades Forum. The second batch didn’t last long either. I made a new tutorial about building friction folders that I posted on all the internet forum. This resulted in even more positive feedback.

I saw a video of one of your friction folders recently and it’s a fantastic design. I can definitely see why they are so popular!

What is in the future for Deviant Blades?

Well, there is a big project coming up that I can’t really talk about at this time. I’m sure you’re gonna love it.

There are also some slipjoints in the making. Got some new designs and I’m stoked to try them out.

Next to that, I really would like to try my hands at building a dual action folder, but I don’t have a clue yet how to start.

Some balisongs are also on the shortlist, but since they became illegal in Belgium, it’s not really that easy to build one. I have to visit a knifemaking friend in a more bali-friendly country and use his workshop.

The last two years, I haven’t really been able to have a constant production: I built a new workshop, got a new job with double the hours, and had some problems with my health. A lot of customers had to wait months (even more) to get some knives they ordered.

You have a lot on your plate! You will have to come back and tell me about that secret project, and hopefully you can reach a more stable point in your life so you can continue to make high your quality knives.

Alright, to wind things down, what is your current EDC knife?

Actually, it’s the same one for the last four years: A Dav Winch ‘Worker’ linerlock. I love that little blade. I carry it every day, clipped to my back pocket. On my belt, I carry a second knife in a leather sheath: my damasteel Tiny model.

I carried a Strider SNG for a while, but it was a little bit too big for my liking and it didn’t cut as well as the Worker and the Tiny.

Filip thanks so much for taking the time to do the interview. Is there anything else you would like to add?

I really want to thank you for this initiative and for giving me this opportunity!

Filip, the pleasure has been all mine. It’s been very interesting learning a little about you and your work.

If you want to see more about Filip’s beautiful knives, check out his website – DeviantBlades.com.

Today I am sitting down with Geoff Blauvelt, aka TuffThumbz.

I stumbled across Geoff’s work while browsing through some of my favorite knife videos on YouTube. One thing that really stood out was Geoff’s amazing energy and charisma. These were dark and crowded videos filmed in some dank corner of his shop, and often featured Geoff swearing enthusiastically as he extolled the virtues of a particular knife. While his comments were refreshingly real and entertaining, this was thinly veiled knife porn of the most explicit nature. Naturally, I found myself pouring over his old videos, listening to his reviews and watching how his work had evolved, riveted to the screen.

To this day his YouTube channel is one of my favorites to see pop up on my subscription page. It’s fascinating to me because every day it seems like the work he does gets better and better.

Yes, Geoff is a true knife addict, a blade aficionado of epic proportions. Perhaps he didn’t create knife customizing, or knife “pimping” as he calls it, but he sure as hell helped popularize it. Today TuffThumbz is synonymous with customized production blades. His videos are still dimly lit shop creations (but now available in HD) and the swearing is, well it’s as authentic as ever. To be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way…

Hey Geoff, welcome to the site – great to have you here. If you don’t mind, please tell us a little about yourself.

Hi Dan, thanks for the chance to share a bit about me and what I do.  My name is Geoff Blauvelt and I am a knifeaholic lol.  I am 27 and have been collecting knives for about 4 years now.  I used to be a scenic artist and painter, always been a creative person, but it never did much for me as a way to express my creativity.  I have lived in PA my whole life and have always had an interest in the outdoors, guns and knives.

Don’t worry Geoff – you are in good hands. Take 2 custom scale orders and call me in the morning. 😉 So tell me, what got you into customizing knives?

Well I did not know people customized knives until I joined BladeForums and saw some work for people like Ferrk, Barry H and other random tinkerers in the knife community.  I was very taken aback by this and started one of the more popular threads on the site called “pics of customized production knives.”  You can see a pic on the second page of my first custom scales job, its pretty bad, I used wood from an IKEA chair and very limited tools.  The popularity of the thread and excitement I felt from seeing posts of peoples work really hit me hard – I knew I had to get into this.  Living in Philadelpia at the time left me limited on space, so it was mostly coating scales  and blades with spray paint and small mods. The main interest was making something my own and unique to me.

Tell us a little more about the beginning. What kind of tools did you have? Did you have any previous experience making stuff?

When I moved out to a more rural area of PA I got the chance to use my garage as a work area, and bought a Dremel and started messing with some of the g10 on my production knives. I finally got some g10 for myself, and spent days working on one set of scales all by hand with the Dremmel.  This was really time consuming and hard, but I loved it.

After leaving the city and being laid off of multiple jobs I was on the search for work and was having no luck. I had some random construction jobs but I’ve always hated having someone breathing down my neck and basically wasting my time making chicken scratch and feeling bored and trapped in a 9-5 job.

Finally I had an interview coming up and the thought of standing behind a counter and doing retail drove me to push hard for working for myself.

I decided to contact a knife pimper by the name of Jeff Karg of Kargknives.

He is the reason I am where I am right now.  He took time out of his day almost everyday for 2 weeks to really show me the ropes and get me started.  What he told me sparked something in my brain that exploded and has never stopped since.  I sold off my zt300 and a few others, and got some tools and started pimping my knives to show people my work.  I had a youtube channel with about 300 subscribers so I started showing my work on there, and got a little buzz going.  Got a free website up and posted pics on all the forums i could.  Finally someone contacted me for some work.  I feel that the fact that I pimped a Spyderco Para 2 with the milling all done by hand really put me on the map.  No one wanted to touch the thing and I was crazy enough to try it.  To this day I’ve done more Para 2s then any other knife – about 50.

And today your inventory of tools and techniques is rapidly growing. Can you point to any particular tool that revolutionized the way you work on knives?

Well I will always love my Dremel – it has so many uses, and I couldn’t live without one.  The tool that got my work to be a lot better was a shop fox oscillating spindle sander/ drill press. This allowed my work to be a lot more precise and professional looking.  I am always looking for better tools and ways to speed up my work without compromising the quality.  My next tool is a mill or belt grinder.

Your YouTube channel has been an electronic journal of sorts, chronicling your progression as a knife customizer. I’ve been following it for a few months and frankly, it’s been fascinating watching the ups and downs, seeing your talents grow and ogling all the knife porn and cool projects you have your hands on. How big of a role has your YouTube channel played in your whole knife pimpin’ project?

For me my YouTube channel is my most important outlet for my work.  The knife community on YouTube is like no other.  

I started with reviews but noticed my custom works had alot more views.  After talking to alot of great people like Gavkoo, lazyspoiledkitty, zippothisknifethat, oremoto, darkchild AtpeacePeice, and X4CTO they told me they liked my work which inspired me to post more.  People love seeing their knives pimped.  Not a lot of guys doing what I do and will pimp a $25 rat1 or tenacious.  I’m also one of the first to do this on YouTube. However, it’s not all business on my channel. It is mostly knife porn and just a relaxed way to show my work.  

One of the draws to my work is having your work displayed and saying, “Hey that’s my knife everyone.”  I think that is a big part to my success.  Every time I’m working on a knife im thinking about how I can wow my people on YouTube.  The comments and friends I made there keep me wanting to push my limits.

Geoff I agree, I think the YouTube channel is very cool and the community there is very special. Very few makers or customizers will put their work out there day in and day out like you do; it really lets people see your personality and connect with your work.

What is your favorite part about customizing a knife?

As a collector, it’s being able to handle all the knives I’ve wanted to own – it is really fun. As a customizer, the best part is pushing the limits of the materials and creating things that make people excited.  Turning a boring black g10 scale into a crazy work of art is so much fun.

Spoken like a true knife nut. I agree man, you get some really cool blades on your workbench. I can obviously tell that this has turned from a hobby into a full blown passion, but has it also turned into a full blown job or do you still do other work?

At first I was getting a few jobs a week but always felt like it was to good to be true and was still looking for a job.  A month later i was doing it from 7am till 4 in the morning and its been growing ever since.  No more BS retail jobs for me. 🙂 I love it and I’m so thankful to the knife community for giving me this amazing opportunity.

Well Geoff I know a lot of hard work went into it too. It’s very cool to hear your success story.

Is there a piece, pattern or technique that you are most proud of?

I’m most proud of the bubble wrap pattern because its my first completely made up pattern.  I borrow a lot from my biggest inspiration, Jenz Anso.

Jenz does amazing work, an excellent choice for inspiration if I do say so. What is on the horizon for TuffThumbz? Are we going to start seeing any full on custom knives?

To me the next step is making knives and titanium conversions.  I have the tools coming and I’m ready to get started.  I hope to keep doing scales and adding more materials like Titanium and working on making knives in my spare time.  

Very exciting news. I will be keeping a close eye on your channel page and might have to get you back here down the road as a full on custom maker. 🙂

Ok, winding things down here, what are your current EDC knives?

Right now its my Spyderco lil Temperance 2 and TOPS ALRT neck knife.

Very nice choices. Thanks so much for the interview, Geoff. Is there anything else you would like to add?

I just want to say how thankful I am to everyone who put trust in me to do what i do.  Knife collecting and this job has made me a better person and given me the opportunity to talk to amazing people all over the world and make some life long friends.  I can see some people starting to pimp knives on youtube because I inspired them, that is the biggest reward i could ever ask for.  

Thanks so much Dan, and you can expect a lot more from me in the future. Don’t ever tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon, a quote I tell myself…  as corny as it is that is how I feel.

Thanks again Geoff, my pleasure.

You can learn more about Geoff’s work by checking out his website www.tuffknives.com or heading over to his Youtube Channel.

Mr. Randy Church of Church and Son Knives is a man from a forgotten time. Operating out of the Rosebud Forge, Randy is a maker of old world tools. Not only are these old world tools, but he uses old world methods – he makes these pieces entirely without electricity! This has resulted in some wicked looking stuff(if I do say so), from period pieces with historic details to post-apocalyptic inspired tools designed to hold off the end of the world. And as a 4th generation blacksmith Randy’s family history is just as rich and interesting as his work. I am so happy to have discovered Church and Son knives, and I hope everyone enjoys the interview.

Hi Randy, welcome to the site. I am very excited to have you here as you make some very cool stuff! To start off, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hey Dan, first off I appreciate your interest on my old rusty/crustys. I’m 51, married to the same lovely bride for 21 years and have two boys, one 26 and the other 16, both in Collage, please send money. We live in very rural area south of Greensboro NC. I build Trade Show Exhibits to pay the bills, come home and beat on hot iron for fun.

Where did your fascination with old world knives and tools come from?

My Grandparents. She was Apache Indian married 71 years to an Appalachian mountain man outside of Boone NC. I pretty much grew up on their place. He was a dairy farmer who made all his own farming tools, including a steam engine to run the sawmill. She taught school and told fascinating story’s about her early life on a reservation. They started a appreciation of historical techniques that are no longer being taught. Namely, if you need it and nature doesn’t provide it, then make it.

Too cool. Your site says that you are a 4th generation blacksmith, please tell us about that.

My Great Grandfather was a ferrier/ blacksmith in Linville NC, who taught all 12 of his boys. My Grandfather made all of his 10 boys spend time at the anvil. My Father, a Minister, taught blacksmithing in the Army after WW2, and until his death enjoyed tinkering with old guns, mainly flintlocks, and made all the actions. The Church family has iron in the blood. That trickles down to me, and I’m determined to pass it along. Our boys may never beat on hot metal again but they do know how.

How old were you when you first started forging / making knives?

About 7-8 I was old enough to crank the blower and rake coal. I made gun racks and twisted every piece of metal in sight during my teens. I got very interested in knives about 10 years ago when I quit running the highways. I restored old houses for years all over the country. Working in New Mexico spurred my interest in the Plains Indians.

I know you are a family operation, so tell us a little about your son.

“VooDoo” is 16 and in the first year of collage. His interests are more tactical than mine (but maybe there’s hope). He plays MilSim Airsoft and makes airsoft legal tomahawks based on real steel versions. Although he will fire up the charcoal forge and twist some hooks, I have a suspicion that if I wasn’t watching he would run power to the Redbud Forge and buy a grinder (some day I might help).

He plays blues guitar and apparently learned that girls smell good.

Do you have a particular design “philosophy” when you set out to make a knife?

Not really, I wish I did. Some of the great Bladesmiths draw sketches and adhere to a plan. I don’t have that much discipline. The most I do is look at a particular piece of iron and say, “might make a good chopper.” As Jimmy Buffett said, “I don’t have it, must not need it.” On the period pieces I do try to use the same techniques and materials that were available at the time. I am still very much a student of history.

How exactly do you make these pieces?

I make my own charcoal from downed trees on our place. Use a forge made from a washtub and a hand cranked blower, beat it to submission on a hundred year old broken anvil, hot cut and hot filed. Then quenched in salt water and tempered on the forge. I don’t add hammer marks, I leave them.

Right on! Where do you even find the materials to make this stuff?

I use what America doesn’t want anymore. MYSTERY STEEL. Lets start the arguments. I have never bought a new piece of steel. I pretty much know what I’m using . Mostly farm steel and old leaf springs. I’m still in good verses with the historical societies, so I get a call when old farms are getting cleaned out to make way for new plastic houses. Leather is traded for or purchased at flea markets or yard sales. Old leather nail aprons are my favorite find for sheaths, I even made one sheath for an Apocalypse chopper from one boot. TRADE – it is alive and well here. I trade to hunters for rawhides, and if you see some guys outside of a leaf spring shop throwing a tomahawk at lunch time, I’ve been there.

My new statement is “Re-made in America.” Re-use, it’s a way of life here.

That is definitely a lesson more people could stand to learn. What’s on the horizon for Church & Son?

Finishing this sentence, that’s about as far as I think ahead… and getting VooDoo to do something.

I started the Apocalypse chopper series because the recent movies such as The Book of Eli scared the **** out of me. That could happen, today. Am I ready? Could I look around for materials, build a forge and make tools/weapons to care for my family? I’ve been training for this my entire life and didn’t know it. I muzzle-load, make my own powder and shot and live way back in the woods.

I love doing the period pieces, beading is one of my favorite winter pastimes. Chuck Burrows is an inspiration for me. But I haven’t found the right customers yet so I have a drawer full of them.

Well hopefully we can help spread the word today, I think you are turning out some awesome stuff. Last question, what knife do you carry with you every day?

A 35 yr. old “Old Timer” my dad gave me at 16. It is sharpened down to toothpicks. That, and a pocket Kiridashi made from a file. A couple of skinners and a tomahawk in my bag in case I run across a good trade.

Randy, thanks so much for doing the interview – is there anything else you would like to add?

Buy from Americans boys and girls, the tribe you save may be your own.
Dan, I appreciate the interest and wish you the best.

You are welcome back any time, Randy. Thanks again!

To see more of Randy’s work and learn more about Church & Son Knives and the Rosebud Forge, visit the Church & Son’s Website website.

Today I am sharing an interview with bladesmith Gerry Drew of GL Drew Knives. Gerry’s slogan is “Hunting Knives Made by a Knifemaker that Hunts,” and is a testament to his 25+ years of experience hand crafting knives and hunting. His pieces have rustic charm, yet are meticulously hand-made and exceptionally well finished. And despite their beauty, these knives are designed to be used and depended on. Needless to say it is a real privilege to get the chance to sit down with Gerry and share his story with you today.

Hi Gerry, welcome to BladeReviews.com – You make some beautiful knives and I love how you design them from a user’s perspective, so let’s dive right in. What made you decide to pick up some steel and start making your own knives?

I started making knives almost by accident. I was doing some wood carving and made my own small knives and chisels for that hobby. I was even asked by friends to make some of these small tools for them. When someone asked me if I could make a hunting knife I got a very bad book from the library on knife making and started grinding down files and old saw blades. I picked up some very bad habits from that book and trying to learn on my own, but I never went back to whittling.

Well I guess you eventually found your way! Tell us a little about your philosophy behind knife design.

My “philosophy” on knife making mostly stems from my stubbornness. I am retired, old enough to be a curmudgeon, and make knives the way I want to make them. I never take orders that don’t fit into my style, and am fairly reluctant to work with someone else’s design. I make knives that the average guy can afford; very usable but as pleasant looking as they can be made. A few of my knives go to collectors that never cut anything but I really like to see them used as well as collected. 

I see that you recently made the transition from stock removal to forged knives. Why go that route?

I made stock removal knives for over 25 years and still do. I like the modern steel alloys with their rust resistance and edge holding properties. I could never see any advantage in heating and pounding on a piece of steel; it seemed to me that it just added one more step to the process. But, I took a basic blacksmith course when I retired and found it is a lot of fun and I can be much more flexible with my designs with forging (twists, curves, textures, etc.) Now most of my knives are forged.

I know that these days you actually teach a course on blacksmithing yourself. Can you tell us a little more about the course?

I like to call it a bladesmithing class, Dan. It is a very basic 12 hour knife forging class that I teach five students at a time at the Tryon Arts and Craft School in Tryon, NC. They have a smithy with 5 forges, 5 anvils and a bunch of hand tools, and I am able to teach forging, heat treating, grinding and handle applications at this facility. (This is where I took an introductory blacksmithing class about 3 years ago.) I can’t begin to teach someone to become an accomplished knife maker in 12 hours, but everyone gets a good feel for the process and this helps them decide if they want to pursue knife making as a hobby. We have a lot of fun at these classes and everyone goes home with at least one complete knife.
 

Too cool, I would love to attend a class like this (and I know that I am not the only one).

Your slogan is “hunting knives made by a knife maker who hunts.” I have to admit that it has a nice ring to it. Please tell us a little about your hunting background.

I came up with the slogan years ago when I was just making hunting knives. Now I have graduated to everything from ulus to tomahawks, but hunting knives are still my favorite. I have hunted all across North America for elk, caribou, bear, deer and small game.

Now I know you really enjoy bow hunting, what is it about bow hunting that you find especially attractive?

Bow hunting is one of my passions and a great excuse to be in the woods. It is a quiet hunt, solitary and a great way to fit into nature and observe wildlife. Because I have to get close to game by keeping quiet I get an opportunity to see a lot of other animals moving around that at times never know I am there. I have watched otters play, bears feeding on insects, coyotes eating berries, etc, etc. Some of my greatest memories are from days spent in the woods with my bow that I never took a shot. Of course I am a meat eater and sometimes even come home with some venison.

Much respect Gerry. As an avid fisherman I totally agree that just getting out there can be the greatest reward.

I notice that you select a lot of natural materials for your handles. Why do you prefer these kinds of materials, and where do you source them?

I prefer stabilized wood handles. Every piece is different, and it makes a tough, attractive and usable addition to a knife. Before I retired I sold wood products to manufacturers and picked up a lot of small pieces of wood that were rejected because they were not straight grained; excellent handle material when stabilized. I have also been known to pick through a neighbor’s fire wood pile if I see them splitting up some nice curly maple.

Hah! If you ever come down to Florida feel free to look through my woodshed! Seriously, your handles are beautiful, I love the choice of materials.

Your knives also feature some stunning sheathes. Do you make those yourself?

Yup, I make my own sheaths. Like a lot of knife makers, sheath making is a necessary evil, not a lot of fun but necessary to sell a knife. You will notice that most of my sheaths are fastened with rivets which make the sheath strong, safe and quick to make. I will hand sew a sheath on request but I always add a few dollars to the price for the extra time it takes. 

They are quite nice.

Gerry, you have to tell me a little about your tomahawks – are these forged pieces? Have you always made them? They look very nice!

I just started making hawks and have only turned out three so far. I forged two from old ball peen hammers and one from one inch square bar stock. I think I am going to like making these but there is a lot more work and a lot more hammering involved.

I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more of those, breathtaking pieces with an almost “old world” quality to them.

What else is on the horizon for GL Drew knives?

More of the same. Knives are a tool that was invented by my family when we still lived in a cave and really have not changed a lot since. I am always looking for ways to make my knives unique and more usable but the basic design will never change.

Last question – what knife/knives do you carry with you every day?

If I have pants on there is one of my hunters and a Leatherman hanging on my belt.

A classic combo if there ever was one. Thanks so much for the interview, Gerry. It is a real treat to have you on the site.

Your welcome, Dan. My pleasure.

You can learn more about Gerry’s amazing work by visiting his Facebook Page.

I first heard about Jonathan Mitchell of Mitchell Knives by reading David Decker’s blog. A man who is never afraid to speak his mind, anyone Dave mentions catches my attention because I know he “keeps it real” when it comes to this sort of stuff… it makes the difficult job of finding the next maker to interview a hell of a lot easier. Needless to say, Dave is batting 1000 here because Johnathan proved to be both a great maker and a great person.

Moving to our featured maker, Johnathan Mitchell’s clean lines and attention to detail result in some visually stunning designs. Don’t let the apparent simplicity of his work fool you, nothing about his knives is accidental. The source of his precision work starts to make sense when you learn a little more about his background. I won’t spoil it for you as I fumble my way through this introduction (forgive me Johnathan!) but rest assured that it is with the utmost pride that I present you with this Johnathan Mitchell interview.

Hi Johnathan, thanks so much for joining us. To start off, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m 30 years old, and live in Wilson, NC. Though I have a degree in Information Technology and Business Education, I’ve been employed as a process engineer for the pharmaceutical industry most of my adult life. Most of my time at work is spent analyzing equipment and procedures to improve quality and throughput. This transfers well into my knife making endeavors, and helps ensure that my knives are consistent in quality and are produced efficiently.

When I’m not in the shop I generally spend my free time SCUBA diving, shooting or reading.

What an appropriate background for a knifemaker. Great to see a young professional taking up the art of knifemaking. So tell me Johnathan, at what point did you get into knives?

I’ve been fascinated by knives my entire life, and have been collecting them since I was about 5 years old. Around 2005, I started buying custom knives. After seeing the advantages that custom knives offered, I began to invest heavily into the hobby. I no longer collect knives, as I would rather make my own blades.

Why did you decide to start making your own knives? How did you get into knife making?

I became interested in making knives after having collected them for many years. The process of making a knife seemed fascinating, and I was compelled to give it a try. I was often disappointed by the factory and custom knives available, and decided that making my own knife might be the best solution.

After I decided to start making knives, I began researching the process. Unfortunately, there really isn’t a lot of information readily available concerning knife making. The information that is available tends to be scattered about the internet and in various books. Much of the information is outdated or impractical for someone just starting to make knives. It’s quite difficult to piece all of the information together and actually begin knife making.

Fortunately, I soon met local knife maker Alan Folts. After chatting with him over the phone, he invited me over to his shop. Alan gave me a piece of steel, and walked me through every step of the knife making process. I quickly found out that knife making is a lot of hard work! I didn’t have any equipment of my own at the time, so I did all of the work in his shop. It took many visits for me to finally finish my first knife, but I eventually completed it. Afterwards, I was completely hooked on knife making!

Shortly after completing my first knife, I purchased my own equipment. I still continued to study knife making with Alan, but having my own equipment was very convenient. From there, I continued to practice and make knives regularly. I initially had no intentions of ever selling my knives; it was just something I did for fun.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Alan, and I don’t think you could ask for a better mentor. His approach to knifemaking and his views on design are unlike anyone I have spoken to. What a great opportunity to be taken under his wing!

So how long then have you been making knives?

I’ve been making knives for approximately 15 months. The first knife I ever sold was at the 2010 Blade Show. I brought 15 knives, and quickly sold out. After my success at Blade, I decided to seriously focus on knife making. Since then, I’ve continued to improve the quality and design of my knives.

As an engineer and former student of Allen Folts, I know design is something you take very seriously. Please tell us a little about your design philosophy.

A quality knife is designed around the task it is required to perform. A chopper is designed completely different than a fine sushi knife or slicer. Efficient performance for a given task is the primary goal. Ergonomics are equally important as edge geometry. These qualities should be incorporated in an overall pleasing aesthetic appearance.

The knives I make are designed to excel at the efficient separation of soft materials. This requires a highly optimized edge geometry; essentially a very thin cross section with minimal drag. As a result, all of my knives feature high grinds with very thin edges. Proper edge geometry is paramount!

I consider a knife to be a success when it possesses three elements; quality, proper design and high performance. If one element is missing, the knife suffers.

I would say the formula is working! I am especially drawn to your titanium knives. They are simple, beautiful and exceptionally good at what they are designed for. Why did you decide to start working with this unconventional blade material? What changes when you decide to make a knife out of titanium?

I began working with titanium because I wanted to offer an extremely lightweight knife that was also corrosion proof. I’ve often noticed than many knives are left at home simply because they are too heavy for the user to carry consistently. Titanium knives are so lightweight that you literally forget that you are carrying them.

Bare titanium is quite soft, and does not hold an edge very well. To combat this tendency, I grind all of my titanium knives with a chisel grind and apply carbide along the edge to increase edge retention. The chisel grind creates an edge that is more robust and stable; it is less likely to roll and degrade. Carbide is extremely hard; around 70 HRC. The carbide essentially reinforces the edge and increases retention greatly.

I also love the cord wrapping done on your titanium knives. Why pick cord over “new” materials like G10 and micarta?

I actually use quite a bit of G10 and micarta, but most of my recent orders seem to be for Japanese style knives. People seem to like semi-traditional Japanese blades because it melds classic aesthetics with modern materials.

A properly executed Japanese style wrap offers a fantastic grip that is unlike anything else available. The skillfully folded cord creates a series of peaks and valleys that offer exceptional traction and a very pleasing appearance.

I can see why people are interested in your Japanese style blades – they are freakin’ sweet! I think the cord wrapped handles are an awesome detail and add a lot to the knives.

Tell us a bit about your experience scuba diving, and your dive knife.

I first learned to dive in 1998, and have been teaching SCUBA professionally since 2000. For many years I taught privately and at East Carolina University; training approximately 1,000 students in the process. The vast majority of coastal dive sites in NC are wreck dives. (Ship wrecks, etc) These sites tend to be covered in fishing line and the interior of the wrecks have many entanglement points.

As you can probably imagine, having access to several cutting tools during the dive can be extremely important. Unfortunately, finding a quality dive knife was virtually impossible. As a result, I designed the “Drone”.

The Drone is a bit different in that the ring is designed to accommodate the middle or ring finger depending on your preferred grip. The Drone is unique in that it allows the user to maintain a secure grip on the knife, while still allowing full use of your hands. This is particularly important when diving, as your hands need to be free to deal with emergencies. Being made from titanium, corrosion isn’t an issue with the Drone.

After changing certain elements of the design, I discovered that the “Drone” made a fantastic self defense neck knife. With the Drone in hand, you can still grapple, operate a firearm and manipulate objects in your environment. 

I have to admit, it’s a design that had me scratching my head at first. After hearing your explanation it makes a lot more sense. Seems like a very practical tool.

So tell me Johnathan, what’s next for Mitchell knives?

I’ve been making quite a few wakizashi lately, and plan to expand the number of models offered. I’m also in the process of designing a tactical tomahawk that should be available in the next few months. I’m planning on having some folders available sometime in 2012.

My main goal is to continually improve the quality of my knives.

Lookin’ forward to the folders – I know that is a huge step. If history means anything they should be some sweet blades indeed.

Ok, before I wrap things up I always like to ask this one… what do you carry as an EDC knife?

My current EDC consists of my titanium “Drone” and a Spyderco Endura Wave. I tend to be hard on my knives, so I don’t carry anything particularly fancy.

You can’t go wrong with the Endura, and I’m sure the Drone has started some conversations!

Thanks so much for the interview, is there anything else you would like to add?

Thanks for the opportunity; I’ve enjoyed the interview! More of my work can be seen at www.mitchellknives.com

My pleasure Johnathan – you are welcome back any time. All the best with everything you do!

I find that the more interviews I do, the more I like to find people who have a story. Most knifemakers have great stories so this really doesn’t make finding new knifemakers to interview any easier, but it is always an easy choice when I find some personal connection with a maker and see something “beyond the knives.”

One such knifemaker is Ernie Swanson. What immediately impressed me with Ernie is his open and honest pursuit of a dream.

Ernie is an up and coming maker and wants to make knives full time, so he’s doing whatever he can to make that into a reality. After speaking with some full time knifemakers, I know that this isn’t easy to do, and making the transition can take a long time. That said, many of these knifemakers at least have nights and weekends to spend in the shop, working on new techniques and perfecting their craft. Ernie drives a semi-truck all week, which keeps him away from his shop and makes life as we know it possible. This hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his dream and he continues to not only make beautiful knives, but to educate himself on more advanced techniques and make time for his fiancée and young family.

Many of us have goals and dreams, but “life” can sometimes make that very difficult to pursue. I found Ernie’s dedication and perseverance to reaching his goal personally inspiring, so it is with great respect that I share his story with you today.

Hi Ernie, welcome to the site! Let me start off by asking what got you into knives?

I guess it was growing up in the woods. Growing up I was taught to be an outdoorsman, hunting, fishing, trapping and many other outdoor activities. I have used knives for as long as I can remember and have always had one in my pocket, ever since my father gave me my first slip joint. I have always been comfortable using knives and when I was younger I had a small collection of cheap knives, mostly slip joints.

How did you start making your own knives?

Up until about two years ago I didn’t know much about customs except that they were expensive. I have always thought it was normal to sharpen my knives after every use.

After doing a little research and learning what customs are all about I decided I wanted one. Being the type of guy that makes what I cannot afford, I joined bladeforum.com and started asking questions, one of the members there “Joesouth” offered to send me some materials. I then started to make my first knife using no power tools. I sat on my porch and filed the bevels in.

Tell us a bit about your philosophy behind designing and making your knives.

Hunting and EDC pretty much sums it up. Nothing beats a well designed and built knife that people can use over and over. Hunting is the reason I got into making knives so I will always build knives for the outdoorsman. I am also working on designing some knives with multiple characteristics, the purpose of these knives is multi-use with ease.

I do eventually want to make fantasy and art knives, swords, and tactical knives.

I want to start forging knives soon. As I get all the equipment needed I will progress in that direction with hopefully someday making my own Damascus.

Awesome! You are tackling this head on, and I love your holistic approach to knife making. Speaking of which, you are also making some great leather sheathes, which took me a while to notice because I was so fixated on the knives. What got you into sheath making?

My belief is that a good knife should be paired with a good sheath made for that knife.

I figured as long as I am building knives I better learn to build sheaths too. After doing research, reading tutorials, and asking lots of questions I went ahead on my leather work adventure. I got a lot of help from the members of Knifedogs.com, Dave Cole of DC Knives and Leather gave me great advice and answered any question I had. I learned to stitch from reading a tutorial that was written by Chuck Burrows of Wild Rose Trading Co.

I enjoy making the sheaths just as much as making the knives.

I love your selection of handle materials. Some almost look like they are made from exotic stone. What kind of material is that?

The wood your referring to is dyed and stabilized Box Elder Burl. It is amazing wood.

I like to use wood as there are no to pieces the same. I use mostly Burls or spalted wood as they are the most unique, and add so much character to the knives. I am also starting to use G10 and micarta.

As you know I’m a big fan of wood handles myself. Those Box Elder Burl pieces are especially striking, beautiful stuff! I could never get bored with a handle like that.

When we spoke on the phone, I was amazed to hear that you were on the road 5 days a week. How do you find the time for work, family and knife making?

Its tough but we manage, I am out driving semi all week. When I get home usually on Friday I do not work. Saturday and Sunday I work from around 6 to 3, going into the house many time through the day to check email, forums, eat, and talk to the fiancée and children.

I have to admit; I am impressed. That can’t be easy and it’s inspiring to hear how you get it all done. As an up and coming maker, who are your favorite designers/which designers do you most look up to?

That list would be a mile long. There are so many makers out there that produce amazing work, all of them have their own style that cant be beat.

To name a few that I look up to work wise I would have to say; Bruce Bump, Ed Caffrey, Allen Newberry, Bill Coye, Tracy Mickley, Les George, Bob Loveless, Bill Moran, Ken Erickson and Todd Davison. These are all the makers that without ever talking to them I was blown away by their work. Some of them are fairly new to the game but I look up to them just the same as the guys that have been around for years.

I’m totally with you. Each maker has their own style, custom knifemakers remind me over and over how the knife can be a piece of art as much as a tool – even the simple designs. What is your “next step” as a maker?

Get Better… 🙂

I would have to say my next step is to get more of the tools I need and finish building my welded NWG that was designed by Tracy at USA Knife Makers Supply. Once that is finished I will be able to start hollow grinding and also make my flat grinds better.

I just got a heat treat oven so I am learning about heat treating. I want to build a forge and get an anvil so I can start forging blades.

I will always try new steels as they are the backbone of a knife so to speak. I have so far found a couple I am really happy to work with, and will continue to use them.

I am right now working on a few designs that I am going to do a small run of. If all goes well I will offer them all the time. One of them is in a pass around right now and will be my first official model.

Ahh, heat treats, new steels and forges… music to my ears. 🙂 Ok, last question; what is your current “EDC” knife?

A very special knife to me, last year I drew out a design for a slip joint and posted it on forums looking for advice. Ken Erickson was one of the guys to comment saying it was all wrong and asked if I wanted to go to his shop and learn how to build a slip joint. I jumped at the opportunity and went for the visit. During my time there (about 7 hours) Ken built a slip joint folder teaching me the way he does everything, then when he was finished He handed me the knife and said here you go. I was blown away, I didn’t know I was going to be getting a knife and it has been in my pocket ever since. I cherish the knife and my time spent with Ken.

That is such a great story! Probably my favorite answer to this question so far. I’m sure you will treasure that knife for years to come.

Thanks so much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yes, thank you for the interview and your site looks really good.

Also I would like to thank a few people who have helped me in my start as a knife maker.
Joesouth, Ken Erickson and since there are too many to list………

All the Members, Mods, and Admin at Knifedogs.com

Thanks Guys, I could not have done it with out your continued support and help!!!!

Thanks for the kind words, Ernie! My pleasure, as always! I look forward to following your growth as a knifemaker and I am very happy to have snagged an interview with ya. Best of luck with everything you do!

You can learn more about Ernie and see more pictures of his work by checking out his website, ErnieSwansonKnives.com or by visiting him at his home forum, knifedogs.com.

Knifedogs is a closely-knit internet knife community that I have only recently discovered but was really impressed with because of the warmth and generosity of its members. Highly recommended for intelligent knife discussion.