Journal

As a former Chicago resident, the Renegade Craft event in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago has been a chance to visit my former home. My first Renegade was 8 years ago and I have gone back every year except during the shutdown. It has been a great chance to show my knives in a context where they are less common but in a curated setting where everyone there is bringing quality. The most common question is "Do you make these?" - of course I do! I have been thinking about why I get that question so much. One reason...

Whether it is an everyday carry blade, an oyster shucker, chef knife or historical reproduction, rest assured that love and care went into the making of our blades and we stand behind our products for life. You can always bring any of our knives into the shop for a tune up or sharpening as many times as you like but some at-home care instructions will help you keep your knife in the best condition for the longest time possible.

The integral bolster design that is sometimes seen on knives is the thick area at the transition point between the blade and handle. Part of the handle itself, it tapers from the blade thickness seamlessly to the handle thickness. This protects the handle material from wear, reduces seams and connection points and leads to a much sturdier blade. Most handmade knives do not have integral bolsters because they must be forged to shape and it is an advanced technique which is difficult and time consuming. Admittedly it is more efficient to cut a blade out of thin steel and add...

Join or Die Knives is four businesses in one. I started selling my handmade knives in 2014 and a few years later started offering basic knife making classes. As the shop grew I founded the Hardway Workshop which is a membership community knife shop and now I have added small scale batch production.