About

knives

Are you Crazy – do you know how many kitchen knives are on the market and how many places sell them? This was the first response I got about 5 years ago when I mention to some of my friends I wanted to start a knife company. When I couldn’t find the chef knife I really wanted, I thought what the hell, I will just buy a bunch of knives and make do because I was not considering starting a company to get what I wanted. I really didn’t want to start a knife company until…. Why not ?? I bet there are lots of people who feel the same way I do. I felt like I could develop a product to ‘fracture’ the German and Japanese, and Chinese knife market. American made, Veteran owned, produced in the one of the ‘foodie’ capitals in the U.S., Portland, Oregon.

WHY KNIVES

As a baby boomer man, I have always had a thing about knives – all kinds. Where I grew up in the mid-west, getting your first pocket knife (I was about 11 and I still can show you the scars) was a rite of passage for a young man. Getting one was a vote of confidence that you were old enough and mature enough to carry and use something that could cause serious damage to you and others. My Dad always carried a K-Bar 3 bladed knife for as long as I can remember. He never, as the credit card sayings goes, left home without it – I lost or broke several pocket knives early on but I still have the Uncle Henry 3 blade pocket knife my Father gave me 50 years ago.

knife

Fast forward to Viet Nam – 1971 – . I left my beloved Uncle Henry back home for safe keeping and ended up in the jungle without any knife. I realized the first day out, the bush is the last place to be without a knife (can you imagine Bear Grylls without a knife). I partnered up with guys in my squad until my Grandmother responded and sent me a Swiss Army knife – one that I use to this day.

hunting knife

I also keep an Old Timer hunting knife given to me by Roger Dale on his last day in country. I told him I could not take it because he carried it all the time when he was in country, and he would want it as a souvenir when he was home. He said, “Daddy snake, this knife has saved my ass more than once and I want it to do the same for you”. It truly was a gift that kept on giving. I have collected many knives over the years – most were given to me as gifts – gifts I cherish because people thought enough of me to give me something special – a gift that make me remember the giver every time I use it.

But why Kitchen Knives – so what and who cares?

I realized I do!! I care about feeling good when I cook. I feel good when I can prepare a meal that my family and friends enjoy. I feel good when eating together as a tribe kindles primal emotions of connection and meaning. It all began when I first watched the original Iron Chef on Food TV. I could not believe the knife skills those early chefs had and I was hooked – I wanted to learn how to cook and I needed tools – knives.

WHY TOOLS?

There are fundamentally two types of men in this world – men who love tools and men who could care less. I am one of the former, but not obsessively as the men I grew up with. My Father and my Brother are people who always had to have the best, I am not. Harbor Freight is just fine for me but Dewalt and Honda were the preferred choice of my family members. When it comes to knives, I am obsessed with the best tool for the job, not necessarily the best. A good enough tool for the job not only makes the job easier, but makes the experience much better – you can chop down a tree with a ball peen hammer and take a month but with a sharp saw, it only takes minutes. I feel the same way about a kitchen tool like a knife. A quality knife makes cooking a fun experience, not just a chore. Like most people, I started this journey buying a knife here and there but over time, I realized every design I tested did not satisfy my desire for the perfect tool for the job. This realization made me decide to make a ‘tool’ that was highly functional and fun to use. I set out to design the most functional and fun kitchen knives for men like me!!! Our knife designs are created for the man who wants a ‘tool’ that makes cooking efficient and enjoyable. Our knives are also wonderful gifts for the women who want to give a special gift to the men in their lives – especially if they want their guys to cook more and enjoy the experience.