Messerdesigner
Knife designers from around the world
Rex Applegate
One of the most famous names in the field of tactical knives is Rex Applegate. Born in Oregon in 1914, he came into contact with hunting and shooting at an early age, as was usual at the time. After studying at the University of Oregon, he joined the American army in 1940, after which he quickly became a member of the OSS, the American intelligence service of the War Department. His duties were as varied as they were dangerous, with the OSS responsible for operational intelligence gathering, sabotage, counterintelligence and much more. During the Second World War, Colonel Applegate founded the "School for Spies and Assassins", in which he taught special units close combat and, among other things, how to use combat knives. Numerous secret operations later and after guard duty for President Roosevelt, he continued to work as a consultant and instructor. He published several books on hand-to-hand combat techniques and worked on the development and improvement of combat knives. These knives are still sold today by major brands such as Böker or Gerber and improved by well-known knifemakers such as Bill Harsey. Applegate died in 1998, but his famous combat knives live on, for example in the "Applegate Fairbairn" series.
Lucas Burnley
There are not many knives that can offer the perfect balance between utility and aesthetics. However, the knives from Lucas Burnley are definitely among them. They are characterised by a clear structure and modern, neo-Japanese elements. This can be seen, for example, in the Kwaiken models by Böker. Already at the age of 5, the young Burnley from Massachusetts was interested in knives and at that time already owned a pocket knife. Just seven years later he modified his mother's kitchen knife, followed shortly by his first belt grinder and then, at the age of 20, his first self-made knife. Lucas Burnley has now been a knifemaker for 17 years and is constantly adding new ideas to his designs. He still makes handmade knives, but many of his designs are already mass produced. Many of his handmade creations are not sold in the usual shops, however, but are raffled off at large trade fairs and shows. In addition to collaborating with the German brand Böker, he has often worked with major manufacturers such as MKM and CRKT.
Murray Carter
Like many other knifemakers, Murray Carter was fascinated by blades and knives from a young age. He shared his enthusiasm for blades with his enthusiasm for Japanese culture and tradition. At the age of 18, he travelled to the faraway Asian country and met Sensei Yasuyuki Sakemoto. Sakemoto was Yoshimoto's 16th generation blacksmith and taught him how to forge samurai swords. After 6 years of training in blacksmithing, he was given the honour of continuing the 420-year-old tradition in the 17th generation. He then worked as a village blacksmith for 12 more years before gradually starting to sell his hand-forged kitchen knives to the western part of the world in 1997. 4 years later he was recognized as a master blacksmith in the "American Bladesmith Society". Today he mainly produces kitchen knives, neck knives and outdoor knives. His latest collaboration with Spyderco, for example, offers a variety of hand-forged fine kitchen knives that are second to none in quality. Today, he sells his self-forged knives through his company Carter Cutlery.
JiYi Chen
The high-quality men's knives from J.E.Made Knives have been delighting many knife fans worldwide for a few years now. The mastermind behind these beautiful slipjoints is called JiYi Chen and comes from a small village in Nanjing, China. As a child, he loved to fish and hunt, always carrying a knife as a faithful companion. To give his knives a touch of the past, he draws inspiration from traditional pocket knives, especially for the slipjoints, but always adds a modern touch. After the first designs in 2008, he had the first of his blades heat-treated by Jerry Hossom in 2010, where he was able to learn a lot from him. Incidentally, the typical hammer symbol on his blades indicates that JiYi Chen heat-treated them himself. Today, his slipjoint knives are particularly popular in countries where the possession of knives with locks is prohibited. The Chinese entrepreneur lays particular emphasis on the safety of his knives. Each slipjoint knife from J.E.Made Knives has a stable spring with a half-stop function. JiYi Chen also enforces his very high standards in terms of quality. The workmanship of the handmade pocket knives is incomparable and testifies to expert knowledge.
Kaila Cumings
Kaila Cumings from the US state of New Hampshire is one of the few female knife makers. She gained fame primarily through her YouTube channel "Kaila Cummings", on which she dealt intensively with knives and reviewed them. Apart from that, she created numerous tutorials on the subject of knife sharpening. For 5 years now, she has been making her own custom knives and selling them through her shop. In 2013, she also appeared on American television in the survival TV show "Naked&Afraid", in which she had to survive for 21 days with her self-made machete as her only piece of equipment. Her knives are often particularly suitable for outdoor use and are characterised by their diversity and stability.
Bill Harsey Jr.
William Bill Harsey Jr. was born in Oregon in 1955 and grew up in a family of lumberjacks. His childhood was marked by activities such as hunting, fishing and, of course, working with wood. He learned early on to value good steel as well as a sharp blade and pursued the goal of opening a shop for knives in his youth. He is also a custom knife maker and designs and manufactures unique pocket knives and outdoor knives for his customers. Above all, he gained fame through his collaborations with Colonel Rex Applegate and Al Mar Knives. For example, Harsey improved Rex Applegate's popular "Applegate Fairbairn" series, which subsequently won the "Best American Made Knife Award". His knives were often made for tactical use and were often part of the equipment repertoire of various special forces. He also often worked with some major knife manufacturers such as CRKT/Ruger or Gerber Legendary Blades.
Bob Lum
Like many famous knifemakers, Oregon-born designer and knifemaker Bob Lum spent his childhood fishing and hunting. Lum always carried a sharp knife with him and learned to appreciate the value of a good blade. Early on, he was inspired by the style of old Japanese Tanto blades and always gave his custom knives a traditional touch. He combined the traditional features with the design of modernity and always paid attention to a certain uniqueness. He manufactured and designed knives since 1976 and pursued his passion until his passing in 2007. He cooperated with various manufacturers, such as Spyderco or Benchmade, who still produce and sell knives according to his design. Lum's Chinese Folder is particularly popular.
Ken Onion
Kenneth L. Onion is probably one of the most famous knife designers today. He was born in the 1960s in Wellington, Ohio in the USA. However, the inventor has his workshop in Hawaii and Kaneohe. Even as a child, Onion was enthusiastic about all kinds of knives and collected various pocket knives at a young age. Through the magazine "Knives Illustrated" he slipped by chance into the scene of "custom knife making" and became more interested in making his own knives. The biggest influences in his life as a knife designer were a blacksmith named Vernon Ott, who taught him a few things in childhood, and the master designer Stan Fujisaka, who taught him the craft of knife making. He designed his first knife in 1991 and five years later signed a contract with the American manufacturer Kershaw Knives, for whom he designed the famous SpeedSafe. In total, he owns the patent rights to 36 different entries, including various mechanisms and locks as well as knife designs. In 2005, Onion collaborated with Spyderco for the "Spyker Knife Design". Three years later he was inducted into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame. In 2010, Onion left Kershaw Knives to pursue his own production. He has also been working with CRKT for a while and regularly designs new pocket knives. In addition to designing knives, he also developed some knife care products together with Work Sharp.
Serge Panchenko
Known for his extremely popular EDC knives, Serge Panchenko is a very talented knifemaker who has put his focus on knives suitable for everyday use. Most of these are relatively flat and take up little space in the backpack. His goal is always to design new knives that are not only visually appealing and interesting, but also convince with uncomplicated and comfortable handling. He combines all this with quality and professional craftsmanship. His most famous works are the Lancer models by Böker, the Dogtag models by Spyderco and the Bean models by Fox Knives. All the knives he has designed bear the logo of his company "Serge Design".
Dietmar Pohl
German knife designer Dietmar Pohl is best known for his own brand Pohl Force, which has stood for quality and exceptional workmanship for 25 years now. He started at a young age after completing his studies, as a marketing manager, designer and product manager in the Solingen knife industry. His special focus is still on EDC knives and tactical knives for the military and emergency forces. He draws his knowledge from practical experience; he is in contact with various operational and special forces at every opportunity to gather reports on experiences and possible criticism. This enables him to constantly improve his designed knives and adapt them to practical needs. These include units such as the GSG9, the SEK, the Marines Force Recon or the paratroopers. In addition to his Pohl Force knives, Dietmar Pohl occasionally designs knives from other brands, such as the Magnum Annual Knife 2020. His style is characterised by particular stability and an exceptionally pleasant feel.
Todd Rexford
Todd Rexford is an American knifemaker who has been fascinated by guns and knives since his early childhood. Even then, his interests lay in sport shooting, hunting and fishing, and in engineering. He started wrenching on cars in his father's workshop, shortly after which he studied at college to get his engineering degree. With the simplest of machines and equipment, he eventually succeeded in making his first knife, after which his passion really began. Above all, he designs pocket knives and driving knives in a modern design and is always exploring new styles and production methods. In addition to his own brand Rexford, the designer has collaborated with many manufacturers, such as Zero Tolerance.
Manuel de la Torre
Known primarily for his knives produced in collaboration with Nieto, Manuel de la Torre is not an unknown quantity, especially in Spain. The knifemaker, master smith and survival expert is a member of the "Association of Spanish Cutlery" or "A.C.A.E." His designs are all created in Spain and are also realised in Spain. His knives are mostly used in the outdoor area and inspire bushcrafters as well as fans of camping and survival. Small neck knives and pocket knives can also be found among his creations. The knives are often equipped with sturdy blades that connect to a noble and finely crafted wooden handle. Visually, they often catch the eye with their striking contrast, which is created by a red fibreglass underlay under the handle scales. In addition to a high-quality leather sheath, the knives usually come with a lanyard loop and a lanyard cord to stow the knife away and carry it comfortably.
Jesper Voxneas
The Danish knifemaker Jesper Voxnaes has already designed some great knives and brought them to market. Responsible for the great Böker Saga series, he designs not only chef's knives but also outdoor knives and pocket knives. He works mainly for well-known manufacturers such as Böker, Fox Knives, Viper, Helle, CRKT and Spyderco. After 20 years of professional experience and a multitude of renowned awards, such as the IF Product Design Award, he still designs innovative and modern knives today. If you look around Voxnae's repertoire, you will quickly notice where the focus of his knives lies: on innovation and functionality. The knives are made of high-quality materials and are usually rather compact in size. This makes them ideal as EDC or camping/outdoor equipment.
Jim Wagner
When years of experience and practical skill meet, it is often the work of Jim Wagner. The middle-aged knife designer has served as a civil servant in various fields, such as personal protection, police patrol, SWAT or even as a soldier in the army. As the inventor of the "Reality Based Personal Protection System", his main business is now teaching special forces his self-defence techniques. His techniques have been adopted in some parts of the world, as have his knives. Especially popular are his RBB knives, which are manufactured and distributed by Böker. These are adapted to the practical experience gained over a long period of time and are made for use. There are also training knives according to Wagner's design, which are mainly used by special forces for training.
Brad Zinker
The veteran knifemaker from Florida has been associated with knives since his earliest childhood. As the son of a vegetable farmer and as a boy scout in his youth, he had very frequent contact with all kinds of knives from an early age. In the mid-1980s, out of curiosity, he tried his hand at the art of knife making and after one and a half years he held his first own knife in his hands. Zinker places particular emphasis on the slim and light design of his knives as well as on functionality. They should also be easy to transport. An example of Zinker's high-quality work are the Urban Trapper models by Böker.
Brian Efros
Brian Efros grew up in the Midwest of the USA and learned at a young age how important hard work and the right tools are. Some time later, when he was already living in Colorado, he got into knife production. In the beginning he made knives for his friends who were as nature-loving as he was, and later for sale. This continued for seven years until 2016, when he started producing folding knives after learning from the best in the business. Later, he designed several folding knives for Böker, among others.
Kansei Matsuno
Kansei Matsuno is a Japanese knifemaker who has been producing his custom knives since 1992. He was born in Japan in 1951 and grew up there. Later he worked in the tourism industry and also loved fishing in his private life. This meant that he was always in need of a good hunting knife. After searching in vain, he decided to make his own knife. Only a short time later, family members and friends approached him and wanted to have knives made by him. For two years he still made knives with saw and file until he bought his first simple belt grinder. His productivity and quality of work increased drastically. In 2002, he was admitted to the American Knifemakers Guild on a probationary period. His style is strongly influenced by his origins, which can be seen mainly in the typical Japanese blades, but also in the slim and light construction of his knives. Even before Böker, he had already built up a large fan community which, however, expanded considerably after the Böker Wasabi. Since then he has become a popular knife designer who, in addition to his custom knives, also creates designs for large companies.
Franck Souville
Franck Souville works in his workshop in a small village called Ornans in France. He builds custom knives that combine the classic and rustic with the modern. He likes to use unusual materials such as wild boar tusks, deer antlers, giraffe bones or parts of a frozen mammoth. He also likes to use exotic woods and titanium. His creations are made with the utmost care and skill, from the production of the damask steel to the fine grinding of the handle, and so far there have been no limits to his creativity. He has already designed several times for large companies such as Böker.