In the Making: Sheffield Pocket Tool

This is Steve. A more pleasant man you shall not meet. He was so good at explaining each stage of the process to me. Steve made his first knife when he was 9 years old. His dad was a furniture maker, but dabbled with knife making too (like you do) and showed him the basics. This lit a spark in Steve which never went out. Steve has now been making beautiful pocket knives for over 30 years.

It’s not very often one get’s the privilege of witnessing a master craftsman taking a block of wood and a raw stainless steel blade, and working them into a beautiful pocket knife.

Our hometown is Sheffield, UK and for those of you who don’t know; Sheffield is famous for it’s knife making heritage which dates back over 300 years. It only seemed fitting to collaborate with a local artisan to create a beautiful outdoor pocket knife.

It was such an interesting day, and so inspiring to see the full creative process so I thought I’d share some shots from the workshop.

Drilling two holes in each handle for brass pins hold the knife together.

The two halves of the handle.

Time warp — I love these original metal trays and equipment dating back to 1930’s.

 

Nailing the handles together.

Inserting the blade into the handle.

Lubricating the folding mechanism

Sparks fly — shaping the handle to run smooth with the stainless steel spring.

Polishing the blade and bolster.

Sharpening the blade.

The finished knife, in the work-stained hands of the craftsman himself.