I have had a love affair with knives for a very long time, I have owned and used a multitude of knives ever since I was a small boy. I made my first knife while at school for my O level metal work project. I have been making knives on a semi professional basis since about 2000. Initially I started making WW2 Allied fighting knives such as the 1st pattern Fairbairn Sykes and the V42 dagger; primarily for myself, as these blades are so hard to come by especially the V42. I never intended to sell them but people kept asking if I would make them one and it has just grown from there, I am very pleased that people like my blades enough to pay the prices I ask for them.
I forge my blades as well as stock removal. I work mainly with O-l because I know how this material works but I also use EN43 and EN45. I also have some stock of American truck leaf springs. All the knives I make are made in my own workshop, forging, grinding, heat treating, gun blueing and the leather work that will finally hold the finished knife. No one else is involved at any time in the production of one of my knives.
Because I do all the work myself I can be very flexible in terms of what the customer wants from their knife regarding the style and type of fittings etc. I will try to accommodate them as best I can in this. I do have a large selection of patterns I have designed over the years which can be customised to individual requirements. The only thing I will not change is that all my blades come with a flat grind. I feel this is the best all round grind for edge retention, integral blade strength and life expectancy for a blade.
I make mainly fixed bladed knives but I intend to add primitive style friction folders to my custom knife line in the near future. I design my knives to be used, they are robust, strong and I hope pleasing to the eye. These can and have been used by gamekeepers, bush craft enthusiasts, deerstalkers and professional soldiers. I will say again they are designed to be used by PROFESSIONALS. A friend of mine recently deployed to Iraq, he carried one of my blades specially made for him as part of his kit. He and the blade both returned home safely I'm glad to say. Another two of my knives have been used full time by a Combat Survival Instructor in a military survival school close to where I live. I worked very closely with this gentleman on the design of these knives and I have received nothing but positive feed back on their performance.
I try not to make too many of the same style of knives. Variety is the spice of life. I do like to make different styles from Bowies, daggers, fighting knives, Tanto's, survival type knives to primitive rough forged style knives with a Native American feel.
The materials that I use for my handles are always natural materials like leather, birch bark and antler. Unless I'm making a wire wrapped medieval dagger of course. I’m not a great lover of Micarta. I love the figure you can bring out of exotic woods, I feel you can't get this from a man made material and if properly cared for natural handle materials will last the owner a life time.
Steve Nowacki