I made my first knives in my early teens – a double-edged sword and a reproduction of a Buck folding hunter out of mild steel. However, knife making got put on the back burner during those years when I served my apprenticeship as a chef in Europe.
I have been making knives since 1994 on a part-time basis; in the year 2000 I made the decision to become a full-time knife maker. I am a member of the Canadian Knifemakers Guild, which I joined in 1997. The joy of creating a one-of-a-kind knife that will last a lifetime is represented in each knife that I make – in its beauty, design, craftsmanship, and function.
I love to learn, to experiment, and to personally test the blades I create. I test my blades for edge holding in the outdoors as well as in a professional kitchen environment. As a chef, I have the opportunity to cut a variety of different items and then evaluate the best edges for each particular job at hand.
All of the steps involved in crafting a handmade knife – from the design, cutting out the rough shape, grinding, polishing, and fitting – are done by myself. In addition, the leather sheaths I personally make for each of my knives are hand stitched and treated for longevity and performance.
To this day, it is difficult for me to identify exactly what it is that I find so fascinating about knives and edged tools in general. Perhaps it is the artistic beauty of the creations from a custom maker? Perhaps it is the gleaming steel – those fine cutting edges that get honed to such perfection they become a pleasure to use?
Custom wooden display boxes are available for some of my work on an individual basis.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please contact me.
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us loose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” Shakespeare
A primal passion for a tool so utilitarian in its shape that it is conceived by the majority of the public as mere that, a tool or weapon.
Some time ago I found it difficult to identify exactly what it is that I find so fascinating about knives and edged tools in general. This has become a thing of the past, as my direction and my approach to design have taken on a clearer focus. As a boy I considered the knife as a tool of adventure. Numerous stories the likes of Tom Sawyer, The Pathfinder/Cooper, Robinson Crusoe and Jack London’s writings, have portrayed the knife, in my mind, as a tool associated with adventure. Sadly, in the 21st century this portrayal has become blurred. Nevertheless, I will continue to explore the knife as a media in which to express myself in.
Often in life we are blinded by the multi stimuli of our primal senses. We fail to see the things around us. I am inspired by the things around me – the way a branch grows out of a tree, the shape of a leaf, artwork, and sometimes even a movie. Architecture is yet another medium which, if envisioned on varying scales, can yield some interesting knife design ideas.
As an artist, my sense and direction have gone from a strictly utilitarian purpose to a form of expression that figuratively speaks to people, without sacrificing the purpose of the knife. To be able to blend materials, so ancient & exquisite as ivory from a mammoth tusk with a piece of modern steel is a gift to me. To take this gift and make it into an art that emotionally moves human beings, is a reward that I can not measure in mere words. To me there is no greater sense of accomplishment than this.
Defining my focus and direction to a larger degree is fairly easy. I take the familiar basics and create something truly outstanding, simple yet elegant, that will leave a legacy within the knife community and beyond.
And those who believe with total conviction that, “Impossible” is the path which leads to infinite freedom and realization of universal existence, inspiring many to pursue ther dreams of.....
Haslinger Custom Knives