Hi, I’m Adam!
This page outlines the three major milestones in my knifemaking journey; my first knife I made in The Garage, to the batch of knives I made in The Shed, to the knives I’m currently making in The Basement.
the garage
Over the Christmas break of 2017 I decided to try my hand at making a knife. I had watched enough Forged in Fire episodes in university that I was confident I could get a handle on it.
Geared up with a bar of O1 tool steel, dad’s angle grinder and power drill, the cheapest file set I could find on Amazon, a simple bevel jig made of an eye bolt and a 2x4, 2 firebricks, a MAP torch and way, WAY too much sandpaper, my first creation was born.
It took me a full week. All day. Every day. And it sucked - both the work and the knife. It wasn’t balanced. The handle was bulky and rough. The profile was awkward to hold and use. My fingers were sore and cut. And to top it all off, the knife rusted almost immediately.
Despite all that I was hooked. I made something cool. I wanted to make something better.
the SHed
In the summer of 2020 I moved apartments in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario to one with a shed I converted to a knifemaking workshop. It was here I purchased my first round of basic tools - a 1x30 WEN bench grinder, a benchtop drill press and bandsaw, an angle grinder, etc. Many lessons were learned about the imporance of having the right tool for the right job.
I made roughly 30-40 knives in my Hamilton shed. Due to a multitude of factors (work, weather, social life, COVID, lethargy) my knife work grinded to a halt. I then moved to Windsor, Ontario for my job, and the tools didn’t come out of their boxes for a while.
the basement
The vintage wooden/tile bar and small furnace room in my Windsor basement were both going unused and I hadn’t done any serious knife work in a little over 2 years. I figured it was about time these spaces were put to better use. This of course isn’t an ideal location for a somewhat industrial process, but this is the space that I have so I’m doing my best to make it safe and functional for my needs.
Equiped with a proper 2x72 grinder, educated with endless online resources, encouraged by friends, engaged in hard work, its time to develop some new skills, elevate my game and create something great.
DIVIDE KNIVES is back in business.
