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Wildfire Cutlery Home Page
I am a full-time maker of hand made carbon steel Western and Asian inspired kitchen knives. When I have time, I make kitchen knives to my own design, and ⇒list them on my kitchen knives in stock page⇐.
However, most of my time is spent as a custom blade smith, collaborating with folks from all around the world, who commission me to create kitchen knives, from high carbon steel and local hardwoods.
I have a masters degree in individualized education from C.C.N.Y. (1974), which when combined with my 37 years full time smithing experience, ideally suits me to collaborate seamlessly with each person who contacts me, on design options, cost, etc.
You can see some of my work in the slide show on this and other pages. I really enjoy the process of collaboration and offer this design process free to any and all interested clients.
You can read and absorb this whole site or just ⇒contact me⇐ with your ideas and we can easily hash out a design plan and cost for your custom kitchen knife (knives).
Please do cruise around my pages & slide shows, using the menu above and let me know if you see something you like.
Slideshow below; Steak knife concept set designed by and for Atelier Crenn of San Francisco. 20 steak knives are stored in two custom made lidded boxes, which remain behind the scenes. Individual trays carry 4 knives at a time to tables. Trays and boxes were made in collaboration with ⇒ Jens Sehm, Ashland based furniture maker. ⇐ . For further description, see slideshow.
My Latest Work – 2017
Details about my work and myself
All my work is made in my shop, out of high carbon steel, in the USA, full time since 1980. These hand made high carbon tool steel kitchen knives are crafted and heat treated one knife at a time, by Michael Moses Lishinsky, and have been since 1980. Just like in the old days, I use 1084 high carbon tool steel, which offers a knife that is well balanced in that it holds a wicked edge, but is also responsive to being brightened quickly when honed. My knives are in kitchens all around the world.
I ship to all English speaking countries (along with France,Sweden & Norway). I work for individuals and some major corporations, creating unique one of a kind gifts. Besides custom work, I make a line of Western style kitchen knives and a line of Asian inspired kitchen knives. I also do commission work consisting of the restoration of old knives and armaments. My designs are all time honored, affordable, guaranteed, original, lightweight and unique. Each kitchen knife has perfect balance, and is constructed with a full tang on the handle (a wood & steel sandwich).
My approach is to offer a basic kitchen knife with wooden handle and brass bolsters as listed in my price list, and from there offer various custom add-on options for steel thickness, handle styles, local handle woods & choices for all types of ornamentation on your handle. Each extra or add-on costs a bit more, but adds to the uniqueness and value of the finished product.
Details of Construction
The standard steel that I use is .062 thick 1084 cold rolled high carbon tool steel, which is heat treated one knife at a time, by me in my shop. Properly heat treated carbon steel allows for a knife that will keep a keen edge, yet is noticeably easy to re-hone for a new keen edge. All the sweeps of the edges of my knives have the classic French curve, for that nice rocking motion and for ease of use and re-sharpening. The brass bolster is riveted and glued onto the full tang, and is in between the handle and the blade. It serves to protect the end grain of the handle wood and adds the perfect weight to the handle. Handles generally measure out to about 5 ¼ inches – ¼” leeway from the back of the blade to the bolster, 3/4″ of brass and then 4 1/4″ of wood. All blade lengths are close but not exact. The handle is secured with 4 rivets, which are glued and pressed into place. There are three 1/8” brass pins, and a company chop in the handle ‘butt’. The chop goes through the handle and is functional. It is made in 12” lengths and is comprised of 4 – 1/16 ” brass rods, with a steel ‘lions hair’ center, inside a 5/32nd square brass tube, which is inside a round aluminum tube. Red dyed epoxy is injected into the 12” tube, to hold all a-tanto. I then cut them down to about an inch and glue/install.