Island Blacksmith Quarterly
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Historical Techniques
Hand forged with handmade charcoal, constructed and finished with historical methods and natural materials.
see the process
Traditional Tools
Human powered hand tools are used from the time the steel is first put in the fire through to the final assembly.
tour the forge
Reclaimed Materials
Steel, iron, copper, and brass are sourced from salvage and scrap wood for charcoal comes from local sources.
watch a tanto being made
“Dave’s work is something I have both followed and collected since I first discovered him. They are works of deep meaning, exhibiting elegant functionality with all of the core classical elements of feudal Japan. As a collector of high-value antique arms & armour, and also as a 3-decade student of Japanese martial arts (including the katana and tanto), I first encountered…” (read more)
Heirloom tanto, traditionally
crafted in the classical style.
design your own tanto
see featured work
Traditionally crafted charcoal forged classical heirloom tanto made by hand from reclaimed and natural materials using 13th century techniques and the aesthetic of beautifully simple design based on the Japanese sword.
Hand forged tools for adventure
crafted from natural materials.
design your own outdoor knife
shop online
A charcoal forged blade, water quenched with clay, sharpened with waterstones, and finished simply and humbly in the age-old style of farm and foresting tools used in managing satoyama, the borderlands between village and wilds.
In the shadow of Mt. Arrowsmith, deep in a forest clearing,
away from the things of man, there is a place where blades are born of earth, and air, and fire, and water.