Living in the Alaskan Bush requires a certain kind of personal commitment. Raw materials and finished goods  just are not available to buy when you need them, so it is up to you to make what you need. That was the beginning of the Denali Knife Center. With limited raw materials available we learned make it once and make it right.

Many years ago a local Alaskan Carver was in need of better lasting carving tools, knives and well general tools for life in the Alaskan bush.

A knife maker in the Keni Peninsula asked the carver to carve some knife handles for a customer and this started the new adventure. From that first knife to carving handles for 100 knives a year, the customers response was incredible and the demand was high. The knife maker could not keep up and asked our first carver to help him make  knives to ease the work load. Soon it was discovered that he actually did not make the knives, but rather added handle material locally to a knife blank he had purchased from China via the lower 48.

It was quick…we were in the knife business, buying blanks and adding handles with custom carvings on each of them…until a very special day came upon us. A very patient customer listen to the sales pitch while we were selling at the Saturday market in Anchorage. After watching us quickly sell 3 knives he quietly ask Mr.; “did you make that knife?”. The response was quick and sure; “yes sir” was the response, “We make all of them.” Again the question was asked; “NO…did you make that knife? Did you form the steel and shape it into the knife or did you just make the handle?”

Conviction set in and immediately I knew, by the way the stranger asked the question, I had not made that knife I had only added the handle and carved it. My face dropped and my eyes went to the ground, I was ashamed. He quickly got my attention and offered some relief. He said son; “I come from a small village in Japan where we have hand forged swords for many generations, we make the knives by hand. You have some of the best handle work I have ever seen. Be proud of what you do, you take credit for what is your skill and gift. But you are not a knife maker.”

That night left me very restless and troubled…how would we sell tomorrow. After a question like that I knew I could never tell anyone we made the knife again, that simple would be a lie. The next day at market was great, I simple stood on what I had done…I was a handle maker and carver. You could not get anything like this anywhere else, they were are individual creations. My sales increased and the day at market was very successful…selling hand-made knife handles, custom carved locally.

At the end of the day, that face that had made me so troubled appeared in my booth again. He was listening in the shadows as I gave my new pitch…as a custom knife handle maker. His smile was so big it was more like the approval of your father…I knew I was doing it right. He approached me later and shook my hand, bought 3 knives and said he was proud of me that integrity had more value than anything else in my life. We finishing packing up his 3 knives and he took his bag and shook my hand again asking, “Why don’t you make the knife yourself?” I just gave that blank stare and replied, “I don’t know how”.

He turned quickly around and said, “I can show you how, we can teach you”.

The journey has been remarkable, studying in Japan, India, Indonesia and Korea. Learning the art of forging, making new friends and over the years we first focused on providing knives for local Alaskans, the working man’s knife. We call that the ABC collection it stands for the same thing today – The Alaska Bush Collection.  It is not collectable per say, but rather the foundation of our business, a rugged hand-forged, hand-made hunting bush tool. *with a guarantee for life

Over time one customer asked can you make me this? Can you make me that? And finally that sent us to the forge creating the collectable Hand-Forged, Hand-Made knives, Hand-Carved handles in our collectors series.

And thus the beginning of the Denali Knife Center.

WHAT WE DO and DON’T DO…

We never use blades from anyone than one of our forgers we work with  personally. There is too much buying and reselling in the market place…and let’s face it…the average knife out there (even though you are told its hand-made) is made in China…with machines and slave labor.

Every knife that bears our name is HAND-FORGED / HAND-MADE / HAND-CARVED to create a timeless keepsake you will cherish for generations to come.

Visit our page THE PROCESS to learn more why our knife is the best you will ever own.