Blade: 7″ 1095 high carbon steel
Handle: 6″ nickel silver, cocobolo
This is one of five knives I submitted in application for the rank of Journeyman Smith at the San Antonio Knife Exposition in 2012. It is a take on an American bowie knife, but the design felt a little piratical to me as I worked on the piece, hence the name.
A piece like this would cost about $600
Nearly all of my knives are made using high carbon steel. It is superior to stainless steel in almost every way, but you need to know how to take care of it. It is important to understand what you’re buying.
If you would like to discuss a custom order, send me a message here to start the conversation. Your email will come to me, and I will respond personally. Tell me as much as you can about what you envision so that I can begin to frame the project in my mind, and we’ll go from there.
Pricing on custom work ranges from $100 on up to $10,000 and more, depending primarily on the complexity of the piece.
Lead time (i.e. when the knife might be complete) depends on what I have on my books at the moment, but in most cases 6 months is a safe guess.
“As a bladesmith, I get to explore the balance of form and function through the endless variety of mankind’s oldest and most useful tool. My craft pushes me every day to learn more and work harder. I love the immediacy of seeing beautiful, useful objects take shape in my hands.” – Zack
I stole my mom’s paring knife when I was 10.
I hid it under the sofa in the basement. I never cut anything with it, just took it out and admired it from time to time. If I’m honest, ten-year-old me felt empowered by the feel of it in my hand. And if I’m really honest, I still do. It has never been about the power to do violence with a blade—although I do think it’s important for me as a maker to respect that potential—but there is just something about knives that I find compelling.
Think about it. Every culture in the world has used knives since long before recorded history, and they are useful in nearly every sphere of human endeavor. You’ve probably used one at least once already today. Knives are simply a feature of our existence in the world we inhabit.
As a bladesmith, I get to explore the balance of form and function through the endless variety of mankind’s oldest and most useful tool. My craft pushes me every day to learn more and work harder. I love the immediacy of seeing beautiful, useful objects take shape in my hands.
– Zack Jonas
Come take a peek behind the curtains and learn a little bit about the work that goes into my knives.
Learn MoreI won’t bore you with my whole life story, but if you would like to know a little more about me, here’s the abridged version.
Learn More
