An explosion of interest in bespoke, handmade knives is being fuelled by social media and reality television, with thousands turning out to see the "rock stars" of the knifemaking world at trade shows around the country.
Some Australian knifemakers boast thousands of followers, and the American TV reality program Forged In Fire is heating up hype about the craft.
Australian Knifemakers Guild secretary Kevin Room said there was growing demand for custom knives for cooking, hunting, camping and outdoor use, and also among collectors.
He said a one-year backlog was common.
"It's like any high-end item, a Prada handbag, or a Ferrari — the right person is willing to invest in a luxury item," Mr Room said.
"Just like a Ferrari, high-end knives are not just for looks, we make them to perform.
"People are happy to wait for a quality product when they understand its value and appreciate the time and skill it takes to create."
Mr Room said there were 155 Australian Knifemakers Guild members, representing a group of "pioneers" who wanted to take the craft to the "next level".
"This by no means represents all the people who are now getting involved in knifemaking in Australia. The craft has exploded in recent years," he said.
Mr Room said there were about 26,000 members of the Australian Blacksmiths and Knifemakers group on social media.
More than 5,000 fans of the craft recently flocked to the Sydney Knife Show to see makers selling their wares.
"It's about doing something with your hands and disconnecting from technology," Mr Room said.
"It is a craft – one of the oldest crafts, making one of the oldest tools known to man.
"Knives are a fundamental tool for our existence. To be able to make something that will last so long is incredibly satisfying."
Becoming a mastersmith
Australian Knifemakers Guild president Shawn McIntyre is one of only two knifemakers in Australia at mastersmith level — an accreditation that can only be attained through the American Bladesmith Society.
"It's a not-for-profit group in the United States dedicated to the preservation of the forged blade," he said.
"I've been a mastersmith since 2008 – the whole process takes a minimum of five years."
Mr McIntryre has more than 25,000 Instagram followers who are fans of his meticulous work.
To become part of the elite group of mastersmiths, applicants must pass a series of elaborate tests and make several knives, including a specific type of dagger.
Once a knifemaker has completed two years at apprentice level, they are able to apply for judging and rating at the American Bladesmith Society's annual meeting to reach the journeyman smith level.
Part of that test includes forging a blade so sharp it can shave a single hair off the applicant's arm.
"Quality begets quality. When you have others around you that are constantly improving, and constantly pushing hard, you push yourself harder," Mr McIntyre said.
"I have customers buy my knives for their children and they're not allowed to have them yet because they are too young, but they are buying them so they have them for the rest of their lives," he said.
"That's a really, really amazing feeling when someone says they are buying an heirloom from you."
'Lifelong' journey
Mr Room said the process of becoming a mastersmith was rigorous because there was a "profound" degree of skill involved and a high level of quality had to be maintained across the industry.
"Knifemaking is a lifelong journey – it combines elements of so many other skills such as blacksmithing, wood and leather work, engineering and even jewellery making," he said.
"A handmade kitchen knife from a skilled maker will blow you away when you use it for the first time in the kitchen.
"It's something you will never get from a factory-produced knife."
Gruelling work
Mr McIntyre said while it was rewarding, being a professional knifemaker was physically gruelling work.
"When you're a knifemaker, 90 per cent of what you do is drudge. I don't mean that to be negative, but you have to put in the hours to physically do what we do," he said.
"The more complex they get, just the more hours there is and the price tag reflects not only the materials, but the fact that you have been in the shed for 60 hours, building that one knife.
"I often joke that if I wanted to make money, I should go get a job at McDonald's. You don't become a knifemaker to get rich."
Changing attitudes
Mr McIntyre said that 25 years ago, when he told strangers what he did for work, the reactions could be negative.
"I used to get asked all the time, 'What do you mean, you make knives … for criminals?'" he said.
"I never understood that because my name is stamped on every single knife I make, I know where every single one goes.
"Now, I never get asked that question. People now think about craftsmanship, tradition and keeping skills alive.
"There's been a big shift in society where people are looking at hand craftsmanship very differently, they're embracing it."
'Serious' collectors keep 'dying art' alive
Bruce Barnett, a professional knifemaker based in WA, recently sold a five-bladed folding knife for nearly $3,000, crafted from his own pattern-welded Damascus steel with mother-of-pearl handles.
"There's some pretty serious collectors out there," he said.
"There are a few guys over east and over in the USA who have bought over 12 of my custom folding knives each.
"I've been going to the United States every year since 2008 — to the big knife shows over there.
"It's a dying art, especially the forging side of things, everything has to be really high quality."
Jeremy Wheaton, a member of the Australian Knifemakers Guild, said while he had no plans to become a professional knifemaker, demand for his products in WA had "skyrocketed".
"A lady commissioned me to make a knife that matched the red, glass splashback of her kitchen," he said.
"I think the pandemic has caused people to stop and think. The interest and demand in handmade crafts has skyrocketed.
"It's been a fair bit for the knifemakers to actually keep up with orders. Some will say, 'Wait six months and I'll start your order.'"
