THE MAN BEHIND THE ART

Jay Gordin

"As an antique dealer for four decades, I specialized in what I call “Boy’s Toys”... old guns, tools, fishing gear, military stuff etc., and of course, old knives.
I fell in love with the old knives and knife makers of San Francisco and the Old West.  You will find some of these styles incorporated in my own designs.

One style of knife I like to make is the “Brute de Forge”,  a French term that means ‘rough and unfinished’.  I leave some of the rough forging marks on the top part of the blade to add character to my blade. 

I make knives for hunting, skinning, camping & culinary use.  Smaller blades for small game, fish, and everyday carry!  I make fighting knives on request. A unique knife that is a very popular gift item is the railroad spike knife.  It is compact, strong, holds a great edge and  affordable at only $150  including the handmade leather sheath."

MATERIALS

"I hand forge my blades out of high carbon steel.  I also finish blades made from Boye Dendritic Cobalt which is not steel, but a metallic alloy composed of over 50% cobalt, 27% chrome and nickel, tungsten, silicon, molybdenum, iron and carbon.  It is investment cast to shape and has carbide crystal dendritic formations throughout the blade.  These dendritic formations aid in cutting (bite) and help maintain the structural geometry of the cutting edge.  BDC cuts more aggressively and longer than any other blade material that we know of.  It is impervious to salt water corrosion, and under natural conditions it is non-magnetizable.” This material was invented by David Boye


The handle material I use varies from micarta  to elk and deer antler, moose and rams horn, fossil , semi-precious stones, leather, exotic woods, brass, copper, & silver. 

​I make my sheaths out of select oak tanned cowhide.​"

​A look at Jay Bear Custom Knives and Katie Wolff Studio

An amazing video by Women Carry Knives