Welcome to the Deep River Forge

All my life I have had an interest in knives. I was born and grew up in Norway, a country with a long history and tradition of knives and knifemaking, with the emphasis on the knife as a tool. Although I spent a lot of my youth in the local blacksmith's forge, and have been making knives since the late 80's, I felt I needed to learn more. In 1993 I attended some courses at the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing in Washington, Arkansas U.S.A. and a couple of years later I was granted my Journeyman classification by the American Bladesmith Society. In 2001 I achieved Master Bladesmith rating, the first Australian to do so. As well as being a member of the ABS I am also a member of the Australia Knifemakers' Guild and the Norwegian Knife Association. My Philosophy regarding knives is that they are tools not weapons and therefore my knives tend to be utilitarian. A knife should be well balanced, keep a good edge, and be of a size and style suited to its intended use. The handle should be sturdy, strong and fit well into your hand. My knives are hand forged from carbon steel, damascus (pattern welded steel) and occasionally chain or cable damascus. For handles I prefer Australian Hardwoods and sometimes bone or antler. Guards, buttcaps, etc. are of stainless steel, nickel silver, brass, horn or bone. I would be very happy to discuss your particular requirements