Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

Welcome to jayfisher.com!

Thank you for taking the time to be here! There are many other sites you might visit in this internet world, but I promise that you will have access to more information, more photos, more descriptions, and more insight into professional knifemaking and fine handmade custom knives on this site than any other professional knifemaker's site in the world. That's a pretty big promise, and it's a pretty big site, so please, take your time, and enjoy the results of over three decades of professional knifemaking.

jayfisher.com is about my professional knifemaking, my photography, writing, and other artistic pursuits. I'm Jay Fisher, and I've written every word, every description, and every idea on this website is presented through my experience. The only exceptions are the testimonials about my knives, which are reproduced word for word from my clients. Also, most of the collaborative knife descriptions are written by the family members who have made the knives with my guidance, when they were learning from me.

The rest of the information, photos, data, ideas, concepts, and knowledge come from me. You might say that if you read the entire site (which is impossible, because I add to it every week), you will have a great insight and understanding of my professional view, process, ideas, concepts, and creativity about modern, fine, handmade and custom knives. Through this exposure, I hope that you will learn about yourself, your relationship with knives, art, and modern craftsmanship, and better understand your desires and exceptions for fine knives.

You'll also have access to my handmade knives and even Professional Knife Consultation if that is your goal.

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How jayfisher.com Came To Be

When looked at overall, in the current state, jayfisher.com looks like a very big undertaking. Truly, if you add up the hours and effort that has gone into and continues to go into this web site, it is an impressive number. One could say that it takes many years to amass this much information, do this much writing, and this much photography. But if you think of that time, think of the time it takes to make all these knives! Think also how much time it takes to learn and experience the magnitude or information it takes to be a professional knife consultant based on a career of knifemaking for some of the most demanding knife owners and users in the world. It's more than a career; it's a lifelong passion.

I started jayfisher.com back in 1995-1996, when I saw the internet coming into being. I thought that this might be a great way to show some of my work and maybe even glean a knife order or two. I had no expectations; I didn't quit going to shows and trying to sell knives the way I had done since the early 1980s; quite the contrary. I thought that maybe, just maybe, there might be a person or two who would see my mailing address on the website and ask for a brochure. Really.

I put up some atrocious colored text against a black background, filled the pages with prehistoric hit counters, and watched and waited. Then I discovered that I might just be able to keep a crude and fast record of my works—or at least the newest ones—on the computer for easy access to let me know what kind of steel, what handle material, or what embellishment I might have done.

Luckily, no one had taken the domain name "jayfisher," even though there are plenty of Jay Fishers out there, some professional and successful, and some with mug shots...

Like the first knife I made, I can't remember the first knife I sold over the internet and through the website. I realized that since I would keep pushing out knives, why not display as many as I could, if possible, on the website? Unfortunately, I made many knives that I never photographed, and I regret that. Most knifemakers regret this in their own knives. I didn't photograph them because I thought they were not important enough to set up all the lighting, photography, darkroom (yes, I processed all my early knife photo records through film and print), and spend all the time and effort to reproduce the images. That was a mistake.

About 2005-2007, there was an explosion on the web; particularly on this site. Traffic rushed to millions of hits a month, translated to tens of thousands of monthly visitors, and I detail this a bit on this special page. The high volume of website traffic continued, and I was getting deeper and deeper into orders, simply because a knifemaker can only make so many knives a month, a year, or a lifetime, and there are many more people who want them than makers who can make them! I dropped my professional show and organization memberships and concentrated on this web site as my main and now sole venue.

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Why call it "jayfisher"?

It might sound vain to name a website after a person, but please understand how modern knifemakers and knifemaking work. Makers are recognized by their names, purely and simply. While a maker might be tempted to call his knifemaking company "Wolf's Breath Mountain Springtime Pine Knives," this is not how our tradecraft recognizes makers. We recognize them by their names. The early makers knew this; they were simply recognized by name: W. D. Randall, Scagel, W. W. Cronk, Bob Loveless. Clearly, the name of the maker is the brand, and typically the maker's mark on the blade is simply the name. That's why my website bears my name, too.

You might think this is pretty clear, but to some who arrive here, they just don't understand what this site is about! It's about knives, particularly fine handmade and custom knives, and specifically about knives made by me, Jay Fisher, and my professional services. Some folks think the web site is about knives in general, or knifemakers, or supplies for knifemaking, or a place they can learn knifemaking. While all of these subjects are discussed on jayfisher.com, this site is about my knives, my knifemaking, and my professional business practices and services.

If you are looking for a fine, handmade or custom knife, this site is about you, your relationship to knives, and ultimately your relationship with me if we agree to do business together. You'll learn who I am, what I have done, and hopefully, see what you might like for me to make for you!

You will find answers here that you will find in no other place in the world. Certainly, you won't find them on other knifemakers' websites. The answer might not be what you want to discover, it might be controversial, it might not be what you expected, but it will be clearly, completely described, detailed, and explained. I write with integrity, and this is why people, businesses, and entities employ me for professional knife consultation. I believe my readers are fully capable of understanding logic, experience, and reason. For those that don't, I have plenty of Funny Emails pages they can occupy.

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How Does This Website Work?

Nearly everyone who comments about this site is graciously thankful and respectful of the effort, clarity, and sheer volume of information presented here. They are happy to find reason amid the chaos of hyped ad copy, manufacturer's claims, and limited offerings in the knife world, despite the fact that the internet is supposed to be the largest information depository in the world. They are thankful that I've taken what time I have to present my point of view, whether they agree or not, and they leave this site with a deeper understanding of knives and knife topics. I'm thankful that they have spent their valuable time here, and appreciate their consideration and kindnesses.

From time to time (thankfully not often), I get complaints that the website is too large; there's too many pages, and this comment is always followed by a request for a catalog page listing the price of knives offered for sale. The word always is accented because this is always the case! These people want a catalog website. They see some knives they like, they just want to go to a page that has a price list. They want to see the numbers, they want to comparison shop, buy within their budget, have knives presented as a list of componentized objects in assemblages. Like the options on a new car manufacturers site, they want to see the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price for knives. Is that so much to ask? And they get frustrated when this magical page can not be found.

Okay, here are some clear points that they may have missed (though I don't know how):

• Unless a knife is on my "For Sale" pages, it's already sold and cherished by its owner.
• Every knife on this site and every knife available here is handmade.
• Half my work is making custom knives, that is: knives made to order.
• Custom knives are ordered after I give a price quote and delivery time.
• In order to quote for a knife, I have to know what pattern the knife is based on.
• In order to quote for a knife, I have to know the materials, finish, embellishment, and accessories for the project.
• Without a conversation (via email), I can't know what a potential client wants.
• It's not possible to list prices on over 500 patterns and thousands of different material and embellishment sets.
• Other than certain tactical combat knives, I never repeat the same knife in materials, finish, embellishment, and accessories, so each knife is unique, and requires a unique quote.
• The only knives I offer that are not custom ordered are the creative works on the simple "For Sale" pages on the website, linked at the top of every single page on this website.
• Those knives listed "For Sale" are clearly marked in price and availability.

I hope this helps! If you are looking for a knife immediately available for purchase, please look at the current
Knives for Sale
Chef's Knives for Sale
Tactical Knives for Sale
If you want to order a custom knife, email me for a quote!

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Navigating with Purpose!

You have a reason for being here. Maybe you put some words into a search engine, maybe you were referred. Maybe you saw a picture on a search engine's image page, maybe you heard I was an awful monster and want to confirm it. Maybe you want to know just how a modern knifemaker works, maybe you want to know what that thingy is called on the front of your knife handle. Maybe, you just stumbled on this site, like people do all the time! No matter; you are here and that is a good thing.

• Knives available for immediate purchase and delivery: There are only three pages on this website that have knives immediately available for purchase. These are Knives for Sale that I make of all types, Chef's Knives for Sale, and Tactical Knives for Sale (combat, rescue, and survival knives). Links to these pages can be found at the top of every page in the header, and at the bottom of every page in the footer. On these pages, you'll see a box with a photo of the knife and a link to the individual knife page, detailing the knife in every way with lots of pictures, information, and a price for the knife. I don't typically have many knives available, as they don't seem to last long!
• Professional Knife Consultation: I offer this for people, entities, and advanced knife users who require the knowledge and information that they can't find somewhere else. The world is rife with bad information, sales tactics, and hype, and people contact me and employ me to help navigate through the chaos and confusion, and give them the answers they desire. More on my Professional Knife Consultation Services
• Specific Types of Knife: If you are looking for a specific type of knife, and not interested in others, browse to the bottom of every page and you'll see a section in the table column labeled "Specific Types." In that column, you'll see the types of knife I make and the pages dedicated to that very type. On each of those pages, there will be a menu of topics near the top of the page, and that menu can guide you through the individual knife type page. Or you can just read the page, and scroll down at your leisure. You'll see thumbnail caption boxes that have small photos that can be viewed full screen by clicking on them, and some of the pages have links on the names of the knife that will lead you to individual featured knife pages describing, detailing, and giving specifications for each knife, as well as other photos of the knife project.
• Knife Patterns: The largest and most developed Knife Patterns Page in the world. Often my most visited page, lots of people visit my knife patterns page because, frankly, it's the largest, most robust and well documented knife pattern page by any individual knifemaker in the world! (I can't help repeat that, it's important!) It's this way because I work very hard on it and have made a lot of knives in a lot of different ways for a lot of years. The Patterns Page and the Alphabetic Listing of the patterns pages go hand in hand, and the links to those pages is at the top of every page in this website in the header, and on every page on the bottom footer. On the Patterns page, you'll see the hundreds of knife patterns with links to photos of completed knives and links to pages about those individual knives if available. These pages are updated all the time with new models, or new knives made from the patterns shown.
• Blades: Lots of people are interested in the blade; it's what makes a knife a knife and not a shovel! So my Blades page is a bit hitter in web traffic. In fact, it rates right up there with the patterns page in my most visited pages. The Blades page is well-designed with a massive table of contents at the top of the page, and detailed individual topics explained in great detail with photos and graphics to illustrate and elaborate. Frankly, it is the very best page about custom and handmade knife blades by any individual knifemaker in the world. Steel types are detailed extensively, not with confusing numbers about alloy content and graphs about paper cutting and wet spray exposure testing, but with realistic, practical, reasonable explanations as to the pros, cons, and reasons for using any particular steel for the knife. There are also links to individual pages that detail the main steels I use with even more grounded and practiced logic and specifics. You'll spend a lot of time on the Blades page, but if you read the whole thing, I guarantee you'll know more about knives than most other people, and more than most knifemakers about knife blades!
• Frequently Asked Questions: The FAQ page is an important one if you have a question about my knives, work, and who I am and what I do. There are also questions about my business practices, cost, quotes and delivery, and answers to the most frequently asked questions people have about this site, knifemaking, and my profession. What is the most frequently asked question? "How long does it take to make a knife?" Yep, the answer is on the FAQ page.
• Knife Anatomy: This is another big page, with important answers to parts of a knife and an astounding amount of information you won't find anywhere else! This includes the major types of knife, what the components and features are, and an amazing vocabulary list written in plain American English with hundreds of definitions and accompanying references and links. This page is also a heavy hitter on this website; take a look and you'll know more than most about Knife Anatomy, Parts, Names, and Definitions.
• Military, Combat, and Professional Tactical Knives Portal: This website is so big, it had to have a Tactical Knife Portal just to compartmentalize all of the various tactical knife pages. I've made real combat, rescue, survival, and tactical knives for professionals for so many years that there are literally hundreds of examples in the field. It doesn't surprise me when I hear from a soldier in a distant land that he's seen one of my knives; I'm honored to make them for our professionals and our allies. The pages available through the portal are:
  • Main Tactical Combat Rescue Knife Page
  • Counterterrorism Knives
  • Commemorative Knives Page
  • United States Air Force Pararescue Knives Page
  • USAF Pararescue Light (PJLT) Knife Page
  • Khukris
  • Locking Tactical Combat Knife Sheaths
  • Tactical Knife Sheath Accessories
  • ... and more!
• Knife Sheaths: This is a big page and a popular one on this website. You will probably find answers to questions you may have about modern handmade and factory knife sheaths there, as it is my belief that the sheath is as important as the knife! Most makers and manufacturers fall flat on this aspect of our tradecraft, and the page explains that curiosity as well as details about the materials, arrangement, construction, longevity, use, wear, and artistic presentation of the Modern Handmade Knife Sheath. The page also goes into the military tactical knife sheath with links to more pages and lots of data about the knife sheath. It's important to note that I don't make sheaths for anyone's knives but my own, and this is the most often asked inquiry I receive.
• Featured Knife Pages: People want to see reams of data, loads of large pictures, and technical and artistic explanations about every knife I make. I've never had anyone tell me that there is just too much information about their knife, so I've chosen many of my best works to fill the four Featured Knife Pages. On the pages, you'll see thumbnail photos that enlarge, and with them the links to the individual knife that has more information on every knife than any other knifemaker on the internet provides! This way, I, too, can visit each of those special knives I've created over the years.
• And all the rest: I could go on and on describing pages, but these are some of the main pages people visit and enjoy on this website. There are, literally, hundreds more, but I'll trust that you can find them through the page header, the heavy footer, or the site Table of Contents Page.

One important thing: I continuously add to this website as new topics, knives, steels, processes, pursuits, and creations are developed. I plan to do this for a great many years yet, so please come back periodically, to see how it's all progressing and what there is new in the world of fine handmade and custom knives!

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What is the Future of jayfisher.com?

The future is bright! I'll continue to add knives, photos, and information, and continue to grow as an artist and craftsman and knife professional. I don't currently plan to have any forums or interactive nodes, methods, or features; there are plenty of those on the internet, and while I appreciate the contacts and conversations, they are a lot of work to police, administer, and maintain. I'm keeping my ear to the ground about the future, with video, small and large device compatibility, and reality shows and educational aspects all in discussion and consideration.

One thing is for certain: I am continuing to make beautiful, beautiful knives, working tools, investment grade works of art, and combat weapons as well as consult for some of the finest military, professional, and counterterrorism units in the world. I'm deeply honored, grateful, and thankful to be doing this, with God's gifts and guidance.

Thanks for being here; please do come back to review and see what's new!

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