How it started

It's hard to believe but my love of knives started when I was about 4 years old. It was around that age my dad had me sharpening the kitchen knives and took me to a local outdoor store in Burien, WA to buy my first knife. I believe it was the Classic Victorinox Swiss Army knife, which I bought with change I scrounged up around the house.

We moved out to the country when I was about 9 and from then on I basically grew up in the woods. As a teenager I would camp out in the woods with friends or by myself for days at a time and come home to check in and let my family know I was still alive.I always had a knife with me, along with a hatchet or machete. To me, it wasn’t just gear—it was part of how I lived and explored the world around me.

Some Back Story

A little history on Hobbs Custom Knives (for those of you that want to kill some time reading). I started making knives in Kentucky with a small 4’ x 10’ shed and a 10’ x 10’ patio that I had to drag my forge and anvil back and forth to be able to work, to a decent size pole barn in middle Tennessee.

Hobbs Custom Knives was started from a love of working with my hands and a love of knives (and all things sharp and deadly). I started out with some O1 tool steel and a lot of hand files, needless to say, the first knife I made took a few hundred hours. After hand filing a few knives, I went out and bought a belt grinder (and I’m so glad I did). After a little time making knives via Stock Removal I decided I wanted to be able to forge my own blades as well as my own San Mai and Damascus patterns, so I bought a forge, anvil, etc.

As friends, family and coworkers saw the finished products of my new hobby, I was asked to make knives for them. Of course, at that time I just wanted a little money to buy more steal to make more knives, so I sold several knives for about $100. As I continued to learn, I was fortunate enough to meet great Bladesmiths as well as Mastersmiths, who I would take knives to for them to critique. All of whom were more than willing to share their own knowledge and experiences to help me learn the craft. It’s been a long and painful road at times, even physically, but it has also been very rewarding and definitely worth it.

This all started while working 24-hour shifts as a Paramedic and being off for 48 hours. Now, you might think that would give a person plenty of time to work on other things. And you would be partly correct, but there were days that I fell asleep on the couch eating breakfast after a long shift and getting little to no sleep. Or sleeping all day to wake up long enough to eat dinner and go to bed after covering a coworker that was out. Those times I could be at the station working for up to 72 hours straight. Although some days I would stay over the next day to hang out with friends on the next shift or to jump a run that sounded like it would be fun.

New Beginnings

In late 2021, I moved back to Tennessee, and by early 2022, I began converting the interior of a metal-sided pole barn into my new workshop. After patching holes and sealing gaps, we fully insulated the space. During those first months, I made only a few knives, as most of my time went into framing walls, installing electrical, hanging and finishing drywall, and fixing roof leaks—all with my dad’s invaluable help.

2022 was a big step as well as a big gamble for me personally and for Hobbs Custom Knives. Personally, I went from a decent, steady income as a Paramedic, a job I loved and worked hard to get. I worked with some great coworkers that I came to trust and rely on like no other. After living in KY for about 10 years, I moved back to TN planning to continue working EMS while also focusing more on HCK. As things sometimes happen, I got busy and focused on HCK which left no time for EMS and I wound up becoming a full time knife maker… purely by accident. Now my income depends on my skill and success as a knife maker.

Moving Along

With the shop insulated and about a third of it finished and painted, I was finally able to set up my workspace and focus on forging knives again. Adding a new forge and a 25-ton press made it easier to work on San Mai and Damascus without exhausting myself in the process. For the first time, I crafted knives specifically to take to shows, hoping to get my work into the hands of the public so people could see and feel the quality firsthand.

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After selling knives at several shows around Middle Tennessee, gaining custom orders, and seeing multiple return customers in just the last few months of 2022, I started to feel like the dream was finally becoming a reality.

Since I began sharing my knives with the public, I’ve had the honor of being invited to shows, winning an award for my work, and even being featured on the cover of Knife Magazine. I’ve also launched a line of Tactical knives, which I'm working to get into stores across Middle Tennessee.

A look ahead

Looking ahead, I aim to expand the Tactical line while staying true to my passion for custom knives—my first love, so to speak. I’m actively taking and fulfilling custom orders and crafting pieces for some knife shows. Additionally, I received my Journeyman Smith (JS) certification with the American Bladesmith Society (ABS) and became a probationary member of the Knife Makers Guild while at Blade Show 2025.

Proud of where I am today

I’m looking forward to expanding my skills and knowledge even further while staying true to the passion that started it all: creating custom, one-of-a-kind knives. I’m committed to making knives of the highest quality—blades that are both artistic and functional. Every knife is an opportunity to improve, to refine my technique, and to push myself a little further.

Whether for collectors, outdoorsmen, or folks who just appreciate a finely made tool, my goal is always the same: to create something that feels like it was made just for you.

To stay up to date on shows and where you can check out HCK in person, follow HCK on FaceBook and Instagram. You can find short cuts to both FB and IG at the bottom of the page by clicking on the icon. Check out the new knives I have available on the site, contact me if you have any questions and let me know when you’re ready for that new one-of-a-kind knife. Have a great day and thank you for your continued support.

Michael Hobbs