YouTuber Jim Skelton is well known for his critiques of high-end custom knives. But now he’s leaving the reviewer’s table for the workbench to try his hand at knife making under the Skelton Bladeworks label. Since the beginning of the year, Skelton has dived into full-time knife making and has big plans for the future.
Currently, Skelton’s catalog consists of four fixed blade models: the Occipital, Tibia, Mandible, and Bone Chopper. Prices sit around the $400 mark, but two new models are in the works for the remainder of the year, aimed at a lower price point. The first, called the Littlefinger, has a 3.75-inch modified wharncliffe blade and is expected to sell for around $300. Another unnamed knife still in development, that Skelton describes as a small, simple neck knife, should hit an even lower price – somewhere around $275. “I’m hoping that will allow people to experience my work for a lot less money,” he says.
Skelton Bladeworks folders will eventually be a reality, too. No less a maker than Todd Begghimself has agreed to show Skelton the ropes. “He’s graciously offered his time to teach me what I need to know to make a quality folder,” Skelton says. While he’s learning the ins and outs of custom folders, Skelton hopes to offer a small-batch production version to whet fans’ appetites. He is talking with several possible partners for this and says he hopes to have a U.S. made folder retailing for $300-400 by next summer.
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