Something curious happens when you wrap your fingers around a knife from South Paw Forge (SPF). You can’t help but feel cultured and, dare we say it, primal. Ranging in price from $150 to $400, SPF knives for bushcraft, hunting, skinning, filleting, or general kitchen use are all handcrafted by Long Sault-based blacksmith Rob Gadbois.
“There’s a certain romance in forging a blade on an anvil or cutting it out from a flat bar of high-carbon steel,” says the mostly self-taught 48-year old. He is also particular about his techniques—from hand filing the handles, polishing the blades to a mirror finish and even making leather sheaths. Though his main occupation is truck driving, an increasing number of orders from across North America is fuelling Rob’s eagerness to forge full-time.
Stay tuned for SPF’s new offerings, including knife-making classes.
Photos by Lee Ladouceur/Ladouceur Photo.
