Welcome to Coppertop Customs

A Wee Look Behind My Handmade Hunting & Outdoor Knives

Welcome to the very first Coppertop Customs blog.

If you’ve found your way here, you probably already know that I make hunting and outdoor knives by hand. But I wanted this blog to be about more than simply showing you what’s for sale.

I thought it would be a good place to share a bit of what goes on behind the finished knife — the materials, the workshop, the decisions, the experiments and, occasionally, the things that don't quite go to plan.

More Than Just Making Knives

Coppertop Customs started from a love of making things by hand and a particular interest in making knives that are actually meant to be used.

My focus is mainly on hunting and outdoor knives, with designs built around practical use rather than simply looking good sitting in a display cabinet.

That doesn't mean they can't look good, though.

A selection of materials that go into Coppertop Customs knives, Kydex, Carbon Fibre, Kirinite and Resin handles made by Mrs Coppertop.

I enjoy experimenting with different steels, handle materials, liners, textures and finishes. Sometimes a knife needs to be simple and lightweight. Other times, there's nothing wrong with making something a little more eye-catching.

I'm particularly fond of Kirinite and composite handle materials, and Mrs Coppertop makes some of the resin handles used on my knives. So there's a little bit of both of us in some of the finished pieces.

For me, though, a handmade knife should always have a purpose.

It should feel right in the hand, do the job it's designed for and, hopefully, become a bit of kit that gets used rather than left sitting in a drawer.

What Goes Into a Coppertop Knife?

There's a fair bit more to making a knife than grinding a piece of steel into a pointy shape.

Choosing the steel is one of the first decisions. Different steels have different characteristics, and what works well for one knife isn't necessarily the best choice for another.

Then there's the grind.

A hunting knife needs to cut well, but it also needs to stand up to the work it's designed for. Getting the balance between edge geometry, strength and usability is a big part of the process.

And then there's the handle.

A textured resin handle I've not long finished

This is where things can get really interesting.

From natural materials to Kirinite, carbon fibre, glow liners and the resin handles made by Mrs Coppertop, the handle is often where a knife starts to develop its own personality.

But again, it's not just about how it looks.

Texture matters.

A beautiful handle isn't much use if it's difficult to hold when your hands are wet, cold or covered in whatever you've been doing out in the field.

Every part has a job.

That's something I try to keep in mind throughout the whole process.

Inside the Workshop

A batch of 3" Gralloch knives just after hand-sanding

A lot of the work happens right here in the workshop, one knife or batch at a time.

It's not particularly glamorous — just a workshop, a collection of tools, plenty of dust and the occasional piece of material that decides it would rather become something else entirely.

Some knives come together exactly as planned.

Others don't.

Sometimes a profile needs changing. Sometimes a grind needs rethinking. Sometimes a handle looks completely different once it's shaped and finished.

That's all part of making things by hand. And honestly, it's one of the best parts.

You learn something from every knife. A mistake can turn into a change that makes the next one better, and sometimes the knife you end up with isn't quite the knife you originally had in your head.

That's part of the fun.

From the Workshop to the Field

My old Camp Knife, still earning its keep.

One of the best parts of making knives is seeing them leave the workshop and actually get used.

Whether it's a morning stalking roe, processing rabbits, lighting a campfire or simply riding on a belt during a day in the hills, that's what they're built for.

I've still got an old camp knife that I take everywhere with me, and I think that's probably the best example of what I mean.

A knife shouldn't spend its life sitting in a display cabinet.

It should pick up the odd scratch, get sharpened, get a bit dirty and become a piece of kit you rely on.

That's always been the idea behind Coppertop Customs.

So, What's Next?

With the new website up and running, I’m also dedicating more time to Coppertop Customs, which means there’s plenty happening.

New models are in the works, strops are on the way, and there’s the launch of the Grit & Grain knife and leather wax. I’ll also be heading to more shows and fairs.

I’ll be sharing all of that here, along with new designs, workshop projects, materials I’m experimenting with, knife care and the lessons learned along the way.

There’ll probably be the odd workshop disaster too.

It would be rude not to.

So there’s plenty more to come.

Thanks for Stopping By

Whether you've bought a Coppertop knife, followed along on social media, found the new website or you're simply interested in handmade knives, thanks for being here.

This is just the beginning, and I'm looking forward to sharing more from the workshop, the knives and everything else that comes with Coppertop Customs.

So, grab another brew, have a look around the new website and keep an eye on the blog.

I'll see you in the next one.

From the workshop to wherever the outdoors takes you.

Coppertop Customs