Home News and articles DCI knife maker – Matthew Parkinson

Meet the DCI knife maker - Matthew Parkinson

“I strive to impart good design and attention to detail in to every piece, to my mind that is great craftsmanship. It is My greatest hope that these tools will be used, loved and enjoyed, and passed down and cherished for generations to come.”

Matthew has been a full time smith since 1998 first doing small ironwork and knives latter making large scale ironwork as well as knives and swords. Since 2012 Matthew has been exclusively a blade-smith specializing in Culinary knives as well as reproducing historical blades from the 7-17th century. Over the He has won several awards for his knives and his work have been fetured in books and magazines around the world. Matthew is a writer for Knife Magazine writing a every other month column “Turning The World To Dust”. He is a prolific instructor traveling around the US to teach bladesmithing, he began teaching bladesmithing in 2007. Matthew is a Forged in Fire Champion Season 1 episode 1, and 2nd place champions episode season 3 episode 1

“I think that knives are the story of humanity, Knives are one of our oldest tools and the story of the knife is part of our shared and linked past. From the center of the home to the field of battle, The very essence of our humanity can be found in the continuity of the knife. Though out the millennium, Stone, Bone, Copper, Bronze, Iron, Steel, Stainless steel and a host of other materials have been made into knives. Each new material used and tested for advantages and disadvantages over it’s predecessor, and it is up to us to decide if these advantages out way the disadvantages of each new material.“

“I make my knives the same care and attention to detail our great grandfathers hade in making knives. With hammer and anvil, I forge my blades to shape, I grind and polish the blades one at a time and set the geometry just so. I use high quality professionally stabilized woods to form the handles, hand rubbing the finish on each knife. I use artistic touches of file work to add sculpture and depth to the familiar form of each blade without detracting from its function.”