Meet the Maker
Hey there and thanks for stopping by to check out my work! My name is Jon and I am Gordian Key Forge – a local Illinois bladesmith who creates incredibly unique, custom and high quality knives, cutlery and swords. My life’s goal is to be a full-time bladesmith so I can do what I love every day and create one-of-a-kind pieces for my customers.
I have always been fascinated with knives - what young boy isn’t? – but I never thought it would be possible to create my own. It all started in 2021 when my wife put on Forged in Fire during dinner one night and I realized that I could try this myself. I started out with minimal equipment and a weight as my anvil and got to work in my garage to make my first knife. Every day after I got off from my full-time job, I spent hours in the garage to practice while only taking time off for holidays or vacations. After countless Youtube videos and a lot of trial and error, I learned proper techniques and how to continuously improve my work. Over the years I have slowly purchased high quality equipment that allows me to perfect each step of my process in order to produce high quality blades that will last generations.
As a bladesmith, my goal is not only to create the highest quality knives that I can, but to also create something that is easily recognizable as a Gordian knife. With this mindset, I was able to develop my custom style with my signature file texture along the spine of every knife, the darkening along the edge and my Gordian Key Forge logo etched on every blade. I continue to let my curiosity guide me so I can make unique designs that set me apart from other bladesmiths and challenge me to try something new. To provide my customers a complete purchasing experience, I learned how to make my own custom leather sheaths that come with every blade. By offering this, my customers can get everything they need from me and know that their purchase is entirely handmade in the USA with the best materials.
I truly appreciate all of the support I have gotten so far and will continue to receive in the future. I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my passion every day without people like you supporting my work. Please review all the available knives in my shop to see if anything stands out at you, check out a collection of my previous work or contact me so we can work together on your own custom blade.
Thanks for stopping by and stay sharp folks!
-Jon