chris + black cat metal

Chris is Calgary based bladesmith, and a functional artist, who was inspired to start forging knives after watching "Conan the Barbarian". Chris wasn’t always a smith, he spent over ten years studying archaeology. He even went as far as to achieve his masters degree in the field.

One Sunday morning all of that changed. As he was flipping through the channels on tv, epic music caught his attention, and Conan began. You can just imagine the scene; it was dark, there was fire and sparks, a hammer, an anvil, and then Conan's dad appears to talk about the riddle of steel! By Crom he was hooked!

Now thirteen years later he is bringing new life to one of the world’s oldest trades by forging custom knives and teaching those interested to learn.

Chris’s life as a archeologist gave him an appreciation for handmade artefacts and the importance of creating functional pieces of art that can stand the test of time. He infuses these same concepts into his own creations while using materials that evoke warmth, depth and life in each unique blade.

When you hold one of Chris’s knives you can feel and see his passion for his craft.