Tony Martin made his first knife at 17, but didn't turn knifemaking into a business until he was 58. In between those dates, he raised a family, finished two graduate degrees, and worked as a school psychologist and then a clinical psychologist. "Retirement" from that profession became the opportunity to turn a life-long interest into a second career.

Early on, Tony studied Nordic knife design, and many of his knives were inspired by the puukko--a small, graceful, multi-purpose knife with a thousand-year history. Then, when he relocated to Arcadia, Missouri in 2000, he added a forge to his shop and began forging his own blades. Many--though not all--of his knives are influenced by traditional designs such as the dirk and skean dhu. Most of the very limited production at Arcadian Forge Knives goes to serious collectors, and to outdoorsmen who want a working knife that is beautiful as well as functional.

Today's knifemaking world is larger and more varied than at any time in history. There are hundreds of factories and custom knifemakers, turning out knives of every description and quality. In all this, can one more knifemaker contribute anything new?

" A great deal of what passes for 'new' in the knifemaking world is just somebody else re-inventing the wheel," Tony says. "I prefer to give credit to the traditional designs that have influenced my knives. That still leave me plenty room to develop my own style."

In the two years Tony has been working as a professional knifemaker, he has received numerous awards and much enthusiastic feedback from his customers. This, he believes, is the proof Arcadian Forge fills a special niche in today's knifemaking market.
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