Welcome, Guest
Nothing Currently Available
Journey Smith PJ Gouws (b.1983) exemplifies the artistry and the unique collaborative community found in South African custom knifemaking. He is creating beautiful, unique, and thoughtfully designed knives of remarkable fit and finish. <click to read more...>
PJ Gouws is a rising figure in custom knives, and his work stands as a beautiful expression of his dedication and the vibrant community supporting him.
Journey Smith PJ Gouws (b.1983) exemplifies the artistry and the unique collaborative community found in South African custom knifemaking. He is creating beautiful, unique, and thoughtfully designed knives of remarkable fit and finish. PJ made his first knife in 2022 and passed his journeyman test in 2025. He credits his meteoric accumulation of skills to his friend and mentor Neels van den Berg MS.
PJ’s true passion is forging. He forges both carbon steel and damascus knives with equal virtuosity. He is lucky to have Mastesmith van den Berg close by, and is often found forging damascus in Neels’ workshop, Black Dragon Forge. PJ estimates he averages about 2 days a week at Black Dragon Forge – sometimes spending up to two weeks straight when making complex damascus. He will then disappear back to his forge until he has turned his damascus billets into knives. Neels knows that if his 45-ton hydraulic press ever goes missing, he should check PJ’s pockets first.
PJ grew up in urban Johannesburg, South Africa, with white-collar parents and little experience in manual work. His first real indicator that he would rather be swinging a hammer and creating in the forge was while attending college for a bachelors of commerce in finance. When he visited London at the age of twenty, he ended up working on the rail tracks. He quotes this as his best and most rewarding experience before discovering knifemaking.
In 2019, PJ was working for an investment company when Covid forced its closing. He found himself adrift in a devastated job market. For the next two years, he researched new careers, never finding anything that fit. Exploring a potential business venture (it did not work out), he found himself in Cape Town where a friend asked him to his first knife show. Having always had a fascination with knives, PJ said yes. His first question to the first maker he met was “Do you do this for a living?” Something about that question and why he had asked it bothered PJ. He began looking into knifemaking classes near his home in Randburg, Johannesburg. His research led him to Mastersmith Neels’ website and a month later Gouws had his first class with him.
PJ’s wife, Madele, credits a candid photo of him, covered in forge soot, as the reason she swiped right. Her support, combined with Neels’ mentorship, has been instrumental in his journey. Together, Neels and Madele insisted he attend the 2025 Blade Show, even as Madele was expecting their first son. There, PJ proudly achieved his ABS Journey Smith ranking and returned home just in time for his son’s birth.
PJ has fully committed to his new career and found both home and happiness in the craft. His knives reflect his passion, dedication, and the refinement he brings to each piece. Inspired by Neels and other knifemakers like Mastersmith Jason Knight, PJ continues to create thoughtfully designed knives with handles that feature an organic flow unique to his style.
Journeyman Smith PJ Gouws is a rising figure in custom knives, and his work stands as a beautiful expression of his dedication and the vibrant community supporting him.
Chef's Knife with Amboyna Burl - W2 - Journeyman Smith Test Knife |
 |
| click to see more |
