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Utah bladesmith Mike Hathenbruck (b. 1974) creates knives that blend modern design with traditional methods, balancing high performance with artistic execution. Whether it’s a glowing hamon line, a brut-de-forge finish, or the seamless fit of the handles, each knife carries a sense of purpose and the unmistakable signature of his hand. <click to read more...>
Utah bladesmith Mike Hathenbruck (b. 1974) creates knives that blend modern design with traditional methods, balancing high performance with artistic execution. Whether it’s a glowing hamon line, a brut-de-forge finish, or the seamless fit of the handles, each knife carries a sense of purpose and the unmistakable signature of his hand.
Mike grew up near Seattle in a household where creativity met craftsmanship. His mother, a skilled seamstress, encouraged him to draw, paint, and sculpt. His father, a mechanic and prison guard, taught him problem-solving, precision, and discipline. “My mom was very artistic, and my dad was good with his hands,” Mike recalls. “She taught me to see, and he taught me to build. I think that’s why making things feels so natural.”
Though born in the Pacific Northwest, Mike has spent nearly his entire life in Utah, where rugged landscapes mirror the character of his knives — timeless, grounded, and enduring. After a few years in Phoenix, AZ - a place he thought he might like - he realized it wasn’t for him. “Not enough cold weather and snow,” he says. He and his fiancée settled in Logan, Utah, where they built their home in 2020. Surrounded by mountains, Mike established Hathenbruck Steelworks, a forge where artistry, metallurgy, and design come together.
Mike discovered knifemaking almost by accident. One Christmas, his fiancée, Cristin, gave him a blacksmithing class at Wasatch Forge in Salt Lake City. That gesture sparked a lifelong pursuit. “One class was all it took,” he says. “I was hooked.” The rhythm of hammer on steel, the glow of the forge, and the transformation of cold metal into something functional and enduring captivated him. “Steel is known as something solid and structural,” he reflects. “But once you heat it, it becomes fluid — you can shape it like clay. That transformation fascinates me most.” His first knife - a small outdoor blade from that class - may not have been pretty, but he still keeps it. “It’s a real piece of crap,” he laughs. “But it reminds me that passion often begins in imperfection.”
Mike built his craft through persistence and curiosity. “You can learn a lot by failing forward,” he says. He studied countless online tutorials, experimented with new steels, and refined his heat treatments. By 2020, he had built his first forge from scrap metal and continued evolving both his tools and techniques. He divides his time between traditional forging and stock removal, though he favors forging for its honesty and texture. “It’s the only way to make a brut de forge,” he explains. “I love that the steel still shows the marks of its making.”
Mike shares that fascination through teaching, guiding new makers through the functional and creative experience of shaping steel by hand. His work demonstrates that true craftsmanship resides not only in the finished knife but also in the process: the hammer marks, the heat, and the human touch in every blade.
He loves to work with W2 carbon steel and CPM MagnaCut stainless steel, though he also enjoys creating unique patterned damascus, carefully choosing the steel best suited for each knife. He controls heat treatments precisely to balance strength and resilience. Each handle is shaped from either stabilized wood burls, carbon fiber, G-10, or other high quality materials, fit and finished by hand. His knives are high quality tools designed to last a lifetime.
When he is not at the forge, Mike draws inspiration from Utah’s outdoors. He hikes, photographs, and captures the rugged beauty of the landscapes that shape his work. “I spend as much time as I can in the mountains,” he says. “That’s where I reset and where new ideas take form.”
For Mike Hathenbruck, knifemaking is where artistic expression, persistence, and intention meet. Every piece that leaves his shop carries a bit of his philosophy. His knives are built to be used hard and appreciated up close, whether it’s a high performance kitchen knife or your favorite knife to take out into the wilderness. In the end, Hathenbruck’s work speaks for him: purposeful, well-made, and rooted in the kind of craftsmanship that lasts.
Chef's Knife/Gyuto (9.1 in) with Black Canvas Micarta - Damascus San Mai |
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Guitar String Damascus Chef's Knife - Gyuto (8-3/4 in.) with Spalted Maple |
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Integral Damascus Bunka (8") with Amboyna Burl |
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