10 Questions with Jordan Gutierrez of Black Scale Forge

If you haven’t heard of Jordan Gutierrez and you love knives, drop what you’re doing and check out his company – Black Scale Forge. Jordan is a young man with a world of talent and we all feel at DLT the sky is the limit for Jordan. On top of all that knifemaking talent, Jordan is a really super guy as well. Check out his knives at: https://www.dlttrading.com/black-scale-forge

Q: How did you get into knifemaking?

A: My boss and I were talking about knives one day and he mentioned how he wanted made from made from a Rail road spike. Well, I just happened to have one spike at home that I had been saving for that exact reason, to make a knife out of it. I rigged up and forge out of bricks, charcoal, an old bbq pit and an air mattress pump, and made my first knife. It’s been two and half years and I haven’t stopped since.

Q: Tell us the history of Black Scale Forge and how it came to be where you are now.

A: It’s been a challenge to get to this point.I started with the bare minimum tools, I had to teach myself how to do most things. I met Peter Kohler early in my “knife making Carreer” and he’s been a huge inspiration and a big resource for information. I like to push myself really hard to learn new things and advance my skill set, I think that has really brought me to where I am now.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge in making Black Scale Forge successful?

A: The biggest challenge has been making my own style, it’s almost impossible to be original. I don’t think I do anything original but I put my own flare on it.

Q: When you’re not making some of the nicest knives on the planet what do you do for fun?

A: I like to spend time with my family, I work a full time job and I make knives the rest of the time so when I get a break I like to spend time with them. I also love to exercise my second amendment right and go to the range.

Q: You make INCREDIBLE layered steel. Tell us why it makes a great blade steel.

A: I love to use the double clad steel because you get the corrosion resistance of a stainless jacket and the fine cutting edge of a carbon steel, best of both worlds.

Q: Our mutual friend, Peter Kohler, thinks you are a future rock star in the industry. We tend to agree with him. What are some things that set your knives apart from the competition?

A: I think my style of brute de forge is pretty unique, I haven’t seen anyone else do it like that.

Q: What knife do you carry most often?

A: I usually carry my Dark Timber midtech 1911 elite and my Benchmade Griptilian.

Q: I like to think that every successful person has an “aha!” moment – that moment when they realize they have turned a corner and their dreams are starting to come to fruition. What was your “aha!” moment?

A: My big aha moment was when made my first sentinel in double clad and I got a lot of great feedback, it’s been such a great seller for me and it’s really taken me to the next level. Jim Skelton did a review of the third one I made and was really impressed by it, Its then that I knew I was definitely on the right track

Q: What is your favorite style of knife to make?

A: I love hidden tang knives, they give me the artistic freedom to do anything I could imagine, and they feel great in hand.

Q: How did you come up with the name Black Scale Forge?

A: I’m really bad at coming up with names hahaha, and black scale is a feature of brute de forge.