Hobbs, Michael

As a child, I grew up on the outskirts of Seattle, WA. We went to the mountains to inner-tube in the snow and camped in a lean-to that my dad and his buddies built for hunting. We moved out to the country when I was about 9 and from then on I basically grew up in the woods. As a teenager I would camp out in the woods with friends or by myself for days at a time and come home to check in and let my family know I was still alive. I always had a hatchet or machete with me and always carried a knife. In fact I bought my first knife when I was around 4 or 5 years old. I still remember going into the store with my dad, I had a bunch of change I collected and I wanted to buy a knife! I remember picking out a small pocket knife maybe a Swiss Army knife. I was a little shy of the price and the owner pulled some change out of his pocket giving me the few cents I needed to make my first knife purchase. From that day on, I was hooked.  After that I always had a knife on me and would use any excuse I could find to buy another. I remember traveling to Gatlinburg after moving to Tennessee and being disappointed by what they called mountains here, but also thinking I was in heaven when I went to Smokey Mountain Knife Works. I hade never seen a store with so many knives! Though disappointed with my first trip to the Smokey’s, I’ve come to love them and spent many vacations in those mountains by myself fly fishing the mountain streams. I grew up working with my hands and always building something. I made knives, swords and axes using anything I could find. A small thin branch became a fencing rapier and I was Inigo Montoya fighting to avenge my slain father. Around 10 I found some wooden slats at my grandparents house and used them to build/carve weapons from my favorite movies and comic books. I even used broken glass and wrapped it with electrical tape for a handle. At 13 or 14 I found some thin metal and made it into the shape of a knife with an angle grinder even putting an edge on it and sharpening it, though it was mild steel and did not hold its edge. After that I just bought my knives. As an adult I started getting into hand made knives and one day decided to make a knife for a friend as a graduation gift. I did some research, bought some hand tools and built a filing jig for the bevels. I bought enough steel to make a few knives thinking it was a waist to buy all these tools just for one knife. I started out doing stock removal knife making with files but it didn’t take long for that to get old, so I bought a belt grinder. After making a few knives I thought I should forge my own and bought some basic forging tools. I have since learned from some amazing bladesmiths. I’ve spent hours sitting and drawing out designs, obviously not reinventing the wheel but rather taking design aspects from history as well as bladesmiths that I look up to and tried to put my own personal touch to them. My knives are inspired by other great bladesmiths, nature and my own experience handling and using edged weapons while camping, hunting, working and playing. I make knives that I dreamt of owning as a kid and would want to and trust to carry and use now. Whether your life or livelihood rests on it or it’s something you use around the house and kitchen, I strive to make the most useful and reliable (as well as beautiful) knives your money can buy. So, if you're here to buy a new blade or just checking out the site and looking at the pictures, I appreciate you stopping in and checking out Hobbs Custom Knives. Feel free to look around, check out previous knives I've made and contact me with any questions or to order a custom piece.