Rucker, Thomas

A gathering of Special Ops Warriors was the beginning of “Rucker Knives.” A discussion of the shortcomings and imperfections of the available factory knives led us to begin our own company, our motto was easy: TOOLS BUILT FOR ANY MISSION Made 100% in the USA - either by Special Forces or with direct SF personnel oversight, our knives are designed to withstand the rigors of actual combat, survival and hunting conditions. Proven in field testing by Active Duty Green Berets and SEALs. Pick up one of our blades and you will feel the difference in balance, weight and grip. HAND CRAFTED TO LAST A LIFETIME Before Thomas Rucker began a career in the U.S. Army, where he eventually became a Green Beret, he started making knives when he was just 8 years old. Aside from a few mentors over the years, like famous knife maker Weldon Whitley, he’s mostly self-taught and has been selling knives professionally for 40 years. Originally from Houston, Rucker and his wife moved to the Flathead, Montana five years ago where he met Jesse Brown, a former U.S. Navy SEAL. Soon after meeting, Rucker showed Brown the art of knife making and they started Rucker Knives in January of 2020, with help from another Navy SEAL, James Kneebone. “We sell all over the country right now,” Rucker said. “We turn out 40 knives in a good week … Jesse has become a master maker all by himself.” As the Navy’s first marine mammal health specialist and a former special operations technician and diving medical technician, Brown moved to Montana in 1978 where he says he helped start the state’s physician assistant program. But despite his career in medicine, he says knife making is his true passion.