I am Will Ferraby.
I am an artisan knife maker and I make world-class handmade kitchen knives.
Making knives is in my families blood and we’ve traced the family company back to 1860 although my family were likely making knives much further back as the name Ferraby means Iron-forger.
I started making knives when I was 9 in my Dads workshop using old files and bits of metal for the blades and wood from the garden for the handles. I continued knife making throughout my teenage years and went on to study art and design at college. Following that I undertook a degree in environmental conservation and the natural world is something that I feel very strongly about. If I’m not in the workshop I’m definitely happiest in a wood or even better up a tree!
I am an artisan knife maker and I make world-class handmade kitchen knives.
Making knives is in my families blood and we’ve traced the family company back to 1860 although my family were likely making knives much further back as the name Ferraby means Iron-forger.
I started making knives when I was 9 in my Dads workshop using old files and bits of metal for the blades and wood from the garden for the handles. I continued knife making throughout my teenage years and went on to study art and design at college. Following that I undertook a degree in environmental conservation and the natural world is something that I feel very strongly about. If I’m not in the workshop I’m definitely happiest in a wood or even better up a tree!
After my degree I worked for several years in environmental conservation and specialised in teaching woodland survival skills. Knife craft was integral to this and I taught people how to use knives, whittle, carve and chop and how to sharpen them. During this time I was making knives on a small scale for friends and family mostly wood carvers and outdoor knives.
Then in 2009 I decided to become a custom knife maker full time. Initially I took on custom knife orders and made a lot of outdoor knives, kitchen knives as well as some really one off orders including two tai chi swords! After several years of doing custom knife orders my order book had a waiting list of three years and I decided to change the way I worked to just sell handmade knives directly off my website. This meant people had more chance of getting a knife and freed me up to be a lot more creative and experimental. Now my knives go up for sale once a month from the shop page.
Then in 2009 I decided to become a custom knife maker full time. Initially I took on custom knife orders and made a lot of outdoor knives, kitchen knives as well as some really one off orders including two tai chi swords! After several years of doing custom knife orders my order book had a waiting list of three years and I decided to change the way I worked to just sell handmade knives directly off my website. This meant people had more chance of getting a knife and freed me up to be a lot more creative and experimental. Now my knives go up for sale once a month from the shop page.
I now focus on handmade kitchen knives although I do occasionally make the odd wood carving knife. I handcraft all my knives and I use some of the last pieces of a high carbon stainless Sheffield steel, Silver Fox 100. Each knife is hand forged then cryogenically hardened in a state of the art machine, double tempered, then precision ground. Each blade has unique forge marks and if you look closely there are special forge stamps on the blades. Every knife has its own custom art handle and some of the handles take months to make. All of the woods I use are ethical and I make a lot of composite materials using resin, metals and other materials that inspire me. I’ve used clock cogs, climbing rope, seashell and bone to name but a few. You can some examples of my knives on the gallery page.
No two knives are ever the same, each one is both a piece of art and a practical tool that will last a lifetime.
Have a look at some other makers putting their hearts into their crafts here.
No two knives are ever the same, each one is both a piece of art and a practical tool that will last a lifetime.
Have a look at some other makers putting their hearts into their crafts here.
"Utterly fantastic. It’s a work of art that I will use , look after and treasure for the rest of my natural"
"They not only look spectacular but you have taken sharpness to a new level for me"
"It's a stunning knife. The blade is very nice, scary sharp"
'Thanks for the most beautiful knife'
- Michel Roux Jr
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