Bladesmith and Podcaster Bryan Kohn Is Working For It
(Image credit: Bryan Kohn)
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Bryan Kohn owns B. Kohn Knives out of Mount Pleasant, Michigan. He creates a variety of edged tools, including chef’s knives, everyday carry (EDC) knives, hunting knives, and filet knives—all of which are sure to function beautifully and look stunning. When he is not crafting blades in his shop, he co-hosts the Work For It podcast with Nick Tobin and Brian Housewert.
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Recently, Bryan chatted with us about his experience as a full-time bladesmith, his creative inspirations, and how his favorite project led to his engagement.
Bryan’s Bladesmithing Origin Story
BRUTE de FORGE: Tell me how you got into forging and bladesmithing.
(Image credit: Bryan Kohn)
Bryan Kohn: It’s a funny story. Six years ago, I was working at Target in the grocery section. I was stocking shelves with my buddy and started talking about some YouTubers we both were watching. The two of us had been watching the same group of knifemakers: Simple Little Life, Walther Sorrels, and Alec Steele. The dream quickly became, “Maybe someday we can make a knife.” Finally, my buddy said, “Screw it! This weekend, let's go get some old files and make some knives.” We lived in the same apartment complex, so on a sunny weekend, we both went to the back patio of his apartment and made it happen! We ground away, and by the end, it was a couple of knife-shaped objects. We were both super proud of them. They were by far the ugliest blades, but we would take those “knives” into Target and open boxes with them because we were so proud of what we had made! From there, I caught the bug, and I've been making knives ever since.
BDF: Are you a full-time smith?
BK: I am full-time. I have been for a little over two years.
BDF: Was it a difficult shift to make going full-time?
BK: Everyone says the only way to make it as a knife maker is to have a significant other with a real job. I am blessed to have Emily, who has a proper job. I’m lucky enough to be able to use the money that I make from knifemaking to upgrade the shop's tools and my production abilities. As a former Target employee, it was an easy choice for me to make the shift to a job I truly enjoy.
“It’s important to remember that without the lows, you wouldn’t realize how high the best of times can be.”
It is very fulfilling and stressful to start your own business and try to make it happen through the highs and the lows. It’s important to remember that without the lows, you wouldn’t realize how high the best of times can be. I'm very lucky to be able to do it.
Bryan’s self-driven training regimen
BDF: Are you self-taught?
BK: YouTube University has been my friend. It has been a lot of trial and error, especially at the very beginning when I wasn't as integrated into the knife-making community as I am now. Luckily, I have made a lot of connections through the Work For It podcast and social media. I have a wealth of knife makers who I now feel comfortable asking questions. I'm very lucky to have those people in my life. It's been a fun ride.
BDF: Who are some smiths at the top of your call list when you have questions?
BK: First and foremost, Dennis Tyrell. He is the man! The blades that he makes are just out of this world amazing. We have become friends over the years, and he has allowed me to join this YouTube competition where we get somewhere between 10 and 20 YouTube knifemakers together for a challenge. This last one was the samurai challenge, where everyone made a YouTube video making a samurai-themed blade. It has been a really fun way to collaborate with people, and there's a fun competition to it. No one is overly competitive; it's more of a collaboration and an excuse to talk online and see what everyone makes.
“ I want other people to see my creativity in the blades themselves. ”
Also, connecting with Brian Housewert of Housemade Inc. has been great. We became friends online, and now I'm a part of his Work For It podcast. The ability to talk to him every week and put out that show has been amazing. We just brought on Nick Tobin from Pickle Kutterz, and he has been an interesting addition to the show.
Bryan’s Signature Style
BDF: Would you say that you have a signature style?
(Image credit: Bryan Kohn)
BK: It's definitely something that I've been trying to gain over the years. I have tried to bring my own style to my blades. I think I am about at the point where you can put a lineup of various knives and you can pick out which ones are mine. I want other people to see my creativity in the blades themselves.
I have taken a liking to culinary knives recently. They are by far the most used knives in a household, so I want to focus on making the best culinary knives possible. I feel like my K-tip chef knife is a fan favorite, but I am constantly experimenting with and evolving my designs.
BDF: I was perusing your Instagram and love the little line of miniature knives.
(Image credit: Bryan Kohn)
BK: Nano-neck knives have been a really fun way to use scrap materials. When you make a big chef knife, you have the cutoffs of material that become scrap. It has been fun to find a way to make what I call my nano-neck knives from that scrap. Different blade shapes are available. But my favorite is just going to my scrap pile, grabbing a piece, and letting the shape of the scrap influence the end blade shape.
Bryan’s favorite project
BDF: Do you have a favorite project that you've completed?
BK: That is a very good question that goes back to Dennis Tyrell. It's been a little over a year ago, but I was saving to buy the engagement ring for my now fiancé Emily. I had saved up and had enough money for her ring. However, life happened, as it does, so I had to spend that money on something else. I was very upset, but it needed to be done. Dennis came to me and said, “Hey, let's collaborate.” Dennis started a knife out of this gorgeous Cu-Mai billet with a Damascus core he made, and I finished it. We both did YouTube videos on the process.
“It was the perfect situation, and all came together at the right time.”
I felt honored to work on a piece that he's also worked on. It felt like I was imparting a little bit of my own style onto something he's done. The thought gives me goosebumps! In the end, it sold for the exact cost of the ring I had been saving for. It was the perfect situation, and all came together at the right time. Thanks to Dennis Tyrell. I'm getting married in October! Thank you, Dennis!
Making blades to stand the test of time
BDF: What is it about this knife-making that you love so much?
(Image credit: Bryan Kohn)
BK: It’s quite a thing to be able to do what you love as a career, and it is a big privilege to get support from this community. The fact that there are people out there who see my work and think that my knives and my story are worth supporting feels so fulfilling to me. The fact that I can supply something that is going to last decades and, hopefully, multiple generations is quite the feeling.
BDF: You are also an apprentice bladesmith in the American Bladesmithing Society, correct?
BK: I did join the ABS, yes. I pay my dues, but that is about the extent of it so far. I have done some YouTube videos where I do the cut and bend test and was successful on the two blades that I made. I'm feeling confident that I will be able to at least do that portion of the test to start the journey to become a Journeyman Smith. It will definitely be a couple of years before I attempt to deal with the presentation knives. It's something I will have to work at for quite a while before I'm confident, but it is in my five-year plan.
BDF: What made you decide to join the ABS?
BK: Part of it is the challenge because it is a very difficult thing to pull off. It's something that will push me to do better and progress. I see it as a way to measure how good my knives are.
I also enjoy what the ABS does for the knifemaking community. They do a lot of things to help people and get knife-making into the public consciousness. I appreciate what they do. Even if I wasn't pursuing it, I would want to support what they do.
The added benefit is someday I might be able to add an “MS” next to my name. That is the dream!
Bryan’s Bladesmithing Advice
BDF: Do you have any advice for aspiring bladesmiths?
(Image credit: Bryan Kohn)
BK: I have a lot of people who come to me and ask for advice; just a few years ago, I was that person, so I always love to try to help the next generation of knifemakers. The thing that I always tell people to do is to sit down and sketch out an easy design to make for your first knife. It could be a simple drop point or a four-inch blade, but make it something that you can make easily.
Then, try to make that knife to the absolute best of your ability. The first knife will probably be garbage. That's just how everyone’s first knife goes. Sit down with a piece of paper and, on one side, write “problems,” and on the other, write “how to fix the problem.” Identify every single problem that you can come up with that first knife. Fair warning: it’s going to be a very long list. After that, start researching the different ways you can fix the problems you've identified. Quite a few knife makers are willing to help you figure out how to fix those problems.
“I have a lot of people who come to me and ask for advice; just a few years ago, I was that person, so I always love to try to help the next generation of knifemakers. ”
Once you do all those things, take that list, put it next to your grinder, and make that exact same knife again. Make the list again and repeat that process ten times. By the tenth, you will see just how quickly you’ve progressed. You can see how you fix the things that went wrong and review the notes you made. I guarantee you that that tenth one will be way better than where you started. That's the quickest way you can progress.
Every single year, I remake my first knife to the absolute best of my abilities so that I can sit down and make the same list and figure out how I can fix the problems. It’s a nice little tune-up, and I can improve.
To see more from Bryan, follow his Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and be sure to visit his website, www.bkohnknives.com. Additionally, check out the Work For It podcast every Thursday wherever you listen to podcasts!
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