Bladesmith Chuck Payne Is Running With The Big Dogs

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Chuck Payne is the bladesmith and owner of Labrador Forge in Salisbury, North Carolina. He competed in season 3 of Last Blade Standing and recently took home the title of champion after his chef’s knife won the Forged in Ducksauce competition held earlier this month.

RELATED: THE BLADESMITHING COMMUNITY RISES TO THE CHALLENGE

Chuck chatted with us about his participation in Last Blade Standing and Forged in Ducksauce, discussed his favorite style blade, and told us how his son got him into forging.

How Chuck got started in bladesmithing

BRUTE de FORGE: Tell us how you got into forging and bladesmithing.

(Image credit: Chuck Payne)

Chuck Payne: My son actually got me into forging. He was seven, and we went on a field trip to the Biltmore Estate, which is here in North Carolina. They have a working forge there, and they were doing demonstrations, so he started saying he wanted to forge, and he wanted an anvil and all of that. Things little seven-year-old boys say, but then he never dropped it. He kept on saying it for years. So finally, in 2018, we decided to buy an anvil for him as a Christmas present that year. He and I played with it a couple of times immediately and realized it was hard. It got put away for a while, and then, of course, COVID happened. He’d never watched Forged in Fire, but he said he wanted to make a knife. He was around fifteen by the time we made our first knives in September 2020. Then it snowballed from there.

BDF: I love that your son is the reason you got into it! Does he still forge with you?

CP: He does. He is really good, and he gets out with me quite often. He's eighteen now, so like any normal eighteen-year-old, he takes to it in spurts. He'll get out and work with me for a month or so and then take a month off.

The heartfelt inspiration for Chuck’s forge

BDF: What is the name of your shop?

(Image credit: Chuck Payne)

CP: It is Labrador Forge. My son came up with it. We have had various labs. We are just lab people. That's really how I came up with my touchmark. I have a friend who is a graphic designer, and I sent him a photo of my dog standing in the backyard. I said I wanted something like the silhouette of his body. He came up with our touchmark and did everything for us.

BDF: Are you primarily self-taught, or did you take classes?

CP: I haven't taken any classes. I've been fortunate enough to have some friends in the bladesmithing community that I can share my work with and get input from. I’ve not really had any formal classes, though.

BDF: Was there a particular part that you found more challenging than others?

CP: I think the handles. Getting a good ergonomic shape or proportion has probably always been the hardest for me. I've made things my whole life, like custom fishing rods; I've always worked with my hands, so picking up the forge work was pretty easy. I mean, there are challenges with everything, but the biggest thing is the fit and finish. Paying attention to all the small details and making sure they work together is a challenge for me—that and trying not to rush through my work.

“I’ve always worked with my hands, so picking up the forge work was pretty easy. ”

Chuck’s current bladesmithing workload

BDF: Are you a full-time bladesmith?

CP: No. It takes up about half of my work day. I do welding, fab work, and toolmaking.

BDF: I read on your website that you make tools as well. What kind of tools do you make?

CP: Hydraulic forging presses right now, and I'm starting on roller mills. I've got the first one about seventy-five percent completed. I don't have them done yet, but I’m getting closer.

BDF: What inspired you to get into that?

CP: I noticed that on the East Coast, there wasn't anybody who made a roller mill that I knew of. I decided to make my own tools to start. I made my own 2x72 grinder, and that got me started. I thought there could be a little niche that needs to be filled. That's what got me into the tool side. I've always enjoyed making anything.

Chuck’s preference for kitchen knives

BDF: Do you have a particular type of blade that you enjoy forging?

(Image credit: Chuck Payne)

CP: I prefer kitchen knives and chef's knives. Even though I've been doing a lot of Damascus, my preferred style is a brute-de-forge chef knife. I like the forged finish with hand-sanded flats. It is a nice mix between classy and rugged. I have a bit more of the Japanese style. I tend to forge thinner blades.

I like knives that are going to be used. I love to cook; I do almost all the cooking here at home. But if you are going to make something that's going to be used, you can't go wrong with something for in the kitchen because almost everybody cooks.

“I like knives that are going to be used.”

Chuck’s favorite projects

BDF: Do you have a favorite project that you've created?

CP: In my first year, I made knives for my grandparents and my mom. I made them all chef’s knives for Christmas. That was probably my favorite project.  

BDF: What about the craft keeps you engaged and makes you want to continue forging?

CP: So, I don't care a whole lot about selling knives. I know that's strange to hear, but my main goal was to get better. On each knife, there's always something you can pick out that you're not super happy with. So, with every knife, I want to get better.

“I don’t care a whole lot about selling knives. I know that’s strange to hear, but my main goal was to get better.”

The other thing with it is that when properly cared for, these knives will last for generations. I hope one day I have grandkids or great-grandkids who say, “Hey, you know, my relative actually made this, and it’s still being used.” There's a little piece of me with each one.

Chuck’s foray into something a little bigger

BDF: I know you were part of Last Blade Standing and made at least one sword. Is that the only sword you’ve made?

CP: Yes, that was the one and only. That was it. It’s funny because if I had known it was a sword, I probably would have turned it down when they offered me a spot. I just didn't have a desire to make one, but after it was over, it turned out to be a great learning experience for me. It pushed me to do things that were out of my comfort zone.

BDF: Would you make more swords in the future, or was once enough?

CP: I would make more. I haven't since then, but it did help me learn that I need to get out of my comfort zone a little more.

Chuck gets drenched in the ‘sauce

BDF: You were recently part of a new competition called Forged in Ducksauce, which you won. How did it feel to win it?

CP: It felt good! I was shocked that I won. I am confident in my work, but we had some excellent bladesmiths competing.

RELATED: PRIEST PARRISH IS FILLING THE VOID WITH DUCKSAUCE

I had somebody in my shop while the competition was going on, and I wasn't paying attention to what was happening at all, but my phone kept going off. I finally checked it about two hours after everything was over. I had no clue I was even in the final round or anything. But it felt good to win.

“I am confident in my work, but we had some excellent bladesmiths competing. ”

I knew I put together a nice blade, and I knew it would perform well, but there was some really good competition and some beautiful blades, so I was surprised.

BDF: What was the inspiration behind the design?

CP: That was actually the backup blade. When I started my TikToks in the beginning, you could see I was working on two billets. I wasn't happy with the way anything was turning out on the first one as far as the pattern went. Then, I found a small delamination and decided to chuck it. I had done another in the same style Damascus pattern before, so I moved to it. I didn't have much time because I traveled most of the month. I only had five days, so I was cutting it close.

So, the real inspiration was my backup. I wasn't happy with the way my original idea was turning out.

BDF: Sometimes, things work out.

CP: Yes. Fortunately, I usually like to forge two at a time. I find that makes me a little bit more efficient. When you are working on one blade, you spend a lot of time standing there waiting for the forge to heat up. So, I always try to work in batches of at least two. Luckily, I did have that second one ready.

“I usually like to forge two at a time. I find that makes me a little bit more efficient.”

I also want to mention something about the other competitors in this competition. To all those guys who donated their time, money, resources, everything, I appreciate that more than me winning the competition. They took time away from their families and their friends and used their own resources; that’s where this community really shines. I've seen it a lot over the years; we will pull together and try to make something good happen. I want to put my appreciation out to everybody—the judges and the competitors both—who were there from day one.

Chuck’s advice for aspiring bladesmiths

BDF: Do you have any advice for aspiring bladesmiths?

CP: Always be open-minded to learn. It doesn't matter if the person has more experience or less than you; you can learn from anyone. The whole journey is baby steps. For me, I'll pick out something on the blade that I don't like and focus on trying to fix it. Once I’m happy with it, I move to something else.

I have no problem with anybody jumping in headfirst, but learn everything you can from anybody you can, especially if somebody's willing to teach you. If you can take them up on it, do it and focus on the little things. Eventually, the whole package will come together.

To see more of Chuck’s work follow him on Instagram @labrador_forge and like him on Facebook. Want more? Be sure to check out his website www.labradorforge.com.

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