Jeff Hall

I am a relative newcomer to the world of handmade or "custom" knives. For about 10 years, however, I was an independent sales agent that covered a territory for an importer of high-end cutlery - Al Mar Knives.

Over the years, I became very close with the Mar family and Al was particularly influential in my early cutlery career. Despite his larger-than-life personality, Al was basically a teacher and I still remember things he told me about design.

Despite recommendations from others, I started by making folders. I initially "ate, drank, and slept" liner-lock folders until I was comfortable with their design and details. The fact that there is a mechanism, and the challenge of getting everything to work, makes folders more interesting (and frustrating!) and has kept me from making more than a handful of fixed-blades so far. I sold my first folder January 1998.

I have been told that my shapes are clean, simple, and sometimes asian-looking.

Jeff Hall