Coetzer Knives and Woodwork

Handmade Knives, hardwood coffee tables, patio tables and benches. Book cases etc. If someone likes what they see they will buy it.

I have always had a passion for knives and from an early age started shaping knives out of any piece of steel I could find. After finishing my studies in 1997 I started to learn more about knife making in South Africa and finding out where to buy the steel needed for the knives and learning more about the techniques of knife making. I started out with only the basic hand tools, hack saw, files, sa

nding paper and angle grinder, which served me well for many years. In 2001 I attended a knife making course in Pretoria where I learnt many more skills to improve my knives but the learning never stops. Knife making is a continuous learning process and every day someone comes up with something new or a better way of doing something old. Since 2001 I have slowly built up my tools used for my knife making and now have a well set up workshop at my home in Durban, Montclaire. Although I would like to spend all my time on my knives, I am only a part time knife maker and spend most of my free time enjoying the craft. I did my first knife show in Durban in 2009, which was a very enjoyable experience and good exposure for my knives as prior to this I was mostly only making knives for myself, family and friends. I tend to make knives which are pleasing to me, trying different shapes and handle materials. I have had much success with my smaller fixed blade knives about the same size as an opened pocket knife. I sell them as a nice alternative to the pocket knife and with the sheath they easily fit into your pants pocket or even a ladies handbag. They can be used for eating biltong, which a lot of people buy them for or just as a general utility knife. As I am a stock removal knife maker I use N690 stainless steel for all my knives. This I can get locally from the supplier and they also offer the hardening service which ensures that each knife I produce is hardened to the same degree to ensure it will retain a sharp edge for a long time. Stock removal is the process of taking a piece of steel and then cutting and grinding everything away which is not the knife. Following this the knife blank is hardened and the final polishing and fitting of the handle starts. This process takes a lot of time and careful work which many people do not realize. A handmade knife just cannot be compared to a mass produced knife as there is much more time spent on it. For my handles I use various hard woods such as Cocobola, Iron Wood, Wild Olive and Purple Heart just to name a few. There is also a variety of man-made synthetic materials available, carbon fibre, micarta, corian, which make very good handle and has the added bonus of not being effected by the elements.