About Us

Blades with backbone.


Handmade in Northwest Montana by a veteran-led forge.
Built here. Trusted out there.

Who We Are

Rucker Knives is a working forge and small team of makers led by Thomas Rucker, a Special Forces veteran who builds blades the way he carried them: with purpose, restraint, and zero compromise. We make one knife at a time, under one roof, so every edge that leaves our shop can be trusted in the field—and handed down at the table.

What We Do

We design and build field blades, culinary knives, and mission-ready tools meant for real use. Our knives are carried by hunters, guides, home cooks, and people who believe a tool should tell the truth.

  • Field Blades: Compact skinners and hard-use companions that cut clean and carry light.

  • Culinary Knives: Chef and steak knives that honor the meal and the hands that prepare it.

  • Limited Drops: Small, numbered releases that celebrate craft and community.

  • Classes: Hands-on instruction where students build their own knives in our shop.

How We Build (Our Way)

From raw stock to maker’s mark, the work happens here.

  1. Start from stock: We hand-trace and cut each profile—no outsourced blanks.

  2. In-house heat treat: Hardened, tempered, and Rockwell tested for performance.

  3. Grind & geometry: Bevels and plunge lines tuned for purpose and control.

  4. In-house Damascus: Layered, forge-welded, and etched by hand—never purchased.

  5. Handle craft: G10, burl wood, or bone—fitted, shaped, and finished for a lifetime hold.

  6. Edge & inspection: Final edge set by a maker; each knife is checked, then signed out.

Steel: 14C28N and hand-forged Damascus
Guarantee: Tier 1 Lifetime—inspection, cleaning, sharpening, repairs on us

[Read the Tier 1 Guarantee]

Why It Matters

We don’t make collectibles. We make tools that become heirlooms. A used blade doesn’t need to look new—it needs to work like day one. When it needs a tune-up, send it to us. We’ll make it right.

“You don’t need big. You just need ready.”

Learn the Craft (Classes)

Our forge is also a classroom. Students learn safety, design, grinding, heat treat, handle fitting, and finishing—and leave with a knife they built themselves.

  • Foundations: Tool use, profiling, and bevel basics

  • Heat Treat: Hardening, tempering, and Rockwell verification

  • Finishing: Handle shaping, fit-up, and final edge

  • Rituals: Maker’s mark & graduation photo at the anvil

Veteran-Led. Community-Minded.

We are proud to be a veteran-owned Montana company. A portion of revenue supports veteran and community programs in the Flathead Valley. Your purchase helps keep the forge hot—and the next generation learning with their hands.

The Work Continues

Every knife we make carries our name—and our oath.
Name on steel. Oath made.