5 from the Grinder: Jared Beavers (Cyprus Creek Knives)

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Hey there sports fans, it’s time for another exciting edition of KNIFE Magazine’s 5 from the Grinder. Today we are wrapping up one of the small handful of folks in the queue from before Blade Show, so if you are a maker whom I met this past weekend in Atlanta, and you are submitting a 5ftG yourself, I will get to yours in the order it comes in. If you are a maker who is new to 5ftG, and would like to be featured yourself, click this link to find out more.

Today we bring you Jared Beavers of Cypress Creek Knives. I feel like I should know Jared, and as he comes from the Andy Roy orbit, but I am not sure we have met. I am sure we have several mutual friends, as I know Andy, and Dogwood Dan and Kyle Daily both came from his circle. So without further ado, I bring you Jared Beavers…

Please introduce yourself and let us know what led you to making/designing knives

My name is Jared Beavers. I was born and raised in Collinsville, IL just 15 minutes east of St. Louis, MO. I have loved knives and the outdoors my entire life. My grandpa gave me my first knife when I was 5 years old and my love for knives has grown since then. I started out collecting any and every knife I could get my hands on (think MTech and gas station knives). Over time my taste in knives evolved and I was collecting Benchmades and Bark Rivers at age 13. Fast forward a couple of years and I was collecting Fiddleback Forge knives and CRKs. To me, Fiddleback and CRK are the pinnacle of high quality, no nonsense, workhorse knives. This is where I began thinking about making my own knives. I decided that I loved and appreciated knives so much that J should take a stab at making my own to see what really goes into the making of a blade. At age 18 I set out to make my own knife. I made the knife out of 1095 and used primarily hand tools. The knife turned out at one would expect… poorly. After I made that knife, life and college got in the way and I didn’t make another blade for 2 years. By this time it is 2016 and my knowledge of knife design and philosophy is fairly poor and the knives I produced were representative of that. Come late 2017 I decided to get serious about making knives and I invested time and money into equipment and learning what qualities make a knife good. It is now 2023 and I have been making and selling knives under the Cypress Creek Knives name for 5 1/2 years and I have been exhibiting at Blade Show Atlanta since 2021.

What knifemaker(s) or designer(s) have had the biggest influence on you? Do you have any mentors?

Andy Roy from Fiddleback Forge has been a huge influence in my knifemaking journey. My design philosophy and general style are greatly impacted by Andys work. Chris Reeve of Chris Reeve Knives is also a major influence in my knifemaking journey. The simplicity, ruggedness and dependability of of the Sebenza is the benchmark for what a knife should be?

What is your favorite knife pattern or style from history?

The Patch Knife is my favorite historical design. I know there is no standard patch knife pattern, but I have always been drawn to the small utility size and style of the patch knife.

What is the next big thing in knifemaking? / What direction do you see the industry going?

I think we will continue to see improvement in knife steel. I think MagnaCut has opened the door for what is possible in a stainless steel, and I think that we will continue to improve upon that in the immediate future.

I also think that the market of affordable custom folders and fixed blades will continue to grow and we will see people shifting to those blades over large manufacturers.

Is there a knife from your lineup that you feel best exhibits who you are as a knifemaker/designer in terms of design elements, aesthetic or techniques used?

I think my Backpacker Deluxe and Guide models best represent who I am as a knifemaker. I think both my design elements and attention to detail as well as the comfort and functionality of my knives really shine in those two models.

What is your EDC and why?

I EDC one of my newest models called the Muskrat. I carry this blade because it is a small fixed blade that can handle the majority of tasks I throw at it. At 6 inches overall with a 2 1/4 inch blade I feel that this is the perfect EDC fixed blade.