The knife world is full of characters and incredible backstories, but some stand apart even from the community mean. One of these characters, Grant Hawk, passed away this November in his Idaho City home at age 82.
According to a family statement on Instagram, “The 1960s saw Grant moving to California to make camper trailers, but he quickly became entangled in the revolutionary spirit of the era, leading to a brush with the law. This encounter prompted a pivotal decision in his life: to adopt a new identity and retreat to the Idaho mountains”.
Hawk lived in a teepee, and spent his time prospecting for gold. It had a profound impact on his knife making philosophy. “I spent years making everything I needed out of anything I could find,” Grant said. “I believe those experiences helped me to see solutions lying below the surface. To me, designing a knife is much like prospecting because it seems more a matter of discovery than an act of creation”.(Source: arizonacustomknives.com)
After embarking on a professional knife making career alongside his son Gavin in 1994, Hawk went on to develop several innovative patterns and mechanisms, including his Deadlock OTF, and his Ti Lock collaboration with Chris Reeves Knives. Gavin will continue to carry the Hawk banner, and Grant’s legacy will live on.
You can find Hawk Knife Designs at their website www.hawkknifedesigns.com, or on Instagram (@hawkknives)