Nothing says custom quite like a bespoke knife. We are constantly striving to put our own stamp on things, to personalize parts of our life to showcase the unique and individual ways we live. And while we love a visit to Saville Row, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to the custom world than just pic stitches and perfect dress shirts.
Whether you are embarking on a hunting expedition or just know you might end up in the wrong part of Brooklyn, it doesn’t hurt to have a little protection on your person. Cote Knives specializes in perfectly custom, exquisitely made hunting knives from Canada.
Guillaume “Gill” Cote started working in the industry in the early ‘80s, while working on the distant early warning line radar sites in the Canadian arctic. A co-worker showed him a knife crafted from a discarded saw blade, using Plexiglas washers to make the handle. This craftsmanship piqued his interest and got Gill hooked on creating his own masterpieces.
We had a chance to catch up with Gill after he created a one of a kind unique knife for us. He explained his old-school techniques to us, “All my knives are made starting with raw material. I grind my blades free hand using cutting and grinding tools to remove everything that does not look like a knife.
I don’t use any automation ‘milling, water jet, laser cutting etc.’ of any kind in the manufacturing of my knives and I do not source any of the work out. All knives are made one at the time in my shop including the heat treatment, a long and tedious process that requires a steady hand, a good eye and a good amount of patience.”
Gill has invested the time to source out quality material that his customers can depend on and durable enough to pass down to the next generation for heirloom quality products.
He focuses on providing a superior cutting tool that offers both beauty and function coupled with great design concepts. After putting our custom knife to the test, we couldn’t agree more.
