
About Me
My name is Michael Reinhold and I am a part-time custom knifemaker and knife designer. I have been fascinated with knives for as long as I can remember. I received my first knife, a small pen knife, from my grandfather when I was about seven years old. As an avid collector of knives for many years, I always dreamed about designing and making knives of my own.
My journey with knifemaking began when I was about 15 years old after seeing pictures of custom handmade knives in an old Knives Illustrated magazine. I started by making basic fixed-bladed knives using old circular saw blades for blade steel and scrap pieces of wood for my handles. Since I did not own a grinder or band saw at the time, I used a cold chisel and mini-sledge hammer to “rough cut” my blades into shape. It was a crude system that often lead to bruises and sore knuckles, but I soon fell in love with making knives. As a self-educated knifemaker, I learned (and continue to learn) through trial and error.
My philosophy of designing knives is simple: build a functional, high quality, and innovative knife that will perform for a lifetime. My knife designs are influenced by things found in nature, architecture, industrial art, and even origami. I sketch all of my designs by hand using basic drawing equipment. Regardless of the design, I believe that the end product should always result in a knife that I want to use and am proud to carry every day.
​
Each one of my knives is handmade solely by me using basic power equipment and the best materials I can obtain. Because of this, each and every knife is unique and no two knives are exactly alike. I strive for perfection in every knife I make--which is why it generally takes me several months to create one folding knife. While I primarily prefer the challenge of making folding knives, I also enjoy making an occasional fixed-bladed knife as well. Although my methods and materials have continued to evolve over the years, my passion for designing and creating high quality handmade knives remains unchanged.
​
As for my designer's mark, I chose to use a stylized hummingbird for my logo because like the hummingbird itself, I would like to say that my knife designs are mighty for their size.
​
Reinhold Knives was founded in 2012 in Fremont, Indiana. In 2014, my wife and I relocated to Crooked Lake, Indiana, which is now the present base of operations for Reinhold Knives.
Thank you for the interest in my work.
All the best,
​
-Michael
