Nathan is one of Canada’s most northern Knifemakers. He lives in the Central Arctic in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut with a population just under 3,000. There are no roads, trees, mountains but the tundra has its own beauty with many lakes, rivers and it’s right on the Hudson Bay. Nathan and his wife, Becky, love the area. They arrived there in 2007. They have four children with the eldest now away in college. Winters in Rankin Inlet are cold, often going down to below -40 degrees accompanied by blizzards that can last several days. One year, the winds tore off the roof of the middle-school gym.
When Nathan started knifemaking in 2014, he thought it would be strictly a hobby but over the years he has sold many knives to local hunters and fishermen as well as to friends in other parts of Canada and some customers from his Instagram account. He makes about 10-15 knives per year.
It all started after he bought a Scandinavian handmade knife off of eBay. When it arrived, he examined it closely and thought “if I could make a knife, that would be cool”. He had no formal training in metal, woodwork or art so making a knife was far outside his comfort zone. He started by buying a 1x30 grinder and with an old file he began grinding. He ruined the file but his desire to make knives only increased. He started watching YouTube videos and then purchasing pre-ground blade blanks and affixing the handles to them. He started with hidden tangs, and used oak and maple for handles, and then gradually went on to full-tang blades.
As the years went on, Nathan challenged himself to learn better grinding techniques and make his own blades. To keep improving he upgraded his grinder to a 2x42 then a 2x48 before finally arriving on a 2 x 72 variable speed grinder. Living in Rankin Inlet, everything needs to be sent in by air or sea, so often materials are in short supply. But Nathan’s friend sent him some mild steel that he spent hours practicing on to hone his hand grinding skills. He has improved his skills through a lot of practice, hard work, and always trying to improve. Now he is working on multiple piece handles and hollow and flat grinds.
Early on Nathan realized that a good knife needed to be useful for hunters and fishermen in the field and a good sheath protected the knife. He drew inspiration from his Grandfather from southern Alberta who was an artist and made beautiful leather products in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Nathan wanted to carry on the family tradition. When he wanted to find people to learn sheath making from, he could not find a dedicated Facebook Group and very little online community he could tap into. So, he started his own Facebook group dedicated to sheath making which now has 30,000 members worldwide. Nathan is the administrator and people post their leatherwork, share tips, and get their questions answered by experienced craftsmen. Nathan says “there is definitely a sense of community, many people are open to share their knowledge and expertise”. (The Facebook group is named “Knife Sheath Making”) https://www.facebook.com/groups/980872871942555/
Nathan’s shop is 8’x8’, it is one half of a shipping container (the other half is used for storing the family’s outdoor equipment). Needless to say, in the winter he uses a good heater to warm his shop before starting knifemaking. He slowly adds to his equipment but for the most part, he is innovative and uses limited tools.
What he likes most about knifemaking is taking the raw materials (steel and wood) and turning them into functional, and durable tools. He is an avid hunter and fisherman and for years, he used his knives to process caribou and muskox. He says “it’s a good feeling knowing the knives I rely on for skinning a game animal are made with my own hands. My knives are meant to be used in the places where people live and use them. I have customers who will use a knife to cut up both caribou and seal so I prefer stainless steel because it’s good on both land and in salt water.”
He focuses on providing the best knife for the environment. He does full tang knives with scales shaped for ease of use with a good grip. He wants all his customers to have reliable tools for hunting and fishing. His steel of choice is AEB-L. For his harsh environment, he has found it to be a good reliable steel. For handle material he likes stabilized woods, burls, Micarta, G-10 and sometimes Ironwood.
When Nathan isn’t knifemaking, he is a full-time Pastor in the Baptist church. He's also an Addiction Counselor and he has given a number of leatherworking workshops in the local Corrections Centre.
If he were to start knifemaking again, what would he do differently? “I would have gone to a better grinder much earlier. I saw immediate improvement on my grinds when I started using a good variable speed grinder.”
Words of Wisdom? “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The community is open so there are lots of avenues to learn and improve. Don’t hesitate to step up to a better grinder. Practice, practice, practice. Try not to say, “it’s good enough”. If you can fix a problem, then do it! Do the best quality to the best of your abilities.”
Contact Nathan on Instagram @n_jones_knives
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