Luke Cuenco 08.12.25
My hometown of Portland, Oregon, is a metropolis typically imagined as a land crammed with espresso outlets, craft breweries, a brand new tech business, and a free-artist vibe, together with a wholesome dose of the out of doors vibe. Whereas that’s nonetheless considerably true at the moment, one factor that hasn’t modified right here since I used to be a child is the hidden knife tradition that exists right here, and it’s one factor that I feel the Rose Metropolis deserves a much bigger highlight on: it’s the knife-making capital of the US. Producing over half of the knives offered domestically, Portland is house to among the largest names within the business. In 2024, 5 of these heavyweights—Benchmade, CRKT, Gerber Gear, Leatherman, and STEELPORT Knife Co.—joined forces to type the Portland Knife Middle of Excellence (PKCoE), a coalition aimed toward celebrating their craft, boosting the native economic system, and cementing Portland’s fame as a worldwide hub for blades. I not too long ago had the privilege of touring the factories of those founding companions, and let me let you know, it was a pointy expertise—pun absolutely meant.
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The Rose Metropolis’s Edge: The Portland Knife Middle of Excellence (PKCoE)
As a local to this state and this metropolis, I used to be really fairly excited to be taught that one thing just like the PKCoE even exists. Every model brings one thing distinctive to the desk, and the PKCoE is much less a couple of centralized hub and extra a couple of shared dedication to high quality, innovation, and group. Their first huge occasion, the Portland Knifemaker Showcase on Nationwide Knife Day (August 24, 2024), drew crowds to STEELPORT’s manufacturing facility for forging demos, native meals, and a $5,000 knife giveaway that had everybody buzzing. However to actually perceive what makes these manufacturers tick, you’ve received to step inside their amenities, and that is the place I received the uncommon alternative to tour all 4 of those amenities over 2 days, and converse with their staff from the CEOs all the way down to the individuals working in success and manufacturing. Right here’s a short image of the takeaways I had from every producer.
Benchmade: The place Precision Meets Ardour
Our first cease was Benchmade’s facility in Oregon Metropolis, a brief drive from Portland’s core alongside the Willamette River. On the manufacturing facility ground, the hum of CNC machines, laser cutters, and grinders fills the air, but it surely’s the human contact that stands out. Staff, some with a long time of expertise, assemble and hand-sharpen a variety of the knives with the type of care you’d count on from a household heirloom. I watched a number of technicians on the ground hand-sharpen a number of to a razor’s edge in simply moments, and when pressed, one among these staff acknowledged they’d been working for Benchmade for over 20 years doing this – that’s a variety of expertise. Again to the operation itself, Benchmade takes the uncooked metal, cuts it, treats it, and turns it into blades all in-house – it’s an entirely Oregonian operation.
The showroom we received to see on the finish is a knife nerd’s paradise, displaying every little thing from the enduring Bugout to the premium Gold Class fashions. I received a peek at their {custom} knife program, the place prospects can select blade steels, deal with supplies, and engravings to construct their dream folder. Every of us through the tour had the chance to try to assemble our personal Bugout knife, after which have it laser-engraved whereas we continued with the remainder of the tour. Benchmade knives is probably not the very tippy prime of the worth finish in relation to custom-made knives, however they persistently ship among the finest knives for the worth they’re asking for them. Relating to their core contribution to the PKCoE, I feel what they do finest is mix a little bit little bit of what all the opposite PKCoE corporations do, however with a heavier give attention to the EDC crowd and blade collectors.
STEELPORT Knife Co.: The New Child with Outdated-Faculty Soul
The ultimate cease of the primary day was STEELPORT Knife Co., a relative newcomer based in 2021 however already making waves. Their Portland manufacturing facility is smaller, extra intimate, with a give attention to handcrafted kitchen knives, and is unfold over two places. Based by Ron Khormaei and grasp bladesmith Eytan Zias, STEELPORT’s sole mission was to offer Individuals with high-quality kitchen knives and related equipment – one thing that basically doesn’t exist. Most high-quality kitchen blades are both German or Japanese, so Ron and Eytan thought it was solely pure that Individuals ought to have their very own high-quality boutique blade set as effectively to actually showcase the excellence of American knifemakers.
Talking of the knives themselves, STEELPORT’s knives are beautiful—practical artwork with burlwood handles and a match and end that you just’d count on from a high-quality knifemaker. Ron confirmed us their sharpening course of, which makes use of conventional whetstones to attain a hair-splitting edge, in addition to a machine-assisted {custom} serration sharpener that Ron is sort of happy with, as he believes they make the very best bread knife on this planet. Internet hosting the PKCoE’s Knifemaker Showcase at their facility was a pure match, as the ability we had been proven largely offers with the ultimate steps of the knifemaking course of. The situation additionally serves as a extra accessible location for these interested in STEELPORT’s knives, and the corporate frequently hosts movie star cooks who demo recipes and strategies. In a phrase, their community-driven vibe. STEELPORT provides a recent, handcrafted, and artisan high quality perspective to the group, even when a full set of knives will set you again a few grand.
Gerber Gear: Rugged Roots, Fashionable Grit
On the morning time on day two, we went on to Gerber, only a quick 10-minute drive from my home. Gerber’s facility in Tigard is a nod to Portland’s knife-making heritage and likewise closely leans into the outdoorsy tradition that Portland and Oregon are inclined to have. Based in 1919 by Henry Manufacturers to produce knives for native salmon fishermen, Gerber has among the deepest roots within the area. Their manufacturing facility blends old-school delight with trendy effectivity. Strolling by, I noticed employees assembling every little thing from the light-weight Assert folder to the beefy Middle-Drive multi-tools, and even had the chance to design a {custom} multi-tool. Though they’ve a ton of recent and modern forms of multitools, I’m nonetheless utilizing my old-fashioned Gerber multi-tool that I’ve had since I used to be simply 10. A testomony to their construct high quality.
What impressed me most was Gerber’s versatility and simply how broad their product lineup has expanded since I final significantly checked out shopping for a brand new multi-tool. Their merchandise cater to hunters, hikers, first responders, and even house cooks. Along with the manufacturing facility tour, Gerber confirmed us a few of their newest merchandise that aren’t essentially blades, however nonetheless cater to those that dwell for the outside. Gerber has every little thing now, from off-road restoration instruments to a brand new line of tenting cookware and utensils which can be cleverly designed to make these off-grid meals simply that a lot simpler. For the PKCoE, Gerber brings a legacy of sturdiness and a dedication to serving various customers moderately than being a strictly blade-oriented firm. You guys needs to be seeing a pleasant overview of a few their tenting and overlanding instruments right here on AOD quickly.
CRKT: American Innovation on a Price range
Subsequent up was CRKT’s headquarters in Tualatin. Columbia River Knife & Instrument is the scrappy underdog of the group, recognized for delivering high-end options at costs that don’t break the financial institution. They accomplish this a bit in another way than most would possibly count on, however they’re actually capitalizing on the truth that the town of Portland is a serious port on the West Coast. Whereas the crew desires up knives just like the M16 and Hirin in Portland, most of their manufacturing occurs abroad, with Taiwan being a key hub for his or her operations. President Mark Schreiber didn’t mince phrases throughout our tour, saying that their producers in Taiwan and past aren’t simply distributors—they’re companions they belief like household. This deep relationship lets CRKT maintain their amenities to sky-high requirements, with engineers making common journeys to make sure each blade meets the identical rigorous specs as a pricier competitor.
By working carefully with Taiwan’s top-tier factories, CRKT delivers options like buttery-smooth IKBS pivots and premium steels with out the premium price ticket. For the PKCoE, CRKT’s strategy reveals how world partnerships can maintain prices low and high quality excessive, making their knives a go-to for anybody who desires efficiency with out breaking the financial institution. Their facility is mostly so much quieter, with engineers tweaking mechanisms and staff fulfilling orders. Whereas we had been there, we received an in depth take a look at their room stuffed with what needed to be each sort of blade CRKT has ever produced, which additionally included some upcoming releases, just like the extraordinarily addictive Provoke X Axe.
Leatherman: The Multi-Instrument Maestros
Our final cease, nestled proper subsequent to the Columbia River close to the Portland Worldwide Airport, is Leatherman, which most likely has among the most fascinating historical past as an organization, at the least to me. Tim Leatherman, annoyed by flimsy pocketknives throughout a Seventies European street journey, sketched the primary multi-tool in a really temperamental Fiat 500, birthing an American instrument icon and the one true multi-tool to realize as a lot reputation, if no more, than the Swiss Military Knife. The ability’s museum show, showcasing early prototypes and classic PSTs (Pocket Survival Instruments), drove house Leatherman’s function in revolutionizing how we supply instruments. Each worker I met appeared proud to hold on that custom, making the tradition at Leatherman a mannequin of the Portland Knife Middle of Excellence’s mission to have a good time craftsmanship.
Strolling by their manufacturing facility, I noticed employees assembling the enduring Wave+ and the modern Arc, every instrument a Swiss Military knife on steroids, though Leatherman has additionally expanded into different forms of blades, together with their Raptor Rescue trauma shears, and their newer line of fastened blades and EDC folders. The precision and scale of the Leatherman operation is staggering—each plier jaw, screwdriver bit, and blade is fitted with tolerances tighter than a drum and whereas lots of the operations at Leatherman are carried out by automated machines, this enables the people to give attention to high quality management, and likewise passes on some financial savings to the shopper in relation to a variety of the stamped instruments. I feel out of all the businesses, Leatherman brings in engineering and manufacturing experience that rivals among the aerospace corporations within the Pacific Northwest.
The Larger Image of PKCoE
Touring these 5 amenities over two days was a reminder of why Portland’s knife business is unmatched and likewise why I feel it deserves extra consideration. Every model—Benchmade’s precision, CRKT’s innovation, Gerber’s rugged legacy, Leatherman’s utility, and STEELPORT’s artist-tier craftsmanship—brings one thing distinctive to the PKCoE. Collectively, they’re not simply making knives; they’re constructing a group, supporting native jobs, and showcasing American manufacturing at its finest, which is one thing I feel that this wet metropolis desperately wants extra of. Better of all, they’re supporting each other with this new coalition of knifemakers and even some new native companies like Olympia Provisions, and the eco-friendly CASCADA wellness sanctuary & lodge. The Knifemaker Showcase was simply the beginning—plans for future occasions, academic packages, and perhaps even a devoted knife museum are within the works, and every CEO has expressed not solely a need, however a ardour to get individuals to affiliate the town of Portland with high-quality knifemaking and a powerful area people of enterprise homeowners who help each other and their metropolis.
As a lifelong shooter, camper, knife collector, and basic outdoorsman, I admire gear that’s constructed to final, and Portland’s knife makers ship. I suppose it shouldn’t come as a lot of a shock, as blades (particularly axes and saws) are core to one of many largest industries within the Pacific Northwest. In a phrase, I feel the town of Portland can take a variety of delight in one among its strongest and least showcased industries, and the PKCoE is doing an incredible job of turning it into essentially the most showcased. Whether or not you’re a collector, a chef, or simply somebody who wants a dependable blade for the path, these manufacturers have you ever lined. The PKCoE is proof that competitors and collaboration can coexist, and Portland’s sharper for it – pun as soon as once more absolutely meant.
