Master smiths explore the symmetry, skill and survivalist roots of a classic.

It’s part adventure with a bit of notoriety and a dash of creativity. For the modern custom knifemaker, several styles are brought to life with history in mind. And the push dagger is one of them.

Maybe seldom seen, but always intriguing, push daggers trace their lineage to a bygone era when self-defense at the card table or on the street meant quick deployment from a vest pocket. For sure, that perspective spurs some custom makers to insert the push dagger into their repertoire while the stylized and subtle blend of blade and handle combine for a unique test of shop skill.

“They’re a backup tool,” explained ABS master smith and BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Steve Schwarzer. “They were typically carried in the 1700s and 1800s along with a one-shot pistol. After that shot, the push dagger was the next position. It’s been around for a long time as an extension of your arm with a blade, and it is hard to take away from somebody that is skilled in its use.”

Schwarzer’s featured push dagger with stag handle and evocative faces carved on both ends is 5¾ inches long with a 3¾-inch blade of mosaic damascus steel. He has actually made two push daggers in this style and designed another for Benchmade about 20 years ago. “For me, they’re fun, and that’s why I like to make them,” he commented. “I’ve always had a fascination about them and adapted my martial arts background to training with them. The design traditionally is with a very short blade, and in martial arts, it has to do with the alignment of the hand and arm bones, along with the shape of the blade, which is double-edged traditionally. Everything in nature is curved for an effective cutting surface.”

Harvey Dean Tejas

Legendary master smith and Hall of Famer Harvey Dean enjoys the historical aspect as well. “They’re just cool,” he offered. “A lot of people made them back years ago, and there was the idea of concealing them in the vest. Some were made with nickel-silver scabbards and called lapel knives because they were pinned under the vest or coat lapel.”

Dean’s pictured Tejas push dagger is a departure from standard sizing, with an overall length of 16¼ inches, with an 11-inch ladder pattern damascus blade and handle of fossilized walrus ivory. But then, everything is bigger in Texas.

“I’ve always liked [master smith] Larry Fuegen’s push daggers, and his work has had a lot of influence on mine,” Harvey said. “You really make them like any other knife, and I usually do around two or three a year. I like to use ivory and damascus and a stag handle is next up. I don’t do many plain ones, and most of mine are with two-piece handles. As far as marketing is concerned, you’ve got to have that special person who likes them–but they do usually sell quick.”

Hawks Nest Custom Push Talon

Damascus blade, mother-of-pearl handle and variations on the push dagger theme highlight Matt Hunter’s work at Hawks Nest Customs. He is a huge fan of concealed carry knives and started down the road with a boot dagger, neck knife and then his Push Talon.

“I think any dagger is challenging due to the symmetrical grinds that are required,” he noted. “You’ve really got to nail each and every one of them or the entire build needs to be scrapped. These push daggers are made with Nichols Slither Armor Core stainless damascus and mother-of-pearl on Westinghouse black canvas Micarta liners.
“Believe it or not, these were my first push daggers,” Matt added. “These were originally made for a customer to match the HawkWing, which is also in this photo. I told him I was planning on doing a pair of matching push daggers, and he asked if we could do the mother of pearl to match his knife. So, I obliged.”

Zack Jonas Totem

The Zack Jonas push dagger featured is his Totem model with a blade length of 4 inches and an overall length of 6½ inches. Its gold handle accents complement a san mai steel with laddered W’s and faces in a 1,000-layer laminate with pure nickel.

“The push dagger is one of the few knives that is actually designed to be folded into a tightly closed fist,” the master smith explained. “That means you have to make sure the handle comfortably conforms to the shape of the human hand in that unusual position. A push dagger is not a particularly functional tool outside the very limited frame of hand-to-hand combat; if you don’t have a secure grip when you need it, you’ve got a real problem.

“There are few makers that come to mind as design influences,” Jonas concluded. “[Master smith] J.D. Smith’s early influence on my career is never far from my hand or eye. I also think of Peter Johnsson’s work as I’m designing. He has never done a push dagger that I’m aware of, but I like to try and channel the way he conducts tension through his lines. Peter and [master smith] Kevin Cashen both come to mind when I think of the functionality in any dagger.”

Andrew Meers Rose Of Sharon

Andrew Meers included a push dagger in his ABS master smith set, which was complete with forged trout iron texture engraved with pangolins. “Push daggers have a place in my childhood memory,” he related. “I remember seeing one at a museum and being fascinated. In retrospect, I think having mostly seen conventionally handled pieces in media and collections, the manner in which the hand engages the handle is what is attractive to me.”

Meers’ featured push dagger is his first with a carbon fiber handle and a groove in the blade. Its 7-inch damascus blade is framed in stainless steel, and the engraving depicts the Rose of Sharon with a gold-plated relief background. The entire push dagger is 9 inches long. Andrew produced his first push dagger in 2014 and has made several since. His longest measured between 23 and 24 inches.

Jean Potvin Romanesque

“This push dagger is Roman in style,” remarked Jean Pierre Potvin. “It came about quite by chance. I rarely design in advance when I create. I prefer to let my imagination run free and follow new ideas that present themselves during the making process. During the making, I saw that it had a somewhat Roman style, and I continued in that direction with this result.”

Potvin’s push dagger measures 8 inches overall with a 4½-inch blade of damascus in 15N20 and 1084 carbon steel. The handle is fashioned from stabilized walnut burl and brass furniture. He had previously made only one push dagger. That was in 2022, and it was much smaller. “I had a buyer at the Nashville knife show,” he remembered, “and I had packed it in my luggage to take there. But when I got to the Montreal airport, it was confiscated by airport security.”

Since push daggers are illegal in Canada, that experience inspired Jean Pierre to remove the actual handle and replace it with a toilet plunger handle the next time he traveled with a push dagger. He made it to Las Vegas that second time and reattached the original handle after arrival. “It’s really funny because it’s the same dagger, but having a cross handle makes it illegal,” he smiled. “Sometimes you have to use tricks to get what you want.”

Somehow, the push dagger and its adventurous history seem to fit right in with Potvin’s novel experience.

Check Out More Cool Customs:

• Cool Custom: Tony Lewis’ Tribute Knife To Steve Dunn
• Cool Customs: Rocco Nawrocki’s Knife For Sergeant Bunker
• Cool Custom: Robert Logan’s Tiny Fighter
• Cool Custom: Lonni Williams’ Steampunk Folder

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