BLADE Magazine

Cool Customs: Damascus Gentleman’s Hunter

Brandon Hyner’s First Knife Is One Of His Most Current Knives As His New Work Takes Inspiration From His First Blade

Sometimes things take their own sweet time before coming to fruition. Such is the case with Brandon Hyner’s damascus gentleman’s hunter.

Hyner is an accomplished maker. He is a champion of History Channel’s Forged in Fire and has built a business of knifemaking and blacksmithing in his shop in Groton, on the Connecticut coast of Long Island Sound. He has built a following of just over 9,000 followers on Instagram where he showcases his work and produces behind the scenes videos in his shop of him doing everything from welding to forging by hand. 

The damascus gentleman’s hunter is the second of a design Brandon made when he first started blacksmithing and knifemaking. With the help of a Texas bladesmith, he forged a damascus billet for the first knife, and “was forever grateful” for the opportunity. Four years later Brandon decided to finish the knife and was very pleased with how it turned out. As he noted, “I decided to keep the blade as is, as it was a big milestone knife for me.”

It has a six-inch blade with a desert ironwood handle. The brass spacer and carbon fiber bolster complete the look. 

He posted the knife online and someone asked to buy it. However, rather than sell it, Brandon made a similar knife instead. “The second knife came out much better than the first one,” he noted, “but I’m extremely happy with them both.”

It’s a matched pair he can always point to as proof of his maturation as a maker and a beginning of possibly greater things to come. It was a four-year odyssey well worth the wait.

Damascus Gentleman’s Hunter Knife Specs

Knife name: Damascus gentleman’s hunter

Blade length: 6 inches

Blade material: Low-layer twist damascus

Handle: Desert ironwood w/brass spacer

Bolster: Carbon fiber

Overall length: 10 inches

For more information contact Brandon Hyner, Dept. BL4, 852 Bank St., New London, CT 06320 631-742-7227 Brandonhyn.16@sunymartime.edu.

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