Les George Leans On His Decade Of Service In The Marines To Guide His Knifemaking Philosophy

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and the Iraq War, knifemaker Les George loves vintage military fixed blades and collects, designs, and reproduces them on a regular basis. 

About four years ago, Kershaw asked him to design a folding version of one of his military favorites.

“It’s hard to translate from fixed blades to folders,” he noted but he went ahead and designed one based on the M3 trench knife. Kershaw made a prototype from the design—sold today as the XCOM—and sent the knife to Les. Today, the XCOM sells for $53.99 and is well reviewed on the Kershaw site.

He carried it for a while and was cutting with the folder one day when he laid it down and began admiring it. “I saw the prototype lying there and it was way cooler and much more utilitarian than I thought it would be because of the military vibe,” he said. 

He dropped everything he was doing and made the custom M3 Folder with a blade of a  stainless damascus forged especially for the knife by Chad Nichols, and a handle of Zircuti, a laminate of titanium and zirconium. The result is one stunning folding dagger.

Who Is Les George

Les George first started making knives in 1992. Many of his pieces are inspired by his 10 years of service in the Marines where he, among other jobs, worked as an explosive ordnance disposal technician. Overseeing hundreds of EOD missions has given up a unique view of how tools should be made that carries over into his knifemaking. George makes both fixed blades and folders.

M3 Folder Knife Specs

Maker: Les George
Blade Length: 3.9 inches
Blade Material: Chad Nichols stainless damascus
Handle: Zircuti
Pocket Clip: Titanium
Lock: Framelock
Closed Length: 4-⅝ inches 
Maker’s Price For A Similar Knife: $2,400

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