Cool Customs: Tim Britton’s Badger

Inspired By The Keen Kutter Pen Knife, Tim Britton’s Badger Is A Refined, Modern Version Of The Classic Knife.

When ABS master smith Bruce Bump showed an old Keen Kutter penknife pattern to veteran knifemaker Tim Britton, Tim fell in love with it and immediately set to making his own iteration.

The blades of his version are BG-42 stainless steel that, as Tim noted, has high ductility and holds an edge forever. He flat ground them on his “ancient” 18-inch, 200-pound Porter Cable disc sander. However, it’s the handle that really stands out.

Consisting of stabilized diseased ash burl from Whistle in the Woods, the material looks synthetic but isn’t. “The light stuff in it looks like explosions,” Tim said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” The projection on the spine fits right in between the user’s index and middle fingers and the groove on the underside cradles the latter for a comfortable, secure grip.

Calling it the Badger, Tim made 10 of them and showed them off to the world at BLADE Show 2022 in Atlanta. 

Who Is Tim Britton

Britton has been making knives since 1971 and has spent much of his time recently creating slip joints, of which the Badger is one of his latest. While his knifemaking career started by making hunting knives for dressing game to crafting tactical knives and small folders and slip joints from his shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

With more than a half century of experience, Britton has carved a place, pun intended, for himself among the top knifemakers in the country.

Badger Knife Specs
Maker: Tim Britton
Blade Steel: BG-42 stainless
Blade Grind: Flat
Handle Material: Stabilized diseased ash burl from Whistle in the Woods
Closed Length: 3.5 inches
Maker’s Price For A Similar Knife: $375

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