Allen Elishewitz/Les George knife collaborations are four point oh.

If you are into custom tactical knives, chances are very good that you have heard of knifemaking United States Marine Corps veterans Les George and Allen Elishewitz.

The two are at or near the top of the list for anyone wanting a high-quality custom tactical. Both possess an excellent knowledge of tactical design and the ability to execute same gained through their years of making knives—Les has 33 years of experience and Allen has 37. Their talent levels are extremely elevated.

Their time in service to their country walking the walk and talking the talk has helped each to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of tactical knives. They have collaborated with factory brands such as Kershaw and Zero Tolerance (George), Benchmade, CRKT and Hogue Knives (Elishewitz), and Fox Knives and Pro-Tech (both of them). They also have collaborated with each other on some special custom knives.

Perhaps most importantly, they are really good friends and inspire each other in many ways.

“I knew Allen by reputation and from the internet knife forums,” Les said. “When I moved to Texas, we were not far away [from each other].” It was about 15 years ago that Les first reached out and paid Allen a visit. 

“He contacted me after he got out of the USMC. He happened to be in Texas and wanted to swing by my shop,” Allen recalled. “I guess we hit it off OK,” Les undersold the moment with his trademark brand of sarcasm. 

In that initial meeting the two not only bonded over their service to their country but also their love of knifemaking, common grounds to forge a solid friendship. Each is outgoing and has a great sense of humor, not to mention an outstanding feel for knife design and ergonomics.

Allen’s first Military Occupational Specialty, or MOS, was designated O861 for Fire Support Marine, and his second was designated O321 for Reconnaissance Marine. In O861, he called in naval artillery and air support on targets, while in O321 he honed his recon skills in scouting and patrolling, small boat operations, long range communications and reconnaissance.

George’s path was slightly different. 

“I started out as a heavy equipment mechanic, then volunteered for embassy guard duty,” he said. 

Following embassy duty, he became an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) technician*. 

“You know, making the bad bombs stop,” he quipped. 

The discipline and fortitude each gained in his respective duties set the stage for them to become solo entrepreneurs as knife designers and knifemakers. It also had a major influence on their approach to tactical knife design.

Their knifemaking styles are highly complementary.

“There are a lot of overlapping skill sets,” George observed.

For instance, Les has CNC experience while Allen has more manual machine know-how. 

“Les uses CAD and CNC, I am strictly handmade,” Elishewitz reiterated.

“We can take a design and I can help scale it up and make more knives, while Allen can add the final touch,” Les noted. 

“I see Les’s knives as very practical and utilitarian,” Allen said. “I have the same approach but with a little more emphasis on artistic flair.” 

Both makers craft excellent cutting tools that are highly utilitarian. You can see the imagination and style in each of Elishewitz’s pieces. Meanwhile, form follows function with George’s work, where the beauty lies in how he builds his designs.

Long-Distance Teamwork

As with any business relationship, especially long-distance ones, it takes work to maintain along with the help of technology. Les lives in Blue Springs, Mississippi, and Allen in New Braunfels, Texas. 

“We send designs back and forth through emails and texts,” Elishewitz explained. “Les has 3D printing capabilities for quick prototyping that has been a game changer.”

Making use of technology almost makes it feel like you are working with someone in the same space even though there is a significant physical distance. Despite the distance, these two always find ways to make things work and to collaborate on beautiful edged pieces.
  
Behind every good man is an even better woman, and it was never truer than with Allen and Les. Both are happily married and their wives wholeheartedly support their husbands’ endeavors in the knife industry.

“Bianca is interested and supportive but not usually super involved,” Les stated of his better half. His passion is knifemaking, hers is abuzz with a passion for beekeeping. 

“Lots and lots of bees!” George affirmed. 

Meanwhile, Valerie Elishewitz not only is very supportive of her husband’s career, she plays an active role in it. 

“Valerie is a crucial part of my business,” Allen stressed. “She takes care of all the administrative tasks which would eat up a lot of my time if I had to do it.”

Valerie sometimes answers emails, private messages, posts on Allen’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, helps pack and ship knife orders, and even helps her husband staff his table at knife shows. If you have bought a knife from Elishewitz at a knife show, chances are you met Valerie.

Upcoming ventures hold promise. 

“Allen is doing several designs with my production company, Defiant7,” George observed. 

“I’m really excited about the way those projects are shaping up.” Added Elishewitz, “We are going to do more of the Fairbairn-Sykes custom daggers. We made them a few years back and they were very popular.”

He also hints that he submitted designs to Les for what Elishewitz calls the BK, or Bangkok Special, a compact fixed blade for concealed carry for the Defiant7 line. He also submitted a blade design to accompany the handle of George’s M320 model for Defiant7. 

Last but not least, Allen said, “Later this year I am going to send Les a crossbar-lock SOG bowie that is going to be killer!”

All this in addition to keeping up with orders for their custom knives, too. Not too shabby for a couple of Marine veterans, right?

*Les George won the BLADE Magazine 2023 Publisher’s Award for his humanitarian effort in making 300 mine probes for shipment to Ukraine to help remove the thousands of deadly explosive devices buried throughout the war-torn country.

For more on the collaborative knives of Allen Elishewitz and Les George, visit elishewitzknives.com, georgeknives.com or defiant7.com

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