BLADE Magazine

Midweek Maker Military-Style: Scooter Davis

Erin Healy

When Jerry Davis was a baby he was scooting across the floor and his grandmother dubbed him Scooter. He is a third-generation welder and fabricator. His dad made knives as a hobby, and by the time Scooter was a teenager, he, too, was making knives.

Scooter Davis is a welder and fabricator whose dad made knives, and now he does too.
Schooter Davis, a Desert Storm US Marine Corps veteran, specializes in small everyday carry knives, skinners and survival knives.

At 19 he entered the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a heavy equipment engineer during Desert Storm. The Gulf War veteran served four years then returned to West Virginia.

Scooter Davis served in the U.S. Marine Corps during Desert Storm. The Gulf War vet then returned to his native West Virginia.

When he isn’t making knives, he’s attending rendezvous, living history gatherings that bring early American frontier days to life. He makes many items in his kit and, of course, period-appropriate knives.

“A primitive rendezvous is a living history event,” Scooter Davis explained. “I have enjoyed them since I was a child. It’s like taking several steps back in time and I enjoy crafting knives and other items that represent that time period [early American frontier].”
He’s also a singer and musician, playing weddings, parties and other events, equally comfortable with Sinatra or Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The quintessential Renaissance man, Scooter Davis of Rough Run Forge, can also perform anything from smooth jazz to country.

“I’ve always been an artistic feller, always making things. I can make just about anything,” Scooter said. But what really inspired him was the quality of the work he saw coming out of other knifemakers. John Savage has been a good friend along the way. “My goal is to create blades worthy of being used in the outdoors.”

This bowie has a 13 1/2-inch blade made of pattern-welded steel by Zoe Crist Knives. The handle is comprised of elk antler, stainless steel and G-10 spacers. The maker’s own pattern-welded steel was used on the guard. Maker’s list price: $800. Contacts listed at the bottom of this article.
Scooter Davis’ seax is 10 1/2 inches long with a 5 1/2-inch blade made from W2 steel with hamon. Avocado Micarta scales were used for the handle. Maker’s list price: $250. Contacts listed at the bottom of this article.
The W.A.C.K.-1 (Wilderness Area Camp Knife) has a 5-inch blade forced from 1095 high-carbon steel. The scales are fashioned from OD green canvas Micarta with hunter orange G10 liners and a ½-inch stainless steel lanyard tube. Contacts listed at the bottom of this article.

Contact Scooter Davis at 540-560-1672, j2davisjr@gmail.com, on Facebook at Rough Run Forge and Instagram @roughrunforge.

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