Thompson, Lloyd

Lloyd Thompson from Pagosa Springs, CO is a self-taught bladesmith who creates one-of-a-kind custom knives. Starting in 1984 after retiring from the telephone company, he found himself with a lot of extra time and started making knives. This was the modest start of what has now become a thriving custom knife-making business he calls Trapper Creek Knives. Thompson uses a variety of materials to make his knives, including composite steel, 1095 high carbon, 1084 high carbon, and stainless steels. He is particularly interested in creating Damascus knives, which are made from layered steel forged together to form a steel shaft1. The patterns in Damascus knives are naturally occurring and can be quite intricate. The time it takes from starting with raw steel to forge the blade and build the knife is at least 40 hours per knife. A simple hunting knife starts at $350, and he has made whitetail knives that have sold for $1,100. His knives are in all 50 states and eight foreign countries. Thompson’s knives are so well-regarded that he has many collectors throughout the country who purchase the knives he has created1. One collector in Virginia owns 35 or 36 of his knives