Baus Blue

CarlMichael Handmade Knives

Swedish knifemaker Michael Almqvist was born 1963 in Ethiopia, where my parents were missionaries. In 1976 we moved back to Sweden again, to a village called Mellansel ? a small railroad community. This is where I met Karin, my first wife, and we got married in 1988. Between 1984-1988 I studied at Umeå University. I have a degree in social work. After University we moved to Uppsala where we lived for a few years. I crafted my first knife at the age of 15 but during our time in Uppsala I became more serious about this craft. In 1994 we moved back to the north of Sweden, to a very small village called Lövånger. In November 2004 a new phase in my knife crafting started, I set up my own business called: carlMichael Handmade knives and things. In 2008 my wife Karin died after a few years of illness. The summer 2010 I moved to Gävle (180 km north of Stockholm) and 2011 I married a new beautiful woman, Pia. I work in the public school system counseling young students. In 2011 I had to give up my firm and go back to being just a hobby knife maker. Affiliations - 2013 - 1st Prize - Swedish Championship - Miniature knife 2013 - 1st Prize - Swedish Championship - Art knife big 2013 - 1st Prize - Swedish Championship - Traditional Utility knife 2013 - 3th Prize - Swedish Championship - Hunting knife 2013 - 3th Prize - Swedish Championship - Art knife small 2012 -1st Prize - Swedish Championship - Art knife 2012 - 1th Prize - Swedish Championship - development utility knife 2012 - 2nd Prize - Swedish Championship -Teamwork

BladeShow 2018

Hinderer, Rick

In the mid 1980’s Rick Hinderer began his knife making journey making art knives in a small 14′ x 18′ turkey coop with none of the modern amenities, like heat or running water! Art knives are a far cry from the tactical scene which Rick is so deeply entrenched in now. Over the years his meticulous attention to knife design and knife making, coupled with his real world experience as a Fire Fighter / EMT sets him apart from the rest. Rick’s design philosophy is deeply rooted in his experience with using his knives as part of his first responder tools. That catalyst of change from art knives to hard use tactical was after Rick joined the rescue dive team. He really began to look at knives and designs more as hard use tactical tools than works of art. Rick began changing over from old world knife making techniques to modern CNC precision manufacturing. With the combination of designing art knives, and his real world experience as a first responder, this unusual perspective allows him to design hard use tactical folders that are not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but extremely comfortable in the hand. All of Rick’s products are engineered to go the distance when it counts the most whether it be when life is on the line, or you just need a good cutting tool.