About

About Me…

Hello and thank you for visiting my website. My name is Mark McClain and I began making knives a few years ago after visiting my cousin and discovering that her husband, Steve Nolte (“Nolte Knives”), has been making and selling knives for over ten years. Steve makes beautiful quality knives and I was immediately impressed and interested in what I saw.  Steve and others have been extremely generous in passing along their knowledge to me and I am very grateful.

As a young boy I would go hunting and fishing with my Dad and I cherish those memories. For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed the outdoors and now I am blessed to share those experiences with my son. You’ll find that most of the knives I make are a hunting style knife. I’ve also made kitchen knives and other specialty knives for custom orders.

About the Process…

McClain Knives start with a vision or idea that is transferred to paper.  From there, I transition the drawing onto a pre-forged billet of steel, most often Alabama Damascus steel made here in the US.  (*Alabama Damascus Steel is 416 layers of 5160, 15n20 and Ni200 steel unless stated otherwise).  After the drawing has been transferred, the billet is cut and profiled to the desired shape.   The edge is then ground to the desired profile and any additional decorative file work is performed.  Holes are drilled for the handle, guard, pins and bolsters and then it is stamped with the McClain logo.  The knife is then heat treated, cleaned and etched to bring out the beautiful Damascus patterns.  Once the blade is complete, I build out the handle and other elements of the knife utilizing various elements for the handle including: Bone, Wood, Acrylic, Resin, Ivory, Stainless, and Brass to name a few.

The name “McClain” in Celtic font is inscribed on all knives or merchandise. There are knives available now for purchase in a variety of shapes and sizes, including folding knives. If you prefer, I also do custom orders and can build something special and individualized for you.  

Making knives has become a passion for me and I take great pride in producing the best possible product.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.