We know you already own a chef knife – maybe it’s even a very good knife. But it’s unlikely that you already own an heirloom quality forged American carbon steel knife.
This is because there are no other broadly available American forged knives on the market.
In many ways, we are in a “Golden Age” of knife making. There has never been more interest in knives, as demonstrated by both global sales and social trends (e.g. popular reality shows like “Forged in Fire”). Combined with new techniques and science available, plus the sheer amount of new talent in the industry, there are actually many American craftspeople bringing back traditional forging techniques with their own modern flare – BUT they are operating on a very small, individual scale, sometimes with years-long wait lists.
The substantial premium kitchen knife market remains fragmented and dominated by German and Japanese brands, or American-based brands that source their knives (either in-part or completely) from China and elsewhere.
We started STEELPORT to create the best knives possible using traditional techniques with some modern innovations for effective scaling, handcrafted locally here in Portland with all American sourced materials.
Being “Made in America” is more than a buzzword – it means we’re building relationships with trusted partners to ensure product quality, safe and ethical work conditions, collaborative solutions when adjustments need to be made, and a strong community that includes every level of our supply chain.
There is nothing in the knife world that can compete with a properly forged carbon steel knife. Carbon steel can generally get harder and sharper than stainless steel, allowing for better edge retention and sharpenability. Forging from a single rod stretches the grain and allows you to make a stronger and finer one-piece construction blade, with no welding or soldering involved. Most knife companies take the easy way by stamping out stainless steel blades. We believe that the tried and true knife making method of forging, combined with our modern understanding of heat treatment and knife geometry, can truly create the best knife.
Our Co-Founder and Bladsmith, Eytan Zias, is a former chef and the owner of a boutique cutlery shop with 25 years experience professionally using, sharpening, selling and teaching about cutlery, plus years of hand forging and heat treating his own knives. With STEELPORT, Eytan has created the knife he always wanted, incorporating insights from all the likes and dislikes of the thousands of customers and chefs he’s worked with over the years. Eytan’s holistic and deep understanding of the knife market and knifemaking, combined with the rest of our artisan team’s expertise in engineering, design and production, means we’re creating
the highest quality handcrafted cutlery available to a broader audience.
Every detail of the STEELPORT knife has been thoughtfully considered to ensure the highest level of performance, longevity and comfort, from our chosen material of 52100 carbon steel we’ve developed a unique heat treatment for an unmatched 65HRC hardness, to the functional design features of our drop forged full tang with integral bolster construction, resin stabilized natural wood handle, and smooth hand polished spine and heel. Our “Craftsmanship Without Compromise” vision is a challenge, but it yields powerful results.
STEELPORT is proud to lead the re-introduction of American forged carbon steel cutlery to the global knife market.