Meet Rob Logan | Knife maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rob Logan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rob, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Truth be told, this is something I actually ask myself all the time. Knife making is still very much a side hustle right now. It’s a lot of work and it’s often difficult. I find myself staring at a pile of work lying on my bench wondering if it’s still worth it. Then I look at some of the work I’ve done and how far I’ve come. I remember why I do this. I do this because I enjoy creating something not only aesthetically pleasing but also a useful tool. I remember I find it fulfilling and remind myself I’m not done growing as a maker and that the only way there is through.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ll never claim to be the best knife maker. But something I really do try to do is make knives that don’t look like everyone else’s work. Which is difficult because there’s only so many variations of a pointy sharp thing with a handle. But I try to do things like keep my handle material choices and combinations unique and I do brushed finishes on my steel instead of the mirror polishes a lot of other makers use. Right now I’m just excited to try my hand at some new techniques and build types. It’s been a long and hard road to get to where I’m ready to start pushing what I can do and I’ve got some more elaborate builds I have in my mind I can’t wait to bring to reality. None of this has been easy. But the biggest thing I have learned is to take one of my mentor’s shop rules to heart…. “Slow down; we’re in a hurry”. Rushing is just a good way to ensure you have to do it twice. What I’d want the world to know about my story is to always allow yourself room to grow. Don’t be satisfied with being where you are. I was proud of my first knife. I occasionally pull it out of the drawer to remind myself I’m not that guy anymore because it was truly terrible. I’ll probably look back in another four years at the work I’m doing now and think it’s rough. So in short, just keep growing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I honestly don’t get out much. I work fifty hours a week and make knives in my spare time on top of family life. So my idea of a good time out would be to take them out to Dinosaur Valley State Park. They have really good hiking trails out there through a very beautiful area and I find it soothing. Probably a nice Saturday morning hike followed by a trip out to Revolver Brewing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shane Stainton of Red Dog Forge, my mentor. I’ve had a lot of people give me input and instruction I’ve the years, but without him I’m not where I am today

Instagram: @bluecanoeforge

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Image Credits
Caleb Royer (on noted photos)