Hylton's 20th Anniversary Special

20 years since my first forge lesson. Today, I relaunch the knife that started it all...  

(This knife is also available on order.  Please allow 10 days for manufacturing and dispatch)

Twenty years ago I was an advertising executive, chasing deadlines and pitches. A business partner introduced me to bladesmith Stuart Smith, and I signed up for a weekend course more out of curiosity than calling. That first time at the forge changed everything. The rhythm of hammer on steel, the smell of hot metal and wood, the slow reveal of a working tool - it felt like coming home. 

Somewhere along the way, the agency life gave way to the workshop life, and I never looked back. To celebrate two decades at the bench, I'm relaunching my original Out of Africa series. Each piece is a working tool: fully forged blade, contoured African hardwood handle, brass pins, and a lanyard hole. They're built for use, but they carry the memory of that first spark...

my own out-of-office moment that became a lifetime.