Photo by Jim Cooper
/ SOUTHERN LIFE Spotlight
From Left: Knight outside of his shop, a custom Knight knife
Jason Knight is the type of person whose energy and enthusiasm affects everyone he meets, leaving a trail of people inspired and excited about their personal projects and lives. An artist living with his wife and two children in the Four Hole Swamp area, Knight’s path has been directed by deep love, true faith, and a passion for bladesmithing.
He then launched into a story about a time when he was joking around with friends. They were having a difficult time opening a bag of chips, so Jason helpfully pulled out his knife. One of them remarked on how barbaric Jason was for attempting to use a knife, before ripping the bag open with his teeth.
As I pulled up to Knight’s country home, I watched his daughter and son, Tigerlily and Tristen, pretending to sword fight with each other, seeming more experienced with the game than most kids. His three rescue dogs earnestly rushed up to my car door, while goats peeked over the chicken wire inquisitively. I found Knight in his shop adjacent to his family home, expertly sanding down Damascus steel blades that he had forged himself. I watched as he looked around his work space for a magnet to hold the strong, steel blade up to the sanding belt. After a moment, he gave up and bravely used his fingers instead. He smiled and told me that the blades were destined for utility knives he was creating for Grady Irvin’s clothing store on King Street.
Jason laughed as he said, “You just used your teeth, which are impossible to replace and incredibly expensive to repair, and I just used a tool. It seems I am civilized and you are the barbarian.”
While I observed his process, Knight shared his history. “I didn’t start doing this so I would get paid. I started because I like making knives,” he stated simply. I asked him what initially drew his interest to knives. “I like knives because they are simple, necessary tools,” he replied. “God didn’t give me fangs and claws.” 16
AZALEAMAG.COM / SPRING 2012
Jason’s interest in knives spans decades, though early forays into the craft were a bit more crude and attempted rather than skilled and perfected. As a child, Jason would cut sections out of a long metal ladder that belonged to his grandmother. He tried to forge these rungs into blades with a concrete block and a claw hammer. As you might expect, it did not turn out too well. “I always desired to make knives, but there were blockages in my way. There were walls. I had a picture in my mind about how it should look, but I couldn’t make it look that way when I was a kid.” Knight continued designing blades on paper and wood but did not begin forging professionally until 2001. At 27 years of age, Knight decided to pursue his childhood dreams with the support of his wife, Shelly. He attended the American Bladesmith Society’s Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing in Arkansas. He is now one of 115 American Master Bladesmiths and the only one located in South Carolina. He spent six years as a blacksmith at Middleton Planta-