Bill Pease, The Preacher Bladesmith

Before turning their hobby into a full-time profession, most of the great knifemakers pursued other trades. Whether that is a carpenter, mechanic, lawyer, architect, chemist engineer or dentist. This was neither a handicap to their success nor a brake on their production. Moreover, when they became full time, either by choice or upon retirement, which is often at a relatively young age in the USA, there is no visible sign of this change. One of the greatest American knifemakers is no dentist, lawyer or even engineer, but a preacher.

This unique fact is too original not to be underlined, and it is no secret for anyone, since at each Knife Show organized by the Guild a religious service is held on Sunday morning. It is none other than Rev. William Pease who officiates, after which he takes off his preacher’s clothes to sit behind a table on which are displayed a number of knives.

He has been a full-time knifemaker since 1978. He has always made knives and started to earn his living from it in 1969. You can recognize Pease knives from miles away. The mechanisms are perfect and the shapes and proportions could not be more harmonious. The button for the folding knives is often placed on the side and the handles are for the most part made from big horn sheep, from the mouflon that live in the Rockies.

For liner lock (linear switchblades) models, the miters are in blue-hued anodized titanium, as are the plates for maximum lightness. Preacher Pease’s knives have already become a legend.

Here is a link to Bill Pease’s web site:

http://www.wdpeaseknives.com/