About Me

My name is Tray Ivie, and I’m a knifemaker from Austin, Texas. I have been making knives for about 10 years, but have been around the craft my whole life. My dad has been a knifemaker for over sixty years, and I learned the craft from him. He taught me so much over the years, what an awesome dad and teacher!

I really got started as a knifemaker years ago, I just didn’t know it at the time. My dad had a paint contracting business for many years, and me and my brothers worked in the trade from the time we were little kids. Little did I know that sanding trim would translate perfectly into the knife-making world. I’ve come to learn that it’s all about managing scratches. Think of it like this: Wax on, Wax off. You get the idea, practice makes perfect!

At this stage of my life, I’ve retired from a career in web development to pursue my dream job, Scratch Manager, I mean, Knife Maker.

Making a knife begins with drawing a design you like, cutting it out, grinding the blade, and attaching a handle. Starting with the grinding part, it’s all about the sanding. Starting around 50 grit, and going up through 10,000 grit for some handle finishes. That level of detail takes patience, and a level of commitment that ruins a good manicure. To me though, the satisfaction comes at the end, when I can stand back and look at something I’ve hand-crafted. And the special part is when someone else likes it as much as you do and wants to take it to a new forever home.