Forged by Hand.
Proven by Fire.
Mastersmith.com is the bladesmithing legacy of Dave Ellis, ABS Mastersmith — the knives he forged, and two decades of hard-won knife knowledge, preserved.
What is an ABS Mastersmith?
When Dave first started bladesmithing in 1988, he set two goals: to produce the best blade possible, and to some day test for the Mastersmith rating. An ABS Mastersmith has reached a level of excellence across every facet of forging, heat treating and finishing a knife — a rating that, at the time Dave earned it, fewer than 80 people had ever attained.
The Requirements
According to the American Bladesmith Society (ABS), a Mastersmith applicant must have held the Journeyman Smith rating for at least one full year before taking the performance test, observed and administered by an ABS Mastersmith. The applicant must have personally forged and performed all work on the test blade — and a Mastersmith must test with a pattern-welded Damascus blade of at least 300 layers.
The Test
Three parts, one blade, no second chances:
1. The rope cut. A one-inch diameter rope hangs free. The applicant must sever it with a single stroke, about six inches from the end — a test of edge geometry and sharpness.
2. The chop. A two-by-four must be chopped completely through, twice — and the knife must still shave hair afterward. Any nick, chip, flat spot or rolled edge is a failure. This proves edge toughness.
3. The bend. The blade is clamped in a vise and bent to at least 90 degrees. The edge may crack on bending, but never beyond two-thirds of the blade's width — and if anything chips or breaks off, the applicant fails.
Then comes the show requirement: at least five forged knives of various styles, including the test knife and a European-style quillion dagger of 300 or more layers of pattern-welded Damascus. Dave tested in the Oregon shop of Mastersmith Wayne Goddard — his test blade passed all three tests with no cracking whatsoever at the edge. The magazines took notice →
Explore
The Knives
Bowies, fighters, hunters, daggers and Damascus work — the gallery of Dave's hand-forged pieces.
The Articles
How to sharpen a knife, heat treating, Damascus steel, collecting, pricing — a Mastersmith's knowledge base.
In the Press
The Knife Magazine feature on Dave earning his Mastersmith rating.
On YouTube
What Dave's up to now — rare knives and collecting on the Exquisite Knives channel.