Handcrafted Knives, Axes & Model Codes
Yes. Every knife and axe is made by hand, one piece at a time — from forging and grinding the blade to fitting and finishing the handle and sheath. Nothing comes off an automated production line.
Because each piece is handmade, small variations are completely normal — differences in wood grain, handle color, stitching, or blade finish. These are not defects; they're part of what makes a handmade piece unique rather than a mass-produced copy. If you receive an item with an issue beyond normal handmade variation (a structural flaw, functional problem, or transit damage), contact us and we'll make it right.
We work primarily with two steels:
All blades ship sharp and ready to use — handle with care when unboxing and always cut away from your body. Our products are not toys: keep them out of reach of children, and any use by minors should be supervised. Please use each tool only for its intended purpose (e.g., kitchen knives for food preparation, bushcraft knives for outdoor use) — misuse isn't covered by warranty.
Sustainability is part of how we work, not an afterthought. Instead of relying only on new stock, we reclaim and repurpose steel from sources such as ball bearings, leaf springs, and sawmill blades to forge many of our knives — materials that are known for excellent steel quality but would otherwise be scrapped. Handles follow the same philosophy — many of our wood handles are made from leftover wood scraps and offcuts from larger woodworking projects, giving the material an extended useful life instead of ending up as waste.
No — every piece of reused steel and wood is inspected before use and held to the same quality standard as any other material we work with. Because it comes from repurposed material, you may notice slightly more character or variation piece to piece, which we see as a feature, not a compromise.
Every AF Knifeworks product carries a code that tells you exactly what it is, at a glance — no need to look anything up.
AF + Category (3) + Length in cm (2) + Handle (1) + Sheath (1)
Example: AFHNT13AL = AF Hunting knife, 13 cm blade, Antler handle, Leather sheath
| Category | Code |
|---|---|
| Bushcraft | BRC |
| Camp Knives | CMP |
| Hunting | HNT |
| Kitchen | KIT |
| Pocket Knife | PKT |
| Puukko | PUK |
| Axe | AXE |
Two digits showing the blade length in cm (for axes, the head edge length in cm). E.g. "12" = 12 cm.
| Handle | Code |
|---|---|
| Wood | W |
| Micarta | M |
| Hybrid epoxy resin / wood | H |
| Antler | A |
| Sheath | Code |
|---|---|
| Leather | L |
| Kydex | K |
| None (kitchen knives) | N |
AFCMP15WL breaks down as:
So AFCMP15WL is a Camp Knife with a 15 cm blade, a wood handle, and a leather sheath — you can read the full spec directly from the code.
Still have a question that isn't answered here? Get in touch — we're happy to help before or after your purchase.