The founder

Finished by hand in Scotland, to one maker's design.

HandFab is not a factory. It is a knife brand with a maker behind it. Every knife is Brad's design, held to his standard, and the handmade ranges are finished by hand in a small Edinburgh workshop.

The HandFab workshop bench, with tools and work in progress
01 · The beginning

Why HandFab exists

HandFab started in 2020 as a small design and manufacturing venture, built around a simple idea: make things that are considered, functional and worth owning. Over the years that idea has found its place in kitchen knives.

I believe a great kitchen knife should do more than work well. It should look right, feel right in the hand and have a character of its own. From the proportions of the blade to the handle and the finish, every element is considered for both performance and aesthetics. I use premium materials and work with skilled makers and manufacturers where it makes sense, while keeping the design and direction firmly at the heart of HandFab.

Alongside the main collections I make bespoke knives and smaller projects personally, which gives me room to experiment with materials, finishes and ideas that do not fit a standard production run.

HandFab isn't about making as many knives as possible. It is about good design, great materials and knives I would genuinely want to use and own.

Brad in the HandFab workshop
02 · The process

From bar of steel to your kitchen

The handmade ranges pass through these four stages at the bench, every one of them by hand. This is where the hours go, and why no two are ever quite identical.

Hot steel being forged to shape on the anvil
Profile

The steel is cut or forged to shape, establishing the profile and character of the blade.

Grinding the bevel on the belt grinder, sparks flying
Grind

The geometry of the knife is forged or ground to shape. This is the part that really makes a difference to performance.

Shaping the wooden handle on the belt sander
Handle

Stabilised wood from around the globe is shaped and fitted by hand. Every handle is its own.

Finishing the blade and inspecting the edge
Finish

The maker's mark goes on, the edge is refined, and the knife checked before it leaves the workshop.

The HandFab maker's mark stamped into a blade
No two knives are ever quite the same, and that is the point. Each one carries the marks of being made by hand.
Brad, HandFab
03 · What this means for you

The value of one standard

Talk specs directly

Because Brad designs every knife, you can discuss custom requirements with the person whose design it is. Commission one and he makes it himself.

Genuinely one of one

On the handmade ranges, hand work means natural variation. Your knife is not a copy of anything, and nothing else is quite like it.

Made to be kept

Every knife is built to last a lifetime, and can be returned to the maker for our workshop sharpening service whenever the edge needs bringing back.

Accountable to you

One standard, start to finish. If anything is ever not right, it goes back to the workshop it came from.

The knives

See the knives

Every knife on the site is Brad's design, held to the standard you have just read about.

Explore the collection
HandFab · Crafted in Scotland