This week’s interview features Andrew Trimarco otherwise known as the maker behind Pig Iron Forge. He hails from the Chicago area in the US. I have always appreciated his balance of eye-catching design and extremely thin behind the edge grinds. After getting to know him better I also appreciate the fact that for the most part, makers make, not because it is the most lucrative path they could choose, but rather because it is a path that moves them. And that is almost more beautiful than what they make.
What sparked your interest in knives?
I guess I’ve always kind of liked knives but being a chef is what really sparked my interest into really learning about them. Working intimately with a tool for hours a day makes you start to appreciate craftsmanship and quality. My knowledge was very surface level at the time, I remember thinking Shun knives were the best in the world, my opinion has changed a bit in 20 years. Not bad knives of course just not the best in the world like used to believe.
What inspired you to do this and how did you learn?
I wish I had some huge inspiring motivation for why I started, but it was as simple as I wanted a new hobby, and I saw an episode of “Forged in Fire”. It was a perfect fit. I love working with my hands and you can’t deny knives are cool. I looked up knifemaking classes and found Chicago Fire Arts school. The class was in a tiny room full of old metal, metal dust, shelves completely full of random tools and old projects, one anvil, eight students and two forges running off of handheld propane torches and it smelled like you popped the hood of 70’s muscle car. I was in love. Vince was running the class he’s an artist first, and a blade smith second. I think his influence definitely shows in my work.
When did you start making knives?
I started about 8 years ago and went full-time about 6 years ago.
What did you make your first knife with?
I made my first knife from a railroad spike and some Ironwood…it was a Karambit. No idea why, but it was.
Do you have a favorite knife you made, tell me about it?
I don’t really have a favorite knife that I have made. I’ve made so many getting attached doesn’t really happen anymore. I’m also of the thought that, what is my best knife today, shouldn’t be tomorrow. I think most knife makers feel the same way. Got to keep pushing.
What is the most important aspect of a well-made knife?
The most important aspect of a good knife is the heat treat, everything else can be changed or fixed. After that I would say grind then handle shape. The grind is performance/edge retention and the handle is how you “know” the knife.
What keeps you going?
What’s keeps me going is two fold: doing something new or perfect and my family. When I figure out a new grind or the steel turns out just like I planed my serotonin pops like a hand grenade…I crave it.
My family is the best thing about all of this. “My dad makes knives!” my son likes to proudly proclaim. He thinks my job is just the coolest, that will change when he grows up and finds out how little we smiths make. My wife pushed me to not only pursue this career but to be the best I can at it, even though she definitely knows how little we make. I believe you can’t really do anything truly alone and achieving something with no one to share it with sucks.
What’s your biggest struggle?
The biggest struggle I run into is just keeping workflow. Snags, hiccups, and gremlins are all part of this and that means gaps between finished products and then the money coming in fluctuates.
What kinds of knives do you make?
I want my knives to have an overall feel or vibe. I want the handles to feel like a warm handshake from an old friend with performance so dependable you would call them to bail you out of jail. Perfection is never the goal, its pursuit is.
How did your background affect your approach to knives?
I think being a chef helped with understanding how a knife should perform, and also the importance of durability.
Who are your influences?
As far as people who influence me in the knife making it’s hard to point to one maker when it comes to my style. Joshua Prince’s forging always inspires me to pick up the hammer. I don’t do that enough sometimes; the press can get addicting. Greg Cimms’ work always sticks out to me his Damascus looks disrupted or glitched, and his hamon work is unmatched. I love a dark blade, so Nick Anger’s work sticks out to me. Honestly there are so many great makers that I draw from, whether I know it or not, that’s what is great about the community right now.
Any specific breakthroughs or revelations in your knife making journey?
My favorite part of knife making right now is s-grinds or compound grinds. Making an absolutely ridiculous choil shot brings me probably too much joy. I know that there is so much more to performance than that, but I like it. Watching food fall off a blade or a giant cleaver that weights practically nothing is just cool. I think it displays skill.
What is the perfect knife?
A perfect knife is so subjective I guess, but a perfect knife for me is a 50mm x 220mm k-tip in 26c3 hardened to 63 hrc with a western style ironwood handle. Paper thin laser grind.
What are your favorite steels?
I actually use a lot of steels pretty regularly. 26c3 is my favorite, it’s a dream to work and its performance is outstanding. Easy heat treat, easy grind, easy to hand sand, plays well with other steels, patinas beautifully, and is easy to sharpen even at higher HRCs. I use 1084 and 15n20 for my Damascus, but I also use them both individually for mono steel blades. I feel they are both criminally underrated as stand-alone steels. W2 use to be my favorite steel but I don’t water quench as much as I use to, the failure rate versus production rate didn’t math. I know you can quench it in parks but it just not the same, it’s average out of oil. I don’t use 52100 as much as I use to, it has fallen out of favor with the custom knife buyer, sad really. That kind of rust resistance from a carbon steel is rare. As far as stainless I use AEB-L and that’s it. Tough, takes a razor edge, easy heat treat, and easy to hand sand.
How has the knife world changed since you started?
The knife world hasn’t changed much since I’ve been in it. I started right when the Forged in Fire hype started so everything has been pretty steady. I’m more interested in the next couple years, rising prices for consumables, tariffs, dwindling international clients, who’s going to survive? I have a feeling a lot of full-time guys will have to go back to part-time or just weekends and get another job. My average knife is $650-$700, a lot more people not responding back after a quote these days and I’ve dropped my prices. 4 years ago, I was selling $600 mono steel knives, and I couldn’t keep them on the shelf. That same knife is $400 today and sometimes they sit for days. I’m not complaining, nor doomsaying, just trying to take an honest assessment of what’s going on. Now I have to adapt, so be it. I love blade smithing, I love the time I get with my family, I love creating heirlooms, and I love being my own boss. So, if I want to keep all that, I figure if I just keep making bangers, then I should be ok.
To keep up to date with what Andrew is doing check out his website http://www.pigironforge.com or follow him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pig_iron_forge/
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