About Us

About The Maker:
Adam Williams

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, spending much of my time fishing and hunting along the Gasconade River and the Lake of the Ozarks. Even as a little kid, I was fascinated by blades. When I was three, my parents let me carry around a screwdriver — the closest thing I could find to a knife. Later, it was fingernail files, anything that even resembled a blade. That passion never left me. I’ve been a lifelong knife collector, inspired by legendary makers like Randall Made Knives. At 24 years old, life took an unexpected and incredible turn. Living in Tampa, Florida at the time, I drove to Randall Made Knives in Orlando to have one of my knives cleaned — and on a whim, I asked if they were hiring. To my shock, they said yes, if I could start within two weeks. I rode my motorcycle back home, asked my wife if she wanted to move to Orlando, and without hesitation, she said, “Let’s do it.” I showed up for my first day at Randall, expecting to sweep floors. Instead, they handed me a piece of steel stamped Randall Made Orlando, Florida and told me to start grinding. I couldn’t believe it. I was being trained to make knives at the Mecca of handmade hunting knives. I worked there for years, learning from some of the best craftsmen in the world.

Later, I returned to Tampa, earned my business degree from the University of South Florida, married my longtime girlfriend, and built a life working in corporate dentistry for over a decade. But something was missing. I realized that knives were never far from my mind. I once heard a quote from a poet by the name of Rainer Maria Rilke:

“If you wake up in the morning and all you can think about is writing, then you’re a writer.”
It hit me — all I ever think about is knives. That’s when I decided to dedicate myself fully to my craft.

Today, I make knives with the goal of achieving the same, or even better, quality as the master smiths I’ve admired for years — William Scagel, Randall Made Knives, Jerry Fisk, Don Hanson, Murray Carter, Josh Smith, Ed Fowler, Ron Lake, Micheal Walker, and so many others. I work with both carbon and stainless steels. I hand-forge my carbon blades and do all my own heat-treating using a digitally controlled kiln to achieve exact scientific specifications, aiming for an average Rockwell hardness of 61. I love working with premium materials: stag, exotic stabilized woods, horns — the rarer and more beautiful, the better. I also handcraft all my leather sheaths, stitching every line by hand.

One of my greatest joys is introducing people to their first handmade knife. There’s nothing like the moment someone feels the difference — that first effortless cut. And while I take pride in every blade I make, nothing keeps me honest quite like my daughter. She’s my harshest critic — quick to tell me if something’s not quite right — and also my biggest fan. She’s got her own collection of AW knives, plus a handful of pink and purple blades she’s proudly claimed as hers. Seeing her excitement and sharp eye reminds me every day why I do what I do. I’m deeply thankful for every person who has supported AW Knives — whether you’ve purchased a blade or simply visited my site.

Thank you for being part of this journey.
— Adam Williams

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