Landon Wardell was 15 years old, a neighbor who lived up the road from him introduced him to blacksmithing. Of course being a teenage boy, Landon had to make a knife or two. Leaf springs, lawnmower blades, and old farm equipment were all turned into knives at the Wardell place on the White River. Landon eventually started working for Pine Ridge Knife Co in Vernal UT, but got tired of making thousands of the same few knife patterns over and over. He discovered that he enjoyed making knives the most when he could create a variety of styles and use them as an outlet for his artistic abilities. After accumulating more than a decade of knifemaking experience, Landon began Bookcliff Knives as a registered business in July of 2021. He has taught knife making lessons, videoed the process of building knives and has posted videos of his knives in use on both Facebook and Youtube. Although to date Landon has never seen an episode of Forged in Fire, many people have recommended that he be on it, which probably won't happen since Forged in Fire wouldn't allow contestants to make their knives purely by stock removal.
Everything begins with an idea...
The Process
Bookcliff knives are currently made from 1084 or 1095 carbon steel that has been “fire etched” during the hardening and tempering process to achieve the texture that is similar to a Damascus look. All knives are made from scratch in the U.S., started by drawing a design on a piece of paper that is then placed on a sheet of steel, traced and cut out, and shaped and ground by hand. Each knife blank is then stamped with the BK logo (early knives had a connected WD for “Wardell”) and then placed in a coal forge for heat treatment. The blanks are then cleaned up, blued, and very lightly sanded in order for the texture to stand out. A protective coating of oil is applied to prevent rust. The handle material is put on, polished, and coated with a protective layer if needed. The knife is finally complete after it receives its individual serial number carved on the left side of the handle near the hilt.
About Our Sheaths
Each knife comes with its own custom built and form-fitted sheath made from durable veg-tanned leather. We are the inventor of the leather Bookcliff COC-D (conventional or cross-draw) sheath that can be worn either in the straight up and down position on the hip (conventional), or, at an angle under the belt in front (cross-draw). Whether you are hiking in the mountains, riding horseback, or driving in a truck, a Bookcliff COC-D sheath will keep your knife comfortably ready to use at a moment’s notice.