Hand Made Knives
by Chase Axinn

CHAX Knives was founded by Chase & Linda Axinn and is located in Upstate New York's Adirondack Park, Long Lake, New York, USA.

Product Focus:
One goal is to be able to perform any work or modifications for folding knives that anyone may want.  Another is to be able to produce any fixed blade knife that folks may be looking for.  And lastly, my 3rd goal is to produce work that will provoke you to want to acquire them.

Service & Quality Focus:
Is to score an "A+" in making it an enjoyable endeavor to deal with me.  My nature and the experience of many years as a builder & cabinet maker, I am not content if any customer doesn't receive at least what they bargained for, if not more.

This is a joint venture with my wife, Linda, who is as integral in our customer service and back ground work, as she is with my life.

About Us:   Hello guys and gals and greetings to you knife "knuts".  Whether you buy our knives or not, we wish you well.   I am Chase Axinn, and Linda is my wife (since 1979).  Linda, since childhood, has had a passion for art and crafts and, thanx to her dad---"boy" things like shooting, handloading, boating, cars, and contraptions.  Her father is a master mechanic and handed down to her a lot of skill and know-how.
    I successfully altered my first Buck knife at age 13, in about 1960.  I changed a Buck "Caper" (which I bought new for $13) to have a blade like the Buck 110 folder, which i don't think existed at the time.  It came out perfect, swedges and all.  I have been doing that kind of thing and handle changes since then, and maybe acquired a new knife every year or two.
    I spent my career as a builder with my roots in cabinet making, learning joinery and inlays from an old German cabinetmaker.  With my body pretty much worn out, I've turned to knife making, which is more of a reward, than a next best alternative.
    I worked in a machine shop from age 16 to 17, and learned how steel was machined.  Beside altering knives, I have also sharpened and reground all of my large machinery blades, hand tools, and have fabricated certain hand tools.  Since 2003 I have been working as a full time knifemaker, so these days, a knife made 2 months later than one you see, will likely be better. 
    I stay close to steel manufacturer's specs for heat treating, and bring out the best in any steel.
    Many of our knife models, like the Thunderbolt, are a type of knife, like Gibson makes the Les Paul guitar.  Gibson makes some dozen models ranging in cost from $600 to $6000 with all prices in between.  Our models are basic in the same way, subject to many different grinds, blade sizes and steels, and appointments according to your tastes and budget.  I strive to produce a knife sound, straight and symmetrical, with steel that is "all it can be" on even the lowest cost versions of models, which can be priced right down to production knives, but have the unmistakable superiority of the handmade.  I will usually "give' you a certain appointment you may want, but if it runs into hours of work, i will regrettably have to add cost, or I just won't BE here in this business to serve you and our livelihood.  I still like to keep appointment costs down, just so, within our first 5 years, you can come to see the real difference in production and handmade.
    Things that I WANT to do, I end up doing well, and as you look at the many, or few knives you have, that CHAX knife will be one you know you did very well to get.
    I know many knife knuts, and find them to be great guys.  If you're trapped with high tastes and low budgets, I'll try to work with you, make your knife, and still survive.  I enjoy 12 to 14 hours a day in my shop, and can make it if i can receive profit for an 8 hour day.  I understand that this is the price for doing what I like to do.

Chase:

Chase (aka Woodchuc) in his shop making custom carbon fiber scales for a folding knife. 

Linda:

    Here's Linda at her station.  First, she checks items for cosmetics and completion and returns them to me for anything that doesn't fit in her very sharp fine artist eyes.  Then she often removes the clip, cleans the knife, oils it, and checks for black coating screws and alignments.
    Then, after taking pictures, she preps the best for placing on site, and does that with a very slow on line service provider, out here in the boonies.
    She also keeps track of who's who, the orders, the knives, and does half the wording on our site herself.  No one's "The Boss" with Linda and I, and we work as one double sized person.  When I turn in a knife as "done" there's a 50-50 chance Quality control will "shoot it down".

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Where We Live:
View from Whiteface Mountain, Adirondack Park, NY, USA, elevation 4879',  home elevation 1800'.

    Living and working in these beautiful mountains is a childhood dream come true for both of us.  Self-reliant living, such as producing our own electric is also fun and satisfying.
    The Adirondacks is a 6 million acre State Park including both private & public (forest preserve) holdings.  Malls?  Nope!  What's fun here?  Camping, hiking, swimming, rock climbing, canoeing, snowshoeing, skiing, hunting, crafts, art, music, museums, mountain biking, just to name a few :)  Oh, and there is Lake Placid (seen in the picture above), host of 2 Winter Olympics and many other ongoing sports events to watch & join throughout the year.
    Lots of year round adventures here, even if its just sitting on the verandah watching the wildlife, from Chickadees to Moose.  Long Lake, the Heart of the Adirondacks.

More Info about us: can be found on the Axinn Arts page.

Email CHAX Knives: chase@chaxknives.com

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