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History of
Don Hanson III Custom Knives
Sunfish Forge


A little history about my knives...


I started making knives as a hobby back in the 1980s.
One of the first knives I made was a fighter with desert ironwood handle.
Among some of the first knives were filet knives, kitchen knives like
paring, butcher,and slicing knives. One of those knives started out as a bait
cutting knife to use when we were in the commercial deep sea fishing
business in Florida. It is now being used in my kitchen to cut up vegetables.

In 1990, we moved from our native Florida to Southern Missouri.
During this time, I began making knives full time. These knives were mainly
hunting style knives along with a few custom bowies. In the beginning my
tang stamp were my initials DH, but in 1996 I changed it to a
sunfish stamp designed by my wife.

In 1994, I began making slip joint folding knives in the old
traditional patterns. This is where the classic traditional sunfish pattern comes in.
The sunfish was one of the first knife patterns I made. At the knife shows,
I became known as 'The Sunfish Man'. From that name came
my forge name and later, my website name of "Sunfish Forge".

With each order for a folder I began to evolve into
more of my own designs, moving into making more art knives, automatics,
and solid 18K Gold knives.
Around 2003, I started making forged bowies and fixed blades again
with both traditional damascus blades and also carbon steel blades
with vivid hamons-temper lines.

I began making my own damascus in 1994; starting out with trips to the
National Ornamental Metals Museum in Memphis, TN.
With help from my Memphis friends, I was able to
make my first damascus. In 1999, I built my current shop.
It has enough room in the back for
2 Little Giant powerhammers - a 25 lb. and a 100 lb.;
a forging area with 2 gas forges and a 24 ton press.
With this equipment I am able to forge traditional damascus
along with mosaic damascus for all of my knives.

While visiting my website, check out the custom knife galleries,
both the folder and bowie / fixed blade galleries.
Also, I have a 2 page shop tour of my current shop to view.
And recently I have added to the shop tour,
a photo tutorial page on how I forge a blade on a Little Giant Powerhammer.
If you are going to any custom knife shows this year,
I have a list of a few custom knife shows I will be exhibiting at,
with knives for sale at these shows. Look for these on my knife show page.
Links to all of these pages are at
the bottom and also at the top of this page.

Thanks once again for visiting my website.
I hope to see you at the custom knife shows.

 ~~Don


Knife Articles and Awards

I've had several of my collectors ask me lately
where could they read more about my knives, and also what
knife awards have I won over the years. So I went through my
knife magazine collection and found these articles.
If you would like to read more about my work, or see more photos
here's a list of...


Knife Articles

  • Knife World; July 2000 issue;
    article: "The man behind the fish" written by B.R. Hughes.

  • Blade Magazine; January 2000 issue;
    article: "Cuttin' with the big dogs" written by MSG Kim Breed.

  • Blade Magazine; February 2002 issue;
    article: "The 14-Karat Gold of Fossil Ivory" written by Mike Haskew.

  • Blade Magazine; December 2002 issue;
    article: "Forged folders are his forte" written by Mike Haskew.

  • Blade Magazine; August 2004 issue;
    article: "The System" written by Michael Donato.

  • Blade Magazine; November 2004 issue;
    article: "The Priciest Mother of Pearl" written by Mike Haskew.

  • Knives Illustrated Magazine; October 2004 issue;
    article: "Becoming a Name Maker" written by Laurie C. Battles.

  • Blade Magazine; August 2006 issue;
    article: "Knives that hold their value, and the makers who make them"
    written by Mike Haskew.

  • Blade Magazine; November 2006 issue;
    article: "Hamon: Mark of a Premier Blade"
    written by Mike Haskew.

  • Blade Magazine; October 2007 issue;
    article: "Hottest Knives of the Hottest ABS Smiths"
    written by Mike Haskew.

  • 2000 Knives Annual Book
  • 2001 Knives Annual Book
  • 2002 Knives Annual Book
  • 2003 Knives Annual Book
  • 2004 Knives Annual Book
  • 2005 Knives Annual Book
  • 2006 Knives Annual Book
  • 2007 Knives Annual Book
  • 2008 Knives Annual Book

    • All of the Knives Annual Books are published by Krause Publications
    and are available online through Krause Publications or Knife World Books.

  • Art of the Knife, Custom Creations from the World's Top Knife Makers.
    by Joe Kertzman.
    This full color book is published by Krause Publications.
    Art of the Knife Book.

  • Rural Missouri Magazine; January 2004 issue;
    article: "Artistry in Steel" written by Bob McEowen.
    Click here to read the article.


    • These are some of the knife show awards
    I have been honored to win over the years.

    Knife Awards

  • 1997 "Best Folder" award @ Midwest Knifemakers Assoc. Show,
    Kansas City, MO.

  • 1998 "Single Artist Damascus", "Best Survival/ fighter", and
    "Best knife of Show" awards @ Heart of America VII Show,
    St. Charles, MO.

  • 1998 "Best Folder" award @ Arkansas Knifemakers Assoc. Show,
    Little Rock, AR

  • 1999 "Best Folder" award @ Arkansas Knifemakers Assoc. Show,
    Little Rock, AR

  • 2001 "Best Folder" award @ Arkansas Knifemakers Assoc. Show,
    Litte Rock, AR

  • 2001 "Best Folder", "Best Damascus" and "Best of Show" awards
    @ Heart of America Show, St. Charles, MO

  • 2002 "Best Custom Folder" award @ 19th Wisconsin Badger Knife Show, Janesville, WI

  • 2003 "Best Custom Knife of Show" award @ Gateway Area Knife Show,
    St. Louis, MO

  • 2003 "Best Custom Folder" award @ 20th Wisconsin Badger Knife Show,
    Janesville, WI

  • 2003 "Best Folder" and "Best of Show" awards @ Arkansas Knifemakers Assoc. Show,
    Little Rock, AR

  • 2004 "Best Fixed Blade" award @ 1st Chicago Custom Knife Show,
    Chicago, IL

  • 2004 "Best Folder" and "Best Fixed Blade" awards
    @ 21st Wisconsin Badger Knife Show, Janesville, WI

  • 2004 "Best Custom Folding knife" and "Best Custom Knife" awards
    @ Gateway Area Knife Show, St. Louis, MO

  • 2005 "Best Folder" and "Best of Show" awards
    @ Gateway Area Knife Show, St. Louis, MO

  • 2005 American Bladesmith Society Journeyman Smith Stamp awarded
    @ Blade Show, Atlanta, GA

  • 2005 "Best Tactical Knife" award @ 2nd Chicago Custom Knife Show,
    Chicago, IL

  • 2006 "Best Folder" award @ Gateway Area Knife Show, St. Louis, MO

  • 2006 "Best Fixed Blade" award @ 3rd Chicago Custom Knife Show,
    Chicago, IL

  • "Best Fixed Blade" award @ 2006 Plaza Cutlery Show,
    Huntington Beach, CA

  • 2007 American Bladesmith Society Master Smith Stamp awarded
    @ Blade Show, Atlanta, GA

  • 2007 "Best Art Knife" award @ Knifemakers' Guild Show,
    Orlando, FL

  • 2007 Voting Membership awarded @ Knifemakers' Guild Show,
    Orlando, FL

  • 2008 "Best Bowie" award @ Gateway Area Knife Show,
    St. Louis, MO





    • Page last modified on: 01-30-2008

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