Crossed Heart Forge

Charcoal forged classical tanto & fusion style takedown knives crafted by hand from reclaimed steel and natural materials using traditional techniques.

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
Crossed Heart Forge
  • Process
  • Tanto
  • Shop
  • News
  • About
    • Workshop Tour
    • How Charcoal is Made
    • Bio
    • Video
    • Contact
    • Donate
    • 日本語
    • Search
  • Design a Tanto
  • Design A Knife

Traditionally crafted knives for folks who wish
they could take things home from museums.

design a knife design a tanto see the process

Charcoal Forged Tanto: hand crafted on Vancouver Island.

Historical Techniques

Hand forged with handmade charcoal, constructed and finished with historical methods and natural materials.
see the process


Crossed Heart Forge, Island Workshop.

Traditional Tools

Human powered hand tools are used from the time the steel is first put in the fire through to the final assembly.
tour the forge


Charcoal Forged Tanto: hand crafted in Canada.

Reclaimed Materials

Steel, iron, copper, and brass are sourced from salvage and scrap wood for charcoal comes from local sources.
watch a tanto being made

“The knife arrived today and it was worth the wait. What a beauty. I love it so far and I haven’t really studied all of it yet. The lacquer finish is exceptional when the sunlight hits it. Thanks for everything!”

“I conducted a cutting test today and it sliced through a rolled tatami mat very cleanly I was very impressed. I am really quite pleased with the form and function of blade. It is a very nice and sturdy short sword.”

“Ahhhhhh, this is so inspiring – I don’t think I really have it in me to do this type of work, but for most of my life I’ve thought that no one was actually making genuine hand-crafted blades like this. Incredible!”

“Its final finish is astonishing, the whole color scheme of this piece came together beautifully. This piece will always be the flagship of my collection and although it’s wabisabi, it’s perfect to me.”

“I love the knife, the blade feels alive to me. I like the color of the steel and the fact that it is differentially hardened. The knife has great weight, which I was not expecting, and the peaked spine is a touch I marvel at.”

“I am stoked to see and hold the knife. I am a bushcraft instructor with my own small company here in the Netherlands and I will carry it as part of my personal kit for doing daily jobs in the field.”

see the process tour the forge

Hand forged tools for adventure
crafted from natural materials.

design your own outdoor knife shop online

A charcoal forged blade, water quenched with clay, sharpened with waterstones, and finished simply and humbly in the age-old style of farm and foresting tools used in managing satoyama, the borderlands between village and wilds.

Heirloom tanto, traditionally
crafted in the classical style.

design your own tanto see featured work

Traditionally crafted charcoal forged classical heirloom tanto made by hand from reclaimed and natural materials using 13th century techniques and the aesthetic of beautifully simple design based on the Japanese sword.

In the shadow of Mt. Arrowsmith, deep in a forest clearing,

away from the things of man, there is a place where blades are born of earth, and air, and fire, and water.

  • 2015-hon-yaki-nata-25

    Hon-Yaki Forest Nata

    $1800
    Add to cart
  • tools-for-satoyama-mountain-6

    Mountain Kotanto Blade (order-made)

    $275–$775
    Select options
  • tools-for-satoyama-mountain-tanto-51

    Mountain Tanto

    $1400
    Add to cart
  • tools-for-satoyama-stream-22

    Stream Kotanto

    $725
    Add to cart
  • 46_sunset_chefs_knife

    Hon-Yaki Chef’s Knife

    $2400
    Add to cart
  • tanto-3-70

    Kuromatsu Aikuchi Tanto

    $2200
    Add to cart
  • torasaya-tigerwood-kotanto-2

    ToraSaya Kotanto

    $1200–$1800
    Select options
  • 2015-tanto-3-yozakura-46

    Yozakura Tanto

    $1900
    Add to cart
visit the online shop to see more available works
Island Blacksmith Quarterly.

Island Blacksmith Quarterly

Enter your email address to receive news and
inside info from the forge via the newsletter.

sign up

  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • Contact
  • Terms
  • Knife Use and Care
© 2017 Crossed Heart Forge | site by ArtDesignLife.com | Sitemap | Privacy Policy | RSS