MATCHED PAIR

JB KNIFE WORKS LAYMAN KNIFE AND GAMBIT HATCHET COMBO: ONE PICKS UP WHERE THE OTHER LEAVES OFF

- KEVIN ESTELA

“I BELIEVE IN OPTIONS, AND WHEN A MAKER OFFERS UP A COMBO SET OF TOOLS MY EARS PERK UP.”

A true outdoorsman carries the correct tools for the job at hand. In terms of cutting tools, this may include a pocketknife, belt knife, and saw. Or, the outdoorsman could carry a chopping tool, a multitool, and a game-processing knife. I believe in options, and when a maker offers up a combo set of tools my ears perk up. I like to see what the combo contains and why the maker pairs one tool with another. Recently, Joey Berry, a graduate of the Fiddleback Forge apprentice program, released a knife and hatchet set I just had to take to the woods and put through an evaluation.

ABOUT THE MAKER

Understanding a maker’s background helps explain the “why” behind their designs. Joey Berry is a man with a unique background and set of skills that set him up for an excellent run as a knifemaker. Berry spent part of his life as a butcher, and if you’ve ever seen a butcher use a blade, you know they know how to handle a knife. They also know what works in terms of a knife design for slicing and separating tasks and how one should feel and function.

Berry also spent time in his previous life as a gunsmith, which taught him how to work with wood and steel. It seemed natural he would combine his past work experience along with his lifelong interest as an outdoorsman to follow a deeper path into knifemaking. Eventually, Berry sought out a mentor and found one in Andy Roy of Fiddleback Forge.