“If this were in gold, it would be Liberace’s knife,” I thought when I first laid eyes on Josh Navarrete’s Chaos Control. I’d been intrigued by Josh Navarrete’s work for a while because of the way he incorporates his woodturning experience into his creations, mixing specialty woods into his scales and handles. I’m not a woodworker myself, but years spent in the wood shop in the back of my grandfather’s suburban garage makes me admire someone who can make something from what looks like practically nothing.
I’ve long thought, “If I were asking anyone for custom scales, it would be Josh.”
Forged In California, then Forged In Fire Josh Navarrete is a recent History Channel “Forged In Fire” winner.
Surprisingly, he began making knives only seven years ago, and has forged for only two of those seven years. Navarrete says he draws inspiration from his California upbringing, science fiction, 20 years of woodturning, headbanging, and sheer will.
“At some point in time, every maker faces writer’s block,” says Josh, describing the period that led to him designing Chaos Control.
“I knew I had to snap out of it, and I looked for inspiration. I went back and watched other makers’ old videos, makers I’ve been following for a long time. One of those was Peter Kohler. I really paid attention to his own evolution — not just on knifemaking, but in the way he was looking at his own skills and where he wanted to take them.
“I told myself, ‘I don’t want to be Peter Kohler. I want to follow his same thought process and evolution and become me.’”
The Knife
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Knives Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Knives Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TIP TALK
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLADE TIP SHAPES AND WHY IT MATTERS
HOLDING FIRM
GETTING A GRIP ON KNIFE HANDLE BENEFITS, MATERIALS, AND FUNCTIONALITY
EDGE UP
TIPS, TRICKS, AND TECHNIQUES TO SHARP WHEN ADVENTURING FAR FROM HOME
THE COMBAT KITCHEN
SLICE, DICE, CHOP, AND CUT: FOOD PREP WITH BLADES FROM POPULAR TACTICAL KNIFE COMPANIES
MORAKNIV Classics
THESE TIMELESS BUSHCRAFT KNIVES HAVE BEEN UPDATED AND ARE BETTER THAN EVER
ONE FOR THE ROAD
CHOOSING AN “EVERYWHERE KNIFE” CAN BE DIFFICULT DUE TO COMPLICATED KNIFE LAWS
TRAVELING LIGHT
SOMETIMES, INEXPENSIVE UTILITY BLADES YOU PICK UP AT YOUR DESTINATION CAN GET THE JOB DONE
MATCHED PAIR
JB KNIFE WORKS LAYMAN KNIFE AND GAMBIT HATCHET COMBO: ONE PICKS UP WHERE THE OTHER LEAVES OFF
WHEN BIGGER IS BETTER
THE CAS IBERIA CHOP HOUSE IS A MACHETE THAT PROVIDES BIG BLADE CUTTING POWER
KITCHEN KNIVES DON'T HAVE TO BE DULL
I have a confession to make. See if this sounds familiar. I take meticulous care of the knives I use for everyday carry, hunting, and general woods wandering. I wipe them down with an oily cloth after use and I never let them get too dull. Seldom do I have to restore a damaged edge. Most of the time I simply touch up the edges of my pocketknives with a few careful strokes across the rough bottom of a ceramic coffee cup. That’s usually all that’s needed. I don’t use my knives as screwdrivers or pry bars. As a matter of fact, I still have the very first knife I ever owned, an old Boy Scout knife that was handed down from my older brother. The blades have a deep patina that comes with using carbon steel over the years, but the knife is very usable still.
