Handmade in Alaska since 1971
IRBI KNIVES
They may come close, but no two IRBI Knives are exactly alike. Because each knife is one-of-a-kind, we don’t have any patterns or a catalog, but we do have quite an extensive gallery that should give you a taste of the many possibilities available.
While the bulk of the knives we make are custom orders, we try to keep our shelves stocked with non-custom orders. If you’re in the shop, you can pick out a knife from our display, or build your knife from the bottom up. You get to pick out the handle, draw out a blade design, and make note of any special touches you’d like. Tell us what you’d like your knife to look like and request a quote.
BLADES
Most of our blades are cut out of solid (non-laminated) chainsaw guide bars, but we also use high carbon steel. The cutting edge of our blades are tempered harder than the back of the blade, greatly increasing strength of the knife and making for a cutting edge that retains its sharpness. We also make a variety of Damascus blades using traditional Damascus techniques, wire cable, and powdered steel.
HANDLES
We use a wide range of natural materials for our handles, including moose antler, caribou antler, Dall sheep horn, Alaskan coral, fossilized ivory and bone, oosik, musk ox horn, antelope horn, deer antler, elk antler, impala horn, mammoth ivory, animal leg bones, oryx horn, and stag horn. Some customers like to bring in a piece of horn or antler from an animal they’ve harvested for an extra personalized touch.
In addition, we typically have a variety of 40-50 types of hardwoods, which may include algerita, birch burl, bocote, bubinga, cholla cactus, cocobolo, ebony, goncoloalves, desert ironwood, kingwood, koa, oak, osage orange, myrtle, pink ivory, rosewood, teak, walnut, and zebrawood.
KNIFE CARE
Our knives are made of carbon steel, so care must be taken to prevent rusting.
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Keep the blade lightly coated with gun oil or a silicone based oil (not 3-in-1 oil) between uses.
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Don’t store your IRBI Knife in a wet sheath.
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If you live in a humid area, we recommend storing your knife outside the sheath completely to avoid rusting from condensation.
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Do not wash your IRBI Knife in the dishwasher. Dry the knife immediately after washing.
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We recommend using a diamond whetstone to keep your IRBI Knife at its sharpest. If you don’t feel comfortable sharpening your knife yourself, stop by the shop to have it sharpened any time for free.
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Read more about caring for your IRBI sheath.
