I love the wilderness.

Not only do I live in South Island of New Zealand (one of most isolated countries in the world), but I also live in one of the most isolated communities on mainland New Zealand. 

...where the wild West Coast ocean meets the rugged rain-forest covered mountains.

I am Nathan. ​I am a husband, father, small business owner, avid hiker and amateur gold-panner.

​I like non-fiction books, complex board-games, and wilderness adventures.

I also love precision, and attention to detail.

I really can't help it. It's in my DNA. Literally.

You see, one line of my ancestors came to New Zealand from Prussia, and they brought with them their Germanic traits of hard work, punctuality, discipline and attention to detail.

(Everybody knows of the German influence in terms of discipline and the quality of their products).

​While my ancestors left Prussia a decent while ago, a test showed nearly a quarter of my DNA is inherited from them!

​Which explains why I (and my Father!) can sometimes obsess over the details.

It probably won't surprise you to learn I studied Mechanical Engineering at university.

​As a professional Engineer I love jobs where detail and precision are required - and don't really enjoy them when a 'just get it back up and running' approach is required!

As a youngster I loved board games (and still do!) - but the often the best part for me was reading the rules, and understanding the nitty-gritty.

Back then, I spent countless hours making and painting models to perfection. They had to be just right. I soon learnt how hard this was - and the value of true craftsmanship. It took years of practice to get to a standard I could accept for myself.

Ever since then I have admired true craftsmanship - the quality of design and work by hand from someone who really knows what they are doing!

I love the individual nature of hand-crafted art or craftsmanship. You know the item is special and unique. There will never be another item just the same.

​When it comes to knives in particular, I love this uniqueness.

I love the uniqueness of the grain of the wood, the pattern in the steel. No two pieces are ever the same.

For myself, crafting knives scratches these itches - where attention to detail and precision really do pay off - and honing a craft by hand brings real joy.

I have been working with knives for a number years now. However, a true craftsman never stops learning, no matter how good they are.

I have spent many hours at my forge at home, forging and grinding, learning and experimenting.

I spent years at my last job, perfecting surface finishes, heat treating blades, and (to get us out of a particularly annoying CNC milling issue) grinding blades by hand.

Hundreds of them.

Not to mention getting them all wickedly sharp.

There is a lot of hard work and detail to reach the level of precision required for a great product.

But remember, I am also only human! I will make mistakes. That was another Prussian trait I inherited: honesty. If something slips past my exacting standards you need only let me know - and I will sort it out!

I guess you could say this is the Primordial Edge philosophy:

Embracing modern manufacturing methods with hand-finished love to bring back the craftsmanship of a bygone era.

All while drawing on inspiration from living and working on the edge of a primordial wilderness.

Thanks very much for visiting Primordial Edge.