Ever since early humans first discovered that they could create a sharp edge by chipping away at a piece of flint, we have used knives for tools, for the procurement and preparation of food, and for personal and group survival. In time, the all-too-human drive to add beauty to function expressed itself, as knifemakers brought an elegance to their work, introducing various elements that bespoke a pride of craftsmanship.
Today, the forging of knives has achieved a heretofore unrivaled level of elegance and skill. And no maker of fine-edged tools surpasses the multifaceted artistry of the internationally recognized Joe Keeslar.
A white-bearded, burly 6-footer, Keeslar conjures an image of an old-time mountain man for whom a reliable knife was as essential to a man’s longevity as his rifle or tomahawk. For all his size, Keeslar is a gentle man who enjoys sharing his knowledge and techniques with all who are interested—and there is much to share.
Keeslar describes himself as “a blacksmith, foundryman, sculptor, woodcarver, engraver, metallurgist, machinist, and tool-and-die maker.” He also is a gunsmith, a leather artist, and a fine silversmith, and he has authored three books on the art of knife-making. “Each of these crafts requires skills that are complemented by the others,” Keeslar says. At the heart of his many talents is the hand forging of fine knives.
Keeslar was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in early 1941. After a stint in the United States Marines, he enrolled in Murray State University on the GI Bill, earning degrees in industrial arts education while specializing—not surprisingly—in wood and metal. For the next 23 years, he taught industrial arts at a local high school while constructing knives and flintlock rifles during his hours off.
“I’m a gunsmith at heart,” he says, “and made knives on the side. But while a rifle would take some four to six months to complete, knives required the same basic technology but took much less time. I soon got more notoriety from the knifemaking, and the money from sales helped provide a second income that covered the basic costs of doing it.”
Throughout his career, Keeslar has embraced the traditional methods of knifemaking, and his first blacksmith shop is a reflection of the man himself. In 1972, he bought a century-old log cabin on the Kentucky-Tennessee border, took it apart, and reassembled it as a period-accurate shop at his Almo, Kentucky, home in Calloway County. Keeslar initially created the shop to accommodate the building of period-correct flintlock rifles before turning to the forging of knives. Each tool and machine was a working survivor of an earlier era, and visitors to the shop easily could have felt as if they had stepped back in time. Although Keeslar works in a larger, more modern shop today, his methods remain as traditional as ever. And even though he sometimes will give a nod to present-day technology by firing up a propane forge, he still prefers to work with coal.
Keeslar’s interest in fine bladesmithing grew exponentially when he met legendary knifemaker Bill Moran in the late 1970s. At a “hammer-in” event in Arkansas, Moran demonstrated the forging of Damascus knives—a bladesmithing method that goes back thousands of years, and that he had reintroduced. It entails the multiple heating, folding and forge welding of a combination of steels chosen for durability and sharpness. When done properly, the result is a beautiful blade comprised of literally hundreds of layers of steel.
Keeslar was hooked. He went home and began forging his own Damascus blades. “It wasn’t near as easy as Bill made it look,” he says, but he soon became proficient. More significantly, he and Moran—who was one of four founders of the prestigious American Bladesmith Society—became close friends. Keeslar joined the ABS in 1985, and six years later, Bill invited him onto the board of directors. Since that time, Keeslar has served twice as president and remained on the board for 25 years.
One of the most distinctive characteristics of Keeslar’s work on both his knives and sheaths is the elegant, finely detailed inlay of silver wire. It is a technique that he acquired decades ago during his flintlock-making days, and that he has taken to the level of fine art. Over time, he developed his own system for holding the work in place—a bowling ball with part of the sphere cut away and flattened to accommodate an inset vise.
Keeslar’s method is deceptively simple. He first sketches his work, mostly intricate scrolls, on the surface of the wood. Then, using various #11 craft knife blades that he has ground down, honed to tiny fine chisels of various widths, and set in engraver’s handles, he follows the lines with small, precise rocking motions of each blade. The result is nothing short of breathtaking.
Keeslar also has introduced a unique style of knifemaking. He calls it “Brut de Forge,” which he translates loosely from the French as “rough and unfinished.” It entails the rapid, yet precise, forging of knives—generally from old files—that do not go through the various final steps of fine sanding and polishing. They often still reflect the marks of the hammer, providing a visual guide as to how the knives were made. He teaches this method throughout the country and the world.
His favorite knife style, which he has embraced since childhood, is the classic blade of legend, the Bowie. A student of history, Keeslar is quick to point out that this type of knife, which we tend to think of as uniquely American, can be traced back thousands of years to the short swords of the ancient Roman foot soldiers.
Many artisans tend to be close-mouthed about their methods; Keeslar is the antithesis. He takes genuine delight in sharing his knowledge in all aspects of knifemaking. His teaching goes beyond YouTube videos and in-person classes and demonstrations. Under the aegis of the ABS, he has written and published three exceptional, beautifully illustrated how-to books covering every detail of his art, from the crafting of blades, guards and handles, to the creation of beautiful sheaths, to the Brut de Forge method.
Over the years, Keeslar’s fame has spread abroad. His wife, Suzanne, was a university French professor who directed a summer studies program in France. Ultimately, Keeslar went along and found a thriving community of knifemakers in the city of Thiers, France. “Thiers has been the cutlery center of France since the 14th century,” he explains, “and the makers there were very open to learning new ways of doing things, which is the mission of the ABS.”
For 25 years, Keeslar exhibited and staged demonstrations at the internationally regarded Thiers Knife Show. In return for his contributions to French bladesmithing, he became the only American to be made an honorary member of the elite Confrérie du Couteau de Thiers, an ancient society devoted to the fine forging of blades.
Keeslar has enthusiastically supported the creation of ABS-connected bladesmithing schools in several states and abroad, including in Belgium and South Africa. Today, he and Suzanne keep a summer home in Burgundy, which they visit whenever possible.
Throughout his long career, Keeslar has been profiled in numerous publications and has attained various high honors. In 2013, he became the first custom knifemaker to receive the exclusive Aldo and Edda Lorenzi Award, “given as a tribute to dedication in teaching and mentoring fellow knifemakers in the fine art of making knives.” Three years later, the ABS presented him with the American Bladesmith Society Exceptional Lifetime Achievement Award, “in recognition of his selfless devotion and exemplary service to The American Bladesmith Society and the world of custom knives and for his steadfast support and guidance of this exceptional organization he has so unwaveringly supported for a quarter of a century.” States Suzanne; “I believe they wanted him to see their deep appreciation, respect and affection for him …”
No honor, however, is more prestigious than the award he received at the Blade Show in Atlanta, the nation’s largest, in June. Blade Magazine—the “bible” of knifemakers, collectors and aficionados—annually selects one or two knifemakers for induction into its Cutlery Hall of Fame, and Keeslar was inducted in a ceremony at the show. As described, “The Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame is the highest honor on the planet for individuals who demonstrate exceptional contributions to the world of knives.” Writes one of Keeslar’s nominators at Blade, Keeslar “has done more for the ABS than any person besides the late, great … Bill Moran.” Another states that Keeslar “is the most effective maker in the USA to extend forged-blade activity in Europe.”
After spending more than a half-century at the forge, Keeslar has slowed somewhat due to a recent stroke (“I don’t sky dive or scuba dive anymore,” he jokes). Although he doesn’t fire up the forge as often as he once did, he still finds the time and energy to produce knives, conduct workshops, and teach knifemaking throughout the country. As Blade Magazine describes him, he embodies “the calm and consistent leadership, knifemaking skills, education and friendship that are so valuable to the entire world of knives.”