behind THE KNIFE

My name is Justin Wells, and I am the owner and craftsman behind Hammer and Spear Knives. I grew up in rural Missouri, in a family where heat came from a wood stove and food was either grown in the ground or hunted in the woods. Much of this lifestyle inspired my love for the outdoors and self-reliance—qualities that paid dividends when I began creating knives at the age of sixteen.

Those first “knives” had more in common with the shanks taken from prisoners than heirloom tools, but the fire was lit. In the following years, I spent every spare second perfecting my craft and learning exactly how to create quality tools—knives that would last a lifetime and be worthy companions for those who live with the kind of fierce intention I strive to embody.

Now, at twenty-four, I’ve been blessed to see my knives put to work in nearly every state and on a couple of continents. It has been the joy of my life to supply hunters, chefs, warriors, and anyone else bold enough to carry a fixed blade on their belt with a tool they can count on. I stand behind my work and shudder at the thought of one of my knives living its life on a shelf or in a drawer—

they were made for the wild.