If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, you know how important it is to have a well made chef knife. Whether you’re chiffonading herbs, slicing vegetables for the grill, or cutting through a tough fall squash, a high quality knife will turn a chore into a pleasurable experience.
Once you know how to choose your knife, it’s time to start shopping for one. And what better way to treat yourself, than with a custom chef knife made by South Carolina bladesmith Quintin Middleton? Middleton owns and operates his custom knife-making business Middleton Made Knives in Saint Stephen, South Carolina. He runs his business with one simple philosophy in mind: “Every great chef needs a great knife, at a great price.”
Inspired in his early childhood by movies like Conan the Barbarian and Star Wars, Middleton began making swords out of any material he could get his hands on. He says, “I would want to go on my own adventure. So I tried make a sword out of anything like tubing off my swing set. I would hammer the tubing flat and that would be my sword. That is where the interest started.” Later in life, he realized that his true calling was crafting chef knives. Mentored by Jason Knight, a fellow South Carolina master bladesmith, he developed his own techniques and style and developed a line of stylish and impeccably balanced knives.
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Each knife is made from high carbon steel and Middleton is a perfectionist. He’s been known to discard blades if he finds even the tiniest imperfection in the blade. You have a few options when purchasing a kitchen knife from Middleton Made Knives. Middleton always stocks a variety of knives on his website. You can shop classics like a 10” Damascus Chef Knife, a 6” Santoku, or steak knife sets. He also crafts more unusual knives like the Brew Shucker for, obviously, shucking oysters and a Mini Huntsman with a leather case for the more adventurous types.
If you’re really looking for the perfect knife, you can contact Middleton and he will craft you a knife that fits your needs – and your hands – perfectly. He says he’s “just a phone call or email away” and that anyone who contacts Middleton Made Knives will reach him personally. Just as he’s meticulous about the knives he crafts, he’s proud to be the person who responds to each query from his customers.
If you happen to be a South Carolina local or passing through, you can find Middleton Made Knives available at Charleston Cooks in Charleston and Southern Season – Charleston in Mount Pleasant. You can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
