Marcin Kampka, founder of MK Knives & Tools, in an interview with Kapuga.pl talks about the beginnings of his knifemaker career, about how he works and what he likes besides knives.
You’ve come a long way from your first knife in 2014 to now that your brand is known and appreciated in the industry. Tell us what prompted you to start your knifemaker career? Is there a family history behind it?
Hmm, so yeah. You don’t start a sentence with so yeah [laughs].
We’ll cut it out.
The point is, I needed a knife. I started to be interested in it a lot earlier, but I used bazaar models. One day I found the knives.pl forum and started reading it. I noticed there are people out there who make knives themselves. So I decided to try to make my own. My father told me what and how, and I made my first project. Just as I was making these knives (because I was making two, in case I broke one), my uncle came to me and said that he was taking one of them. Well, I did them right away and that’s how it actually started. Then I showed my knife on the knives.pl forum, people liked it too, so I started doing new projects. And so it slowly began to develop.
You mentioned that your father showed you how to make this knife. How did he know that?
Dad deals with machining on a daily basis and has a very large understanding of the entire process, not only the machining itself, but also heat treatment and similar processes.
So there was a workshop in the house.
Yes, machines and tools too.
Your knives are distinguished by excellent quality, unique designs and careful workmanship. What is the production process like, what do you pay the most attention to?
In fact, the production process is the same everywhere. The beginning is an ordinary project, that is, who thought of what, and the purpose of this knife, i.e. what it will be used for. This is the most important thing to ask yourself at the beginning. Then comes the time to select steel, materials for the handle, and materials for the sheath. Well, unless the knife is to be folded, that’s another matter. And then it’s just work and work.
What do you think is more important – good design or functionality? From your answers it seems that the functionality is.
I believe that there will always be a few people who will defend each design. No matter what it is, there is always a project that has its audience. Therefore, one should not always follow patterns. I mean, yes and no. But even if the handle is not suited to each hand, there will be a recipient for such a knife. And it is worth just doing what you have in your head, and not being guided only by what you read somewhere, why it should be this way. Because it is this direction that allows you to develop the knife industry. If everyone made the same knives, none would stand out.
And when it comes to design, it is impossible not to notice that MK Knives & Tools knives have an unusual style. You have plenty of ideas – where do you find inspiration to come up with new models?
Actually I do not know. I just sit down and draw. At the beginning you know, on a piece of paper, I sketch more or less what I want to do. I need to know what I want because it doesn’t look like I’m going to make a few dashes here and we’ll see. Usually, I just sit down, draw on a piece of paper, then on a computer, in a program. A little straight, a little curved. As a rule, I do a project, I like it more or less, I turn off the computer. And open in three days. I look to see if I still like it, if so, I make any corrections, then turn off the computer and restart in three days.
Have you ever been inspired by movies or series or other famous themes?
It is known that everyone wanted to be Rambo once [laughs]. I was very interested in TV series, MacGyver for example, because there was a lot of tinkering. I’ve always been interested in the knives and tools he used there. It was cool, but the inspiration – probably not. I did not make a knife that appeared in a certain movie, although such survival and military climates are my atmosphere.
What features do you think a good knife maker should have? What is more important – talent or hard and tedious work?
Everything can be worked out. Not everyone is born with talent, but you definitely need to be patient and polish your workshop. Train yourself when you don’t know something, because nothing comes by itself. It is known that you need to spend several dozen hours on a piece of paper to make your project. You have to have a little bit of this and that, it’s not zero one. Some know how to do more with their hands, others with their heads, so both will have to train this “weaker” feature.
We heard about the story from last year. Just before CEKE, you noticed that the anodization of the MK-01F ordered just for this event does not meet your expectations. In order not to disappoint the customer and to create a product 100% compliant with your standards, you were making it from scratch, spending the whole night on it. Your commitment is admirable. What drives you to work?
I will correct it right away, because it looked different. I finished my work at 10 p.m. and at 3 a.m. I was to leave with my friends to Warsaw. And I finish this knife, I look, and one side is a little different color than the other. Unfortunately, everything had to be dismantled and corrected. It went down to half past one in the morning, so I slept for about 2 hours. And it was like that, and before that, I was also working all day. Overall, I am quite critical of my work and maybe sometimes I worry too much about small things. If I see any shortcomings, I do not let go and I have to correct them. I try very hard to make them as good as possible, even at the cost of extra time spent on them.
In my opinion, this shows your great passion for knives. And what gives you strength to be able to work so many hours and not feel tired?
All in all, I like to do it and I enjoy the job. Because I have been standing by the machines for a long time. You can say that when someone goes looking for a job and they are looking for a man with five years of experience straight after graduation, I would be suitable, because I have been working on a lathe or milling machine since middle school.
You are definitely an exception.
Because it was at home, you know how it is. As it is there, it looks different.
You made many knives and each one was unique. But you surely have a favorite – which model has a special place in your heart?
This is probably the toughest question, because I try to apply as much as possible to each project and refine it. Even when I was making a given model, over time I try to improve a few different tiny details, not always noticeable, but to be as good as possible. My favorite model is the MK-01F, my first foldable model. I carry the first one with me all the time, I even have it in my hand now and it’s hard for me to part with it.
Lucky charm?
I don’t really believe in such things. It’s just that even if I don’t need a knife, I like to have it with me.
Everyone, even the hardest working man, has his own way of escape from reality. We have heard that you are going fishing and to the Baltic Sea. Will you tell us more about it?
I have been interested in fishing for a very long time. Already when I was in elementary school, I went fishing with my uncles and I got into that. You know, there was also a break from that, because either school or university, or just making knives. At the beginning of my activity, I took a two-year break from fishing to get everything under control, but now I go whenever I have a free moment. Such a relaxation. That’s what I needed that first knife for, for fishing trips. And I go to the seaside to relax, but certainly not in the summer. In just two weeks I am going to the seaside to rest and there will be no more screens, only the sound of the sea. I live close to the mountains but I prefer the sea.
Any advice for those choosing their first knife? What should they be guided by?
It depends on who needs it and for what. As a rule, if someone is looking for a knife that they do not need, but want to have it because it is cool, it is best to buy a foldable, fancy one, just so that they like it. Honestly, in my case, I pull out the knife more often to click myself than to cut anything. And for the very beginning with a knife adventure, I recommend a small pocket knife with other tools or a multitool. Possibly a folder or a small fixed and that’s it. And that is how it all begins. Then you buy another one and another one.
We are glad that you have decided to work with us. After all, we have a great passion for knives. You create unique models especially for us. Will you let go of the secret of what knife you plan to make in the near future?
I am also happy about this cooperation. As for the project itself, I don’t know yet. And when it comes to the knives that I already produce and are now on the agenda, the MK-06, although maybe something else. But I prefer to leave it as a surprise.
Thank you for the conversation.
Thank you.
