Adam Gilbey lives in Windsor, Ontario. He is 32 years old and his interest in knifemaking began while studying Kinesiology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. After two years of watching “Forged in Fire” with his roommates, Adam decided to try making a knife for fun.
In 2017, equipped with knowledge from online forums and YouTube videos, he tackled his first build during Christmas break at his parents’ house in Florida. He describes his experience: “It took me a full week, every day, all day. And it sucked: both the work and the knife. It wasn’t balanced. The handle was bulky and rough. The profile was awkward to hold and use. My fingers were sore and cut. To top it all off, the knife rusted almost immediately.” But Adam was hooked on knifemaking and eager to improve. The following Christmas break, he made four steak knives.
Adam’s life took him to Russia for a summer study term while in university, and then after graduating he went back to Russia to teach English for 1 year in Siberia and primary for 1 year in Moscow. He did not get back to knifemaking until he returned to his home in Hamilton, Ontario in 2019. He started working in industrial dock and door sales and he set up a knifemaking workshop in his back yard. It was a 10’x10’ non-insulated shed that he filled with several hundred dollars worth of equipment, tools, and supplies. By mid-2020, he had made about forty knives on his 1x30” grinder out of 440C that he sold to supportive family and friends, some he gifted. He continued to make knives and develop his skills through online learning and trial and error.
Adam’s knifemaking took another pause in 2021 when he changed careers to medical device sales and moved to Windsor, Ontario. He was traveling extensively for his job and while knifemaking took the back seat to his work life, it still occupied a place in his mind and heart. So, when he parted ways from that job in September 2024, he realized it was time to turn his knifemaking passion into a full-time business. That was the birth of “Divide Knives” and a new workshop in his basement.
He uses the word “Divide” because “It’s an action verb; I want to focus on what you do with my knives rather than what they are”. He wants to emphasize “both the utility of the knife but also the beauty of a well-crafted tool that will be around for future generations.”
Adam’s Dad is a mechanical engineer who is methodical with an outstanding attention to detail. Adam learned many handy skills from him. His Mom is Australian and worked as a junior kindergarten teacher. He affectionately describes her as chaotic. Adam refers to his business approach as a combination of his two parents' “organized chaos”. He is dividing his time between making high-quality kitchen knives, getting customers (social media and boots on the ground), and creating trust in his brand. It’s a tall order but, he is optimistic that his 7 years of sales experience is an asset.
Adam’s methodical nature led him to spend eight weeks researching and writing his business plan which he has been implementing over the past few months. One of his goals is to constantly learn knifemaking skills from other talented and successful makers. Therefore, in March 2025 he travelled to Austria for a two-day course to learn forging and the s-grind from renowned knifemaker and one of the developers of Apex Ultra steel, Tobias Hangler.
He likes to use good quality stainless steels for his blades like CPM-20CV, CPM-S90V, CPM-154 AEB-L and Nitro-V, and for his handles he prefers stabilized woods and carbon fiber.
Adam’s short-term goal is to “take more classes, find knifemaking mentors, and increase value to customers; giving them a tool they can appreciate because it is functional, and nice to look at and use. I have my work cut out for me but, it is my passion, and I am excited to get up every morning.”
Words of wisdom: "Set tangible goals that are intentionally just out of reach, your best efforts trying to achieve them will leave you far better off than staying in your comfort zone.”
Check out Adam’s Website at: https://www.divideknives.ca/
Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/divideknives/
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