Master Bladesmith: A Behind the Scenes Look at Josh Smith's Montana Knife Company

Josh Smith makes some of the hunting industry's most popular knives. Here's the story behind Smith's Montana Knife Company and an inside look at his western Montana shop
Josh Smith sits at a work bench in his Montana knife shop.
Josh Smith in his original knife-making shed next to his Frenchtown, Montana manufacturing facility. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

Master Bladesmith: A Behind the Scenes Look at Josh Smith's Montana Knife Company

Josh Smith was 11-years old when he hand forged his first hunting knife. Within a year of making his first knife, he bought a belt grinder with money he earned mowing lawns and working in his father’s excavating business. More equipment followed, and by his early teens, Smith was one of the world’s youngest certified knife makers. 

He continued to hone his knife-making skills for decades and eventually quit his day job as a power line technician to pursue knife making full time. Today, his Montana Knife Company (MKC) knives are among the most highly-sought blades in the hunting industry. And his team of some 70 employees can scarcely keep pace with a skyrocketing demand that only seems to grow by the day.

We caught up with Smith earlier this year during a visit to his shop in Frenchtown, Montana—a tiny interstate stopover about 45 minutes northwest of Missoula. Inside a built-out pole barn, which sits on property next to his home, Smith and his team handle every aspect of the production process before shipping MKC knives to customers scattered across the country.

Knives displayed on an elk hide.
A selection of MKC knives displayed on an elk hide at Smith's Montana shop. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

Smith is a lifelong hunter who grew up in Lincoln, Montana. He started making knives around the time he learned to hunt elk and became a journeyman bladesmith at 15—making him the youngest knife maker to ever earn the title. By 19, he'd obtained Master Smith status from the American Bladesmith Society.

A knife maker sharpens a knife on a belt grinder.
Smith behind the belt. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

He made high-end custom knives for a decade but gave that in up in favor of steady work with the local power company when the economy tanked 2008. "I ended up getting divorced, my house burned down, a bunch of stuff," Smith said. "But after I got remarried, I was telling my wife about this idea of Montana Knife Company, which I'd had trademarked since I was 19." It was Smith's wife Jesse who encouraged him to take the dream full time back in 2019.

Workers make knives in a shop in Montana.
The entire production process, from manufacturing to shipping, is handled in house. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

With MKC, Smith dreamed of making custom-quality knives tailored to the unique needs of big game hunters. And he wanted those knives to stand up to harsh wear and tear and remain in the field year after year—for generations even. "I kept seeing what was available in the box stores, and I felt like I saw the quality going down," he said. "I started seeing more and more well-known companies outsourcing stuff to China. I felt like things were getting cheap, and the respect of the knife was actually dropping with the advent of replaceable blade knives."

A knife maker displays a custom knife.
Smith displays one of his custom knives. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

When he worked as a custom knife maker, Smith found himself reconditioning old heirloom knives, passed down from father to son or from a grandparent to a grandchild. "A lot of people would come into my shop and say, 'This is my grandfather's knife. Can you sharpen it for me?' or 'Can you fix the tip on this? My grandpa carried it in Vietnam' or 'He hunted in Alaska with it,'" Smith said. "As hunters, we've always passed down knives and guns. Now all of the sudden we're throwing them away? That really bothered me."

Barndon Horoho and Josh Smith pose for a photos at the Montana Knife Co.
Smith and business partner Brandon Horoho. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

Smith officially launched MKC in February 2020 at a hunting industry event called Winter Strong in Leesville, South Carolina. "There were some industry people at the event, and I was telling them about my idea for this company," he said. "I didn’t even have a website at that point. It wasn’t a company at all. It was just an idea." Later that year, he hired Brandon Horoho, now his full-time business partner and co-owner of MKC, to head up the brand's marketing presence.

Workers at a manufacturing facility package hand-made knives.
Smith's team readies knives for packaging and shipping. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

Horoho and Smith continued selling knives at hunting expos and trade shows and quickly built a niche following. "We only hired two employees throughout the first year," he said. "We were making a lot of mistakes and just learning as we went along. By 2022, we were really starting to role, and last year (2023) was our biggest year yet."

A 3D printer used in the knife-making process.
A 3D printer used to make knife sheaths. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

Smith said he hasn't compromised on his commitment to selling knives that are 100 percent American made, even though he's now competing for market share with household names. Even the handles and sheaths on his knives are produced in-house from 3D-printed Kydex plastic.

Knife shop workers readying knives for packaging.
Workers attach handles to knives. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

"I wanted to combine my skills in metallurgy, edge geometry, and ergonomics to create a hunting knife that felt more custom," he said, "but on a production scale—and all in the U.S." When you buy one if his knives, it comes with a lifetime warranty. If it ever needs to be sharpened, you can ship it to his Frenchtown shop where it'll be professionally honed by one of his employees and then sent back to you—no charge.

A newly-made Montana Knife Company Knife.
A new MKC model made in collaboration with Meat Church. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

Smith's current blade lineup has grown to include skinning knives, a fillet knife, a hatchet, and a dedicated culinary set. But in the early days, he offered one all-purpose hunting knife. "The Blackfoot Knife was what kicked us off, and it's still very popular," he said. "Then the Speedgoat was next, and that was huge."

A knife maker pose for photos in his shop.
Smith in his original knife-making shed, which sits next to his current Frenchtown manufacturing facility. (Photos by Aaron Agosto)

These days, the original knife shed next to Smith's home houses his four-wheeler and serves as a staging area for knife-making equipment he shuttles across the country to different trade shows and hunting expos. But he still brings custom knives to life at his work bench next to his wood stove. In the fall of 2024, MKC broke ground on a new facility, just up the interstate from the Frenchtown shop where the company currently operates. "We're going to keep growing,” he said. “I really don't see this slowing down anytime soon. But the focus will always be on quality and affordability—and we will always build our knives to last."