Kukin Alexey
Alexey Kukin
Alexey Kukin is a Moscow-based knifemaker who has earned a strong reputation among Russian knife enthusiasts. He is one of the founders of Nozhevaya Masterskaya (Knife Workshop) and, in recent years, has also established himself as an independent maker of distinctive, high-quality Russian folding knives. The name Alexey Kukin knives has been familiar to custom knife collectors for more than a decade — the period during which Kukin has been creating custom pieces.
Kukin's professional career in knifemaking began in 2005, when a group of Moscow-based craftsmen — Vasily Vasilyevich Kozlov, Ashot Yuryevich Akopyan, and Alexey Yuryevich Kukin — founded Nozhevaya Masterskaya Medved (Bear Knife Workshop). The company should not be confused with a manufacturer of the same name based in Vorsma. In time, Vasily Kozlov pursued his own work and began producing knives independently, while his former partners continued their craft under the shorter name Nozhevaya Masterskaya. Kukin and Akopyan continue to work together in their Moscow workshop, producing handmade knives.
Alexey Kukin graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI). His partner, Ashot Akopyan, trained as a CNC machine-tool technician at a college specializing in aerospace engineering before continuing his education at MATI, now part of the K. E. Tsiolkovsky Russian State Technological University, where he qualified as an engineer specializing in electronic equipment. Their technical education and engineering background have played an important role in the development of their workshop.
Kukin believes that creating new models requires a constant commitment to improving manufacturing standards and keeping pace with modern technology. He has spent many years studying materials science and specialist technical literature. His extensive experience working alongside Akopyan eventually inspired him to develop a collection under his own name.
For a long time, Alexey focused primarily on fixed-blade knives, while folding knives were produced exclusively under the Nozhevaya Masterskaya name.
In 2015, Kukin introduced his first signature series of folding knives, called Trabant — a name inspired by the legendary cars of East Germany, once jokingly associated with the ”Socialist Paradise”. Unlike those mass-produced East German economy cars, Kukin's Trabants are made entirely by hand from premium materials. The series quickly earned a loyal following among Russian collectors and knife enthusiasts. A smaller Mini version was later created for collectors who prefer compact custom folders. Trabant remains Kukin's signature series, produced periodically in small batches and recognized for the distinctive design language of its Moscow maker.
Kukin typically uses high-alloy American powder steels from Crucible Industries, including CPM S110V, S125V, and 10V, for his blades. He also works with Cronidur 30, a nitrogen-alloyed steel produced by the German company Energietechnik Essen GmbH. Handle construction incorporates a range of established knifemaking materials, including G-10, titanium, carbon fiber, Micarta, and others. One of the characteristic details of Kukin's knives is the manually applied longitudinal satin finish on the blade.
In recent years, Alexey has concentrated on producing high-quality, dependable handmade folding knives. His designs are ergonomic and distinctly masculine in character — understated, yet unmistakably rugged. Alexey personally handles every stage of production, from blade to handle. His work is a regular presence at Russian knife exhibitions, including Klinok: Traditions and Modernity, where he presents both his own designs and custom knives created by Nozhevaya Masterskaya. Over more than a decade, Kukin has developed a number of instantly recognizable models distinguished by their design, craftsmanship, and consistently high demand among Russian knife collectors.
At Maria Stalina Knives, you can find author-priced handmade Russian folding knives from renowned maker Alexey Kukin, including his signature Trabant models.
