Grigoriev Andrey

Andrey Grigoriev

Andrey Grigoriev is a Russian knifemaker known for his custom EDC knives. He was born in Mezhdurechensk in the Kemerovo region and spent his childhood and teenage years in Siberia. After finishing school, he enrolled at Kuzbass State Technical University, not far from home.

He sold his first knife in 2012. After graduating, he realized that he wanted to devote his life to knifemaking. His choice of profession eventually brought him to Russia's most creative city — St. Petersburg.

At first, Andrey Grigoriev focused on fixed-blade knives. His early work consisted primarily of Finnish-style knives and kitchen knives, with normal-point and drop-point blades. He generally favored scale construction for the handles. One of Grigoriev's early design signatures was a tang that extended noticeably beyond the scales, creating a distinctive visual accent.

After his fixed blades, he spent a short time experimenting with butterfly knives. His balisongs lived up to the name — colorful and exotic. Damascus steel was often used for the blades, paired with its high-end “relative”, Timascus, for the handles.

Only a few of these “butterflies”, however, made it out of Andrey's workshop. The knifemaker discovered how much he enjoyed creating compact flippers and decided to focus his attention on them.

Grigoriev is particularly proud of his knives weighing less than 80 grams: lightweight, elegant little folders that barely make themselves felt in a pocket. Most of his models, such as the Pinky and Ratel, are closer to gentleman's knives than conventional EDC folders. Their small size and low weight are only part of the story — the refined handle decoration reinforces the impression.

Grigoriev is one of those knifemakers who prefers to avoid carbon fiber and G10. Instead, he favors titanium. In the past, Andrey finished his own scales, adding simple engraving or repeating textured patterns by hand. More recently, his flipper handles have taken on a considerably more sophisticated look.

They now feature intricate scene-based engravings with multicolored inlays. The artist behind these designs is St. Petersburg-based engraver Anton Kataev. Much of Kataev's work is devoted to the world of the dead — or, less poetically, to skeletons. He also creates remarkable pieces inspired by the Art Nouveau tradition.

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