Nylund Knives

A few years later, the brothers began creating knives of their own. Their first designs were fixed-blade models, but as craftsmen renowned for producing their own Damascus steel, they were never content with simple forms. With each new project, Simon and Jakob refined both the design and craftsmanship of Nylund Knives.

Their earliest work drew inspiration from traditional Finnish puukko knives before gradually evolving into hunting knives.

These hunting models featured classic drop-point or normal-point blade profiles paired with traditional Finnish handle shapes, complete with the characteristic palm swell and bird's-beak pommel. What truly distinguished Nylund's hunting knives, however, were the materials. Every blade was forged from the brothers' own Damascus steel, while the handles combined carefully selected natural materials. Alongside traditional Karelian birch, they experimented with exotic hardwoods, bone, and decorative inserts made from a variety of metals.

Many of these knives featured bronze or Damascus bolsters. One such hunting knife earned Best Fixed Blade Knife at the Solingen Knife Show in 2015. Its handle combined African ironwood, mammoth ivory, and Damascus steel, while the blade, naturally, was forged from the brothers' own Damascus.

The Nylunds are rarely found at home for long. They regularly exhibit their work at knife shows in Helsinki, Paris, Las Vegas, and New York. For them, these events are far more than exhibitions — they are opportunities to exchange ideas, meet fellow makers, and continue developing their craft.

It was through these international shows that Simon and Jakob became inspired to enter the world of folding knives. Their first folders featured Liner Lock mechanisms and handles fitted with wood or bone scales.

Soon afterward, the brothers sought a decorative style that would complement the flowing patterns of their Damascus steel. They began collaborating with Swedish engraver Johan Sandström, a member of the indigenous Sámi community. The partnership proved remarkably successful, earning them the Best Folding Knife award at the Solingen Knife Show in 2013.

As their work evolved, so did the complexity of both their mechanics and finishing. Copper, anodized titanium, and carbon fiber gradually joined their palette of materials. While early folders relied exclusively on the Liner Lock, later designs introduced the Back Lock mechanism, including models such as the Nylund Knives Backlock Folder.

In 2016, the brothers introduced their first flippers. The initial three knives were created specifically for The East Coast Custom Knife Show in New York. As always, the blades were forged from their signature Damascus steel, while the handles combined bronze, steel, and carbon fiber. Decorative inlays of black carbon fiber, colored Damascus, and mother-of-pearl completed the design. The model was named Draupnir, after the legendary ring belonging to the Norse god Odin.

Today, Simon and Jakob remain fully dedicated to creating custom knives. Every Nylund piece is forged, ground, assembled, and finished entirely by hand before being presented in a polished Karelian birch presentation case lined with genuine reindeer leather.

Over the years, the brothers have largely shifted their focus away from fixed blades, concentrating instead on folding knives and flippers. In 2018, they introduced their first folders equipped with pocket clips.

The family workshop continues to push the boundaries of decorative craftsmanship. One of the latest chapters in their story is a collaboration with Austrian engraver Chantal Schaschl, whose intricate work is admired not only by custom knifemakers but also by master gunsmiths throughout Europe. Her elegant botanical engravings now adorn selected Nylund folders, complementing the flowing patterns of Simon and Jakob's Damascus steel with remarkable harmony.