Meet the
bladesmith
“All of my blades are forged, filed, sanded and finished by hand with minimal use of power equipment. I strive to make an excellent quality working knife that feels good in the hand, is pleasing to the eye and made to last a lifetime or more.”
Dan Moye of
Cattle Dog Forge
I became a knifemaker after my life nearly ended in a terrible car accident.
In 1986, I came to Athens, Georgia to practice Orthopaedic surgery, specializing in orthopaedic trauma. I loved my work for 22 years and had never imagined doing anything else. On July 24, 2008, I was driving my car when a tractor trailer truck turned into the driver’s side of my car and hit me head on. What followed was a grueling year and a half of multiple surgeries, recoveries and learning to walk again only to find that I was unable to return to the work I loved. I then faced the task of finding something new to fill my days.
I struggled for some time before I found my footing. Having always admired the craftsmanship that is involved in making knives and having collected knives for years, I decided I would try to make a knife and see if I could do something with my hands again. After a search of my area, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from John Costa whose forge was only a block from my house. John was my first teacher and remains my friend to this day. Bladesmithing is something I look forward to practicing every day. I love the entire process of knife making, from forging the blade on the anvil, to the hand finishing work on the blade and handle. As it turned out, knifemaking became the perfect "therapy" for me—it keeps my mind still and my hands busy.
Daniel Moye
Member Georgia Custom Knifemakers' Guild
Apprentice, American Bladesmithing Society
buy available knives in my online store, or visit my archive of Sold knives:
Chris Cella of CellaCinema.com recently interviewed me for this mini-documentary, Iron / Carbon:
Each knife is one of a kind…
My knives are made from high carbon steel and are differentially quenched to achieve maximum edge retention and allow “flexibility” of the spine. All tangs are forged with a taper to improve the strength and balance of the overall knife. Each step in the making of your knife, including the heat treatment, is done in house.
To learn more about my Process:
To learn more about my Custom Knives: