CLARKE KNIVES

Clarke Knives is a family forge in Wiltshire, England

My interest in metal was first whetted over 60 years ago as a 12-year-old boy whilst helping my Grandad, Fred Polley, in his shed. Fred was born during the reign of Queen Victoria. From Essex farming stock, although he was poorly educated he as was typical of boys growing up in that era, and he had vast practical crafting skills that had been passed down from one generation to another. I was convinced that his Grandad was a magician when, fixing his lawnmower, the tip of his screwdriver bent. He whacked it with a big hammer, heated it with his paraffin blowlamp and dunked it into some old engine oil to re-harden the tip. And the screwdriver then worked perfectly! From that day, I knew what I wanted to be when he grew up!

I’m a Metallurgist who helped manufacture guns, shells, tanks and rockets for the British Armed Forces. In 1983, after being retrenched from a company making synthetic diamond drilling bits for the oil industry, I emigrated to South Africa where my very diverse metallurgical skills were in much demand.

After 34 years in South Africa, I returned to England in 2017 and with with the help of my Son & Grandson, opened an Experience Venue in rural Wiltshire running courses in bladesmithing and knife making. Hundreds of students subsequently took home a knife or axe, of which they were proud to say, “I made it myself”.

In 2025 at the age of 76, I decided to slow down a bit and the “boys” didn’t want to continue with the Experience venue. I downsized from 2 workshops into 1 and now concentrate on running a Heat Treatment service, just for knife makers and bladesmiths and making high end Damascus and San Mai (laminate) billets. I’ve also started to make knives again.