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Fischer Brothers Knives Put Everything Into Their Launch

May 16, 2016

Like so many other makers, Fischer Brothers Knives came from humble beginnings. The custom shop got its start in a shipping container in Frank Fischer’s backyard. “When people would come to see my shop they were always in awe about how small of a space I had,” he says. In 2015, Fischer left his 123 sq. ft. shipping container for a more spacious workshop in Tampa, Florida.

The change came at a good time, because Frank’s brother Todd Jr., who had been helping him on and off for a few years, decided to join him full time. So began a mentor/protege relationship between the brothers that culminated in the design and production of the Launch, the Fischer’s flagship knife.

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The Launch was Todd Jr.’s brainchild. While showing him the ropes, Frank had Todd Jr. start with an old fashioned pencil sketch of the knife he wanted to make. “My idea was, if he’s going to take this seriously, he needs to be emotionally invested 100%,” says Frank. The Launch’s lines were inspired by an old flintlock style pistol. The name came from Todd Jr.’s days as a sailor: a launch is the name of a type of small boat. When collectors went wild for the design, the Launch’s name seemed fitting since the knife helped to ‘launch’ their company.

The Launch’s distinctive look and unusual blade shape make it stand out in the crowded titanium framelock flipper market. Frank says that it doesn’t look like other knives because it wasn’t designed by a knife maker. Todd Jr. spent 20 years in an unrelated field, and had only seen a handful of custom knives before drawing the original Launch. It was, and remains, a passion project. “I think that shows through whatever dress or finish a Launch is wearing.”

Fischer Brothers Knives Launch

Well-known to custom collectors, the Fischer Brothers’ presence in the wider knife world has been limited, until now. New designs are on deck and are being unveiled. Production collaborations are not out of the question either. Most of the shop’s focus is still consumed by fulfilling orders for Launches the Fischers sell via their Instagram pages. According to Frank, the knife’s success is a reflection of the Fischer Brothers’ hard work and dedication: “When you really put everything you can into something, anything, whatever it is, people notice.”

Had to get an action video of the Launch. It’s so insanely smooth.

A video posted by Will Timms (@w.timms) on

Knife featured in image: Fischer Brothers Knives Launch

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