Home / Design Minds / Jordan LaMothe Lays out Plans for the Fall after Major Blade Show Wins

Jordan LaMothe Lays out Plans for the Fall after Major Blade Show Wins

July 30, 2021

At Blade Show 2021 Awards, Jordan LaMothe was a big winner in the custom field. He was the only maker to take home two awards: Best Fixed Blade and Best in Show.

It was a custom pesh-kabz that reeled in both accolades. A pesh-kabz is a Persian thrusting knife with a sinuous blade designer for getting underneath armor. For his version, LaMothe took the basic pesh-kabz profile and heightened it with artistic grind work and damascus steel. A thoroughbred show piece, the knife is a one-off creation and part of LaMothe’s presentation set as a Master smith in the American Bladesmith Society.

An up close look at the detailing on LaMothe’s Pesh-kabz

LaMothe’s knife making career has its roots in a childhood spent on a farm. “Knives and other edged tools were indispensable on the family farm where I grew up, for processing food and cooking, and for clearing brush and working in the woods,” he tells us. An appreciation for the practical nature of tools eventually led LaMothe’s desire to craft them himself. “I was interested in making my own tools, and after two years of blacksmithing, building tools and hardware and equipping my shop, I was ready to try my hand at making knives and edged tools.”

This perception of knives as tools informs all of LaMothe’s work. “Most of my knives, particularly my chef knives and hunting knives, are designed for daily use—to be both artful and functional,” he says. Even with his more pointedly collector-oriented work, like the pesh-kabz and other historical recreations, the fundamental utility has to be present. “The swords and daggers I make are intended for collectors, however I strive to imitate the functional characteristics of historical pieces as closely as I am able—pieces that were designed to be used in life or death confrontations—so that my weapons have an authentic presence.”

Another LaMothe piece, done in a Finnish style

Going forward, LaMothe’s focus will continue to be on handmade, one-off custom pieces. We did ask him if there were any production collaborations in the future, but for now the answer is no. But as far as his custom work goes, there is much to do. LaMothe is the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship to study bladesmithing in India later this year, and also plans to create some folders after a long hiatus. “I haven’t made any in the last three years. I plan to make some more in the near future—all one-off pieces like my current work.”

Knife in Featured Image: Jordan LaMothe Blades Pesh-kabz

Related Items