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Millit Knives Stepping into the Spotlight in 2017

August 30, 2016

Millit Knives will be stepping into the spotlight in 2017 with a brand-new line of knife collaborations, all under the company’s own label. The Meridian, Idaho-based manufacturer has already established its reputation as a top-flight choice for outsourced knife making within the United States. But, according to Shane McGoldrick, co-founder of Millit Knives, these new for 2017 models are part of a concerted effort to develop Millit into a premium production knife brand end users recognize and trust.

McGoldrick, along with father and son knife makers Merlin and Josiah DeMill, founded Millit in 2011. All three men are former employees of Chris Reeve Knives with a combined 20-years with the company. “We loved what we did at CRK, and took advantage of the opportunity to learn what we could,” says McGoldrick.

Working to CRK’s high standards taught them what goes into making quality blades. And when they saw an opening in the knife market for a high-end, domestic production facility that could take on a wide variety of projects, Millit was born. “We saw [Millit] as an opportunity to make knives, and whether our name was on the product or not the paycheck was the same,” says McGoldrick.

Outsourcing production is an attractive proposition for companies and custom makers, and it has become a growing phenomenon. To meet the demand, there are no shortage of contractors available overseas, but the options are much more limited for companies that insist on offering their customers made in the USA blades. Millit is one in a handful of high-quality, US-based contract manufacturers and their mix of high-tech machining and hand-finishing has pulled in rave reviews. With over 20 popular models in their portfolio, including the award-winning Koenig Knives Zenaida and the recent Gavko Mako Mid-tech, the Millit name has spread throughout the industry.

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As a contract manufacturer, Millit has seen much lower profit margins (around 15%) on projects than their clients have. “We’re doing the most expensive side of it,” McGoldrick admits. This may be what makes offering Millit-branded products and investing in end user awareness appealing ideas. With manufacturing capacities fully booked for the remainder of the year, McGoldrick has already turned his attention to 2017. “We’re building that brand, and the perceived value of what we do.”

Knife featured in image: Koenig Knives Arius

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