About Gladius Forge
Gladius Forge started in 2020 with a love of knives, a lot of learning, and the simple goal of making blades that are meant to be used.
Behind Gladius Forge, you’ll find the two of us — Joe and Kayla, a husband-and-wife team who have figured out that we’re not only pretty good at doing life together, we’re pretty great business partners too.
Joe is the hands behind the forge. A millwright by trade and a knife guy long before becoming a knife maker, he’s the one behind the designs and the craft that built Gladius Forge. As we’ve grown, Joe has also built a small team around him who can step into the forge and help keep things moving when he’s needed at markets, shows and events.
Kayla handles much of what happens outside the forge — the website, social media, markets, photos and the million little things that come with running a small business. She’s a maker herself and spends the summer selling her own handmade items, so market season usually means the two of us loading up and hitting the road together.
We’re Knife People
Gladius Forge specializes in handcrafted chef and hunting knives made from a variety of high-quality steels, including high-carbon, stainless and Damascus. Most feature full-tang construction and custom handles made from materials like wood, micarta, bone and resin.
But our appreciation for knives doesn’t stop with the ones we make.
We sharpen them. We restore them. We collect them. We get excited when we come across something unusual, discontinued or just really well made.
Simply put, we’re knife people — not just knife makers.
Built to Be Used
We don’t make knives to sit untouched in a drawer.
We want them at hunt camp, in kitchens, beside the BBQ and passed around the dinner table. We expect them to get scratched. We expect them to need sharpening. We expect them to become someone’s favourite knife.
That’s also why every Gladius Forge knife comes with lifetime sharpening.
Come Find Us
One of our favourite parts of this business is getting to meet the people who use our knives.
Throughout the market season, you’ll find us travelling around Ontario and setting up at markets, shows and events. Stop by, pick up a knife, talk knives with Joe, or just come say hi.
September 12 — Arts Alive, Kincardine • 10 AM–4 PM
September 13 — Pinery Market, Grand Bend
September 15 — Keady Market*
September 16 — Brussels Fair
September 19 — Hanover Market in the Square • 10 AM–3 PM
September 20 — Pinery Market, Grand Bend
September 22 — Keady Market*
September 25 — Sundown Art Studio Fall Y’all Market • 6–9 PM
September 27 — Pinery Market, Grand Bend
September 29 — Keady Market*
October 3–4 — Port Elgin Pumpkinfest
October 11 — Pinery Market, Grand Bend
*Please note: Keady Market dates are weather permitting.
Can’t make it to a market? Get in touch with us through our Contact page for knife availability, custom orders, or sharpening.
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At the end of the day, Gladius Forge is still a small business built around a husband-and-wife team, a trusted crew behind the forge, and a genuine love of knives.
Made to be used. Built to last.
