Frequently asked

It starts with a design — yours, ours, or a back-and-forth on details. Once the brief is locked we take a 50% deposit to begin and the balance on completion. Lead time is typically twelve weeks. Full walkthrough on the commission guide, or start directly in the design tool.

Twelve weeks is the working figure. It can be shorter if the materials are on the shelf and the queue is light, or longer for unusual stock or complex builds. We'll quote a firm window before taking the deposit.

Card via the website for in-stock pieces. Commissions take a 50% deposit by card or bank transfer to begin, with the balance due on completion before dispatch. UK orders include 20% VAT; export prices are ex-VAT.

Up to the point we begin shaping steel — yes, with the deposit refunded less any materials already cut to size for your build. Once the blade is ground or fittings are in progress the deposit is non-refundable, since the work is bespoke and can't be re-sold as-is.

Yes. You'll get photos at the rough-grind, post-heat-treat and pre-finish stages, and a final shot before the parcel goes to the courier. If you want closer involvement — say, choosing the exact piece of burl from three options — tell us when you commission and we'll build that into the cadence.

Yes — fixed-amount vouchers, redeemable against any in-stock piece or as a deposit on a commission. Get in touch and we'll send a voucher and a written card by post.

Every knife in the shop is in stock and ships within a working day of the order clearing. If a piece sits in the archive, it's a past commission — not for sale, but a reference for what's possible.

We don't make exact duplicates of one-off commissions out of respect for the original owner, but we'll happily build something in the same family — same model, similar steel, different handle. Design it and we'll come back with a quote.

Most working blades are 80CrV2 or AEB-L. Damascus pieces are San Mai or full Damascus from a small set of UK and Scandinavian smiths we trust. Stainless commissions tend to be RWL34 or Niolox. We'll talk you through the trade-offs when you commission — edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance — and pick what suits the use.

Carbon steels (80CrV2) run 60–61 HRC. AEB-L and the stainless options sit at 60–62 HRC. Heat treat is done in-house on a foil-wrapped tempering schedule, not sub-contracted — it's the part of the build we won't hand off.

Some are, some aren't. 80CrV2 and most Damascus billets are carbon steel — they'll patina and need a wipe of oil after cleaning, which most users come to like. AEB-L, RWL34 and Niolox are stainless. If "no upkeep" matters more than the look and feel of carbon, ask for stainless.

Hair-popping. Every blade leaves the workshop after a finish-strop and a paper-cut test. If you want a more durable working edge over a thin detail edge, tell us and we'll grind to suit — kitchen and EDC users tend to ask for slightly different geometry than bushcraft and survival users.

Stabilised burls, mammoth ivory, kirinite, micarta, G10, carbon fibre, dyed and natural woods, mosaic pins. Full library at /materials — pick from there, or send us something you'd like used and we'll let you know if it'll stabilise.

Fixed-blade hunters and bushcraft knives ship with a leather pouch sheath as standard. Tactical and field pieces come in kydex. Custom sheaths — formed leather, dangler loops, MOLLE — are quoted separately during the commission.

Within reason. We'll machine to your hand size and intended use, but we won't push past the geometry the steel will tolerate. If a brief asks for something the metallurgy can't deliver, we'll say so and propose an alternative.

Strop on a leather strop charged with green compound after each use — that takes care of most of it. Re-bevel on Japanese water stones (1000 / 6000 grit) every six months or so under heavy use. Or send it in — see below.

Stabilised burls and dyed woods are dimensionally stable, but a yearly wipe of food-grade mineral oil keeps them lustrous. Mammoth ivory is sensitive to dry heat — keep it away from radiators and direct desert sun.

Yes — any maker, any condition. Hand-sharpening on Japanese water stones for kitchen, hunting and pocket knives. Service details and pricing on the sharpening page. UK return shipping included; international quoted on request.

Yes, and we welcome it. Re-grinding, re-handling, re-leathering, re-finishing — bringing inherited and well-worn blades back to working life. Send a photo and a brief description via the contact page and we'll quote, or read the refurbishment service page for examples.

Lifetime against manufacturing defects — heat-treat issues, hidden cracks, fittings that come loose under normal use. Wear, abuse, lost edges and chipped tips from prying aren't covered, but we'll quote the repair and usually keep it modest.

UK, EU + Switzerland, Canada, the US — and elsewhere on request. Everything goes signed-for via DHL from the workshop in Petworth. See full rates.

UK: next working day after dispatch. EU: 3–5 working days. US / Canada: 5–7 working days. Customs clearance can add a day or two on longer routes; tracking lands in your inbox the moment the parcel scans into DHL.

For US destinations we collect a flat 13% tariff at checkout so the parcel arrives with nothing further to pay. For other destinations, import VAT and duty (where applicable) are paid on receipt and vary by country — please check your local rules before ordering.

Yes, but the recipient must be 18 or over and present to sign. UK age-verification on delivery isn't a formality — DHL won't release the parcel without it.

Yes. Under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 we're required to verify the recipient is 18 or over at the point of delivery. You confirm your age at checkout, and DHL takes a signature on the doorstep.

Yes. We don't make any of the categories prohibited under the Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act (flick knives, gravity knives, zombie-style blades and similar). Every Emberleaf knife is legal to own and to use on private property.

Most are not, without a "good reason or lawful authority" — section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. The only knife you can carry in public without justification is a non-locking folder with a blade of three inches or less. Locking folders, fixed blades and longer folders all need a good reason: work, sport, activity (hunting, fishing, bushcraft) or transit between those. gov.uk: buying and carrying knives is the authoritative source.

Probably — but you're responsible for confirming what's legal where you live. Some countries restrict blade length, lock types, double-edged blades or auto-opening mechanisms. If we can't legally ship a particular item to your country we'll tell you why and refund before dispatch.

By appointment, yes. We’re at Unit 14, Colhook Industrial Park, Petworth, GU28 9LP. Get in touch to set a time — unannounced visits often catch us mid-grind.

Email or the form at /contact. We aim to reply within a working day. For urgent commissioning questions a phone call is faster — number on the contact page.

At the workshop by appointment, or at the trade shows we exhibit at — usually the BBSA show, IWA Outdoor Classics in Nuremberg, and a handful of UK country fairs. Newsletter signup at the foot of the page for show dates.