Guidance

Technical & safety

What the law asks of you, how to handle a sharp knife, and where to send one when it needs work — followed by the technical detail behind how ours are made.

Emberleaf knives racked on the showroom wall — The showroom wall in Petworth.

Age restriction

Knives are age-restricted goods. We sell only to buyers aged 18 or over, and date of birth is confirmed at checkout. Orders leave the workshop signed-for with DHL, so someone has to be there to take delivery — rates and zones are on the shipping page.

Owning and carrying in the UK

Owning a knife and carrying one in public are governed separately. Owning a fixed blade or a locking folder is lawful; carrying either in a public place without a good reason is not, and what counts as a good reason sits with law enforcement. A folding, non-locking knife with a cutting edge under 7.62cm (3 inches) may be carried without one, though places such as schools, airports and government buildings set their own rules on top.

The full picture — prohibited types, good-reason examples, and which of our knives are UK-friendly — is in the UK knife law guide. For the authority, read gov.uk on buying and carrying knives. If you are ordering from outside the UK, check your own country’s import and carry rules before you buy — we cannot advise on them.

Handling

Our knives leave the bench sharp. Treat a new blade as sharper than the one it replaces.

Cut away from the body, and keep your other hand behind the edge, never in front of it.
Sheath a fixed blade, or close a folder, the moment the cut is finished.
On a locking folder, check the lock has engaged before you load the blade. Slip joints do not lock at all — the lock backs & slip joints guide covers how each behaves in the hand.
A dull edge needs more force, and force is what slips. Keep it keen.
Store dry and out of reach of children.

Care and servicing

A leather strop after use handles most edge maintenance; stabilised handles want a yearly wipe of food-grade mineral oil, and carbon steel a wipe of oil after cleaning. The detail is on owning an Emberleaf, and every blade we make can come back to the bench that ground it for sharpening or repair.

The guides

Long-form notes on the law, the steel and the materials, written at the bench.

Law and carrying

UK knife lawWhat you can own, what you can carry, and what counts as a good reason.
Lock backs & slip jointsThe two folding mechanisms we make, in use, safety and law.

Steel and edge

Rockwell hardness explainedThe number behind edge retention, and what 60 HRC actually means.
Scandi vs micro bevelTwo grinds, two kinds of edge — and which suits the work you do.

Materials and lineage

Stabilised woodWhy resin-stabilised timber makes a handle that lasts a lifetime.
The English bladeFour centuries of the craft — from the Cutlers' Company to the Woodlore lineage.
Ray Mears Woodlore knivesThe bushcraft knife we build for Woodlore, start to finish.

Common questions

Law, care and service

Care & service

How do I keep the edge?
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.
How do I care for natural-material handles?
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.
Do you sharpen knives sent in?
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.
Will you re-handle or restore an older Emberleaf knife?
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.
Is there a warranty?
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 knife law

Do I need to be over 18?
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.
Are Emberleaf knives legal to own in the UK?
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.
Are they legal to carry in public?
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.
Can you ship to my country?
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.

A knife for life. Choose your edge.

Design the knife you want.

Where every blade is built.