NOLEN KNIVES are designed and made with the serious hunter in mind.  Our most important objective is to make a knife that will give you a lifetime of service.  A knife is nothing more than a tool that was meant to be used.  However, we realize that many collectors have and will continue to purchase our knives.  We appreciate this very much, but ask you to understand that our knives are primarily a working tool not an object of art.

We started making knives as a hobby in about 1968 for our own personal use.  Then as the demand grew we found ourselves making knives for sportsmen and collectors all over the world.  We have shipped knives to some fifteen foreign countries and every state in the Union.

However, increased demand has not been through our efforts alone.  Our customers have been responsible for much of the evolution that has taken place in the knives we make today.  Their suggested changes and improvements have resulted in a better NOLEN KNIFE.

We would like to thank all of our "compadres" in the knifemaking fraternity who have helped in so many ways, and specifically Jimmy Lile, and Clyde Fischer.

And a special "thanks" to the following gentlemen in the publishing industry, without whose help our work might have gone unnoticed:

• B. R. Hughes

• Sid Lathem

• John Wootters (Peterson's Hunting)

• Jack Lewis (Gun World)

• Jim Carmichel (Outdoor Life)

• Jim Woods (Peterson Publishing Co.)

• Mel Tappan (Guns and Ammo)

• George Martin (The American Rifleman)

• Ken Elliot ( Peterson's Hunting)

The heart of any knife and the true test of its worth is the steel in the blade and the resulting temper of that steel.

We have chosen two steels that we feel contain the most desirable characteristics for a hunting knife.  They are D-2 and 440C.  Since we use the knives we make and have tested these steels in the field, we are confident in our selection.

• D-2 is a high carbon tool steel whose toughness and wear resistance give outstanding edge holding ability.  Yet it has just enough chromium to make it stain and rust resistant.  However, it will rust, so it does require a little care.

• 440C is considered a "stainless steel", but it is also a high carbon tool steel.  It contains enough chromium to make it highly resistant to corrosion.  When tempered properly, 440C will hold an edge well and requires very little care.

The tempering or heat treating of the steel, regardless of the type steel used, is the real secret to the quality of any knife.  We prefer to temper our own blades and do so in a furnace especially made for this purpose.

We use a Rockwell Hardness Tester to check every blade we temper.  A hardness of C57 to C60 is achieved depending on which steel we are using.  A point or two lower and the blade would have to be sharpened more frequently.  Raise the hardness figure much above C60 and, while it would hold an edge longer, the blade will be almost impossible to sharpen.

On this subject of hardness and edge-holding ability let us hasten to add that these two steels, D-2 and 440C, are not some "miracle" steels.  The knives we make will get dull.  They will not hold an edge forever and they are hard to sharpen, but not impossible to sharpen.

The edge holding ability of a knife will vary from one user to another, depending on how sharp the knife is to start with, and HOW and on WHAT it is used.  We will do our best to make you a knife that will fill your needs and of which we can both be proud.

This website has been designed to help you in the selection of your NOLEN KNIFE.  Many of the different knives we make are illustrated herein along with a brief description of each knife.  For more information or to send us your input please use our FEEDBACK form.

It would help us immensely if you would CALL US WITH YOUR QUESTIONS.  If your knife order is as important to you as it is to us it should be worth a PHONE CALL to make sure it's right.

All of our blade and handle designs are made with an eye towards function and efficiency in operation.  In regard to blade design we feel that there is no one design that will do every job or satisfy the needs and desires of every hunter.  A knife can be a very personal thing.  As a result we make a wide variety of blade shapes and sizes.

We also offer several different handle styles with the objective being comfort, fit, and serviceability.  A knife should fit your hand and be comfortable to use.

We sincerely appreciate your interest in our knives and look forward to being of service to you in the very near future.

Nolen Knives