
From Ocean to Workshop
— AKU Student
I decided to take a knife making class at AK University because I wanted to learn how to make dive knives for spearfishing. That eventually led me to making a kitchen knife first—something connected to the fish I catch and prepare. This class gave me the foundation I need to build knives that fit my lifestyle. The most valuable part of the hands-on experience was working directly with Andreas at the grinder. No online video comes close to replacing real guidance. Learning how to shape bevels the right way, with the right pressure, made a huge difference and gave me confidence I didn’t have before. My biggest ‘wow’ moment was during sharpening. Learning about creating and removing the burr, understanding the behavior of carbon steel, and seeing how the entire edge forms was eye-opening. These were things I never thought about before, and having them explained while doing the work made everything click. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. Part of m