Hunting, skinning and everyday knives, ground, heat-treated and finished by hand in a one-person shop in Great Falls.
View available knivesGround by hand, heat-treated in small batches in Jim's shop, and stamped THOMPSON.
Brass or a mirror-polished bolster, fitted tight so the joint disappears.
Amber stag, stabilized burl or textured micarta, shaped by hand. No two are alike.
Contrasting pins set flush through the scales, with a lanyard hole for a braided leather thong.
Each knife is one of a kind. When it sells, it's gone, though most designs can be made again.
A compact skinner with a deep finger choil and an amber stag handle.
| Blade | Skinner · finger choil |
|---|---|
| Handle | Amber stag |
| Sheath | Leather |
Wide skinning blade, polished bolster and textured red micarta, with a tooled sheath.
| Blade | Wide skinner |
|---|---|
| Handle | Red micarta · polished bolster |
| Sheath | Tooled leather, THOMPSON stamp |
Stabilized burl with carved finger grooves and a mirror-polished bolster.
| Blade | Drop point |
|---|---|
| Handle | Stabilized burl |
| Sheath | Leather |
Dyed teal burl that shifts in the light, on a clean polished bolster.
| Blade | Drop point |
|---|---|
| Handle | Dyed teal burl |
| Sheath | Leather |
Brass guard, burl handle and a braided leather lanyard, photographed on a fall hunt.
| Blade | Hunter |
|---|---|
| Handle | Burl · brass guard |
| Sheath | Leather |
$25 insured shipping in the U.S. · Free local pickup in Great Falls. Adult signature required on delivery.
Hold the knives before you buy them. Jim takes cards at the table, and he'll sharpen yours while you look around.
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Handmade custom knives from Great Falls, Montana.
Start from one of these designs and change what you like: length, steel, handle, sheath. Or bring your own idea.
Short, curved and controllable, with a finger choil for detail work.
| Blade | Skinner · finger choil |
|---|---|
| Steel | Your choice |
| Sheath | Tooled leather |
An all-round drop point for elk and deer camp.
| Blade | Drop point |
|---|---|
| Steel | Your choice |
| Sheath | Tooled leather |
Bring a sketch, a photo or an old favorite. Jim will work out the details with you.
| Blade | Any |
|---|---|
| Steel | Your choice |
| Sheath | Your choice |
Knives are sold only to buyers 18 and older.
Every step happens in one small shop in Great Falls. These are his photos.
Each blade is profiled and ground by hand on the belt grinder.
Blades are hardened and tempered in small batches, clamped and racked in the shop.
Bolsters are polished, handles fitted and shaped, and the blade stamped THOMPSON.
Each knife leaves in a leather sheath tooled with the same Thompson stamp.
Stillwater Knives is a one-person shop in Great Falls, Montana, a few miles from the falls Lewis and Clark spent a month carrying their boats around.
Every blade is ground by hand on the belt grinder, heat-treated in small batches in the shop, and stamped with the Thompson mark. Handles are stag, stabilized burl and micarta, and every knife leaves in a leather sheath carrying the same stamp.
Most custom knives are finished in 4 to 10 weeks, depending on the design and how many are ahead of yours. You'll get a date when you place your deposit.
Wipe it clean and dry after use, oil the blade now and then, never put it in a dishwasher, and don't store it in the leather sheath for months at a time.
Yes. Sharpening is free for the life of the knife. Drop it off in Great Falls or mail it in.
Not at this time. Knives ship insured within the U.S. and need an adult signature.
Knives from the shop can be returned unused within 14 days. Custom knives are made for you and can't be returned, but they get the same lifetime sharpening.