The Veteran Edge

Built from lessons learned on the battlefield.

When Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical found that honing steel helped military veterans cope with post-traumatic stress, he and Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) launched the Forged by War program to train bladesmithing vets, who draw on combat experience to craft the mission-ready tools they once needed. Veteran-run manufacturers have long produced high-quality blades, producing a roster of notable new offerings built from the hardest-earned knowledge.