Our Story

JT Belknap - Founder of Everburn

I’m JT Belknap. I started Everburn to build the kind of folding knives I want to carry every day—smooth action, a stiffer detent, and an as-machined, hard-milled bevel finish that leaves the process visible. I’ve been in manufacturing my whole career, and I care about how things are made, who makes them, and whether the knife in your hand actually feels intentional.

I work from our Chicago shop, programming toolpaths, setting fixtures, and checking action and lockup. I like organic lines that don’t read like a copy of anything else. You’ll see milling texture on the blade and scales by design—fully deburred, tuned, and honest about how it was made. 

Before I released my first model, Brimwulf, I built multiple test mules and iterated the lockbar, lock face, and insert until disengagement felt clean and the close crisp. That work taught me how deep locking geometry really goes—and why small-lot, one-piece flow keeps quality visible and mistakes cheaper. If something isn’t right after you get it, I’ll fix or replace it quickly. That’s the expectation I hold for myself and my team.

Everburn is personal to me. The name speaks to showing up—discipline, precision, and passion—and the knives are made with that in mind. When you buy an Everburn, you’re buying my knife, built in a small U.S. shop with care for the people and the process.

If this resonates, join the Drop List so you don’t miss releases or build notes. I only send actual drops and essential updates, and you can unsubscribe anytime. If you want to talk materials, specs, or the way I cut a variable hollow, send a note or DM me on IG —I’m always happy to nerd out about the details.