What Is Franken Forge Blades?
How FFB Started
Back in 2019 (I was 15), I decided I wanted to start making knives as a hobby. I’ve had a lot of hobbies over the years, and this one fit perfectly in my skill set. I grew up working—from mowing lawns at 6 to welding
at 10—if it involves physical labor, I’ve probably done it. So making knives didn’t seem like much of a leap. Fortunately, my dad had a solid shop, and I was able to get some blades made. I finished my first “real” knife on my 16th birthday.
Around that same time, my dad found a killer deal on some blacksmithing tools—an anvil, coal forge, and a bunch of extras—for just $100.
That kicked off what I call the “Iron Age” of FFB.
At 16, during COVID, I had nothing but time, so I dove into the hobby. I got some scrap truck springs and spent hours hammering them into knives. I still remember the joy of forging a spring into a simple rectangular
billet. I even made my own gas forge, and one of my dad’s friends called it a “Franken forge” because of the chunky weld on the front. The name stuck—and so did the obsession.
Not long after that, we moved to Florida, which kicked off what I call the “Industrial Revolution” phase of FFB.
Shortly after moving, I turned 17, and my dad gifted me a belt grinder and hydraulic press. Not sure why—at that point I switched hobbies every six months—but I’ll always be grateful. Those tools are what allowed me
to get serious.
I made a ton of knives and even got into making Damascus. I graduated high school a year early but had to wait a year for in-state college tuition. So I decided to use that time—my “gap year”—to try launching a
business.
At first, I wanted to focus on chef’s knives. That’s what I
thought was cool—and still do. But things took a turn.
I hadn’t sold anything yet, so I decided to prep for a local gun and knife show. I gave myself a few months and aimed to bring 50 knives. I spent 12-hour days grinding for 3–4 months straight. I made $800 at the show,
and while that’s not much in hindsight, at the time I was beyond stoked.
Right before that show, i made a friend who was into balisongs. He knew I was a “knife maker” and suggested I make a reblade. So I did—and that ended up being the first knife I ever sold on Instagram (technically traded). That was August 19, 2021—yep, I remember the exact
date.
That post gained some traction and sparked real interest. I started getting commissions, and things picked up quickly. About 100 reblades and six months later, I was actually making money and saving up for a CNC mill.
I saved around $10k and decided to get a Tormach PCNC 440, which my dad financed since I was still under 18. After a few months, I realized that machine wasn’t cutting it, so I upgraded to a Tormach 770MX, which I used for the next two years.
CNC machining turned out to be way harder than I expected. It took a few months to get confident, but eventually I opened 20 commission spots for $250 each—and they filled in less than 24 hours. That was a wild
moment.
From there, I moved into making full balisongs from
scratch—and I haven’t looked back.
Today, I’ve been in the balisong game for around 3 years. I currently offer 4 balisong models with 3 blade shapes each. I’m also about to drop a folding knife I’ve spent a year and a half developing.
I recently moved the shop out of my parents’ garage and into its own space, and the business continues to grow.
Oh—and remember that gap year I mentioned? Yeah, I’ve been in school this whole time too. I’m currently working on a mechanical engineering degree while still running FFB full time. Between the business, school, and sleep, I stay pretty busy—but better busy than bored.
Thanks for Being Here
If you’ve read this far—thank you. I wouldn’t be doing what I love without the people who’ve supported me, bought knives, shared my posts,or even just taken an interest. I really appreciate it.
~ Aaron Gudgel
Owner , Franken Forge Blades LLC
(689) 249-1695 | frankenforgeblades@gmail.com