Pieter van der Westhuizen Standard Skinner - Partridge

Standard skinner of premium indigenous wood, perfect size for general use or everyday carry.

Custom Knifemaker Profile: Pieter van der Westhuizen

I started making knives in 1989 and have been doing it full-time since 1996. The styles I make are mostly utility, hunting fixed blades, pocket and tactical folders, daggers and kitchen knives.

The preferred blade-steel is Sandvik 12C27 which has good edge holding and re-sharpening capabilities. Handle materials include indigenous hardwoods, animal horns, bone and warthog ivory. The bolster material if used, is brass or stainless steel. Combinations of horn and wood are also popular and feature on my gents folders. Sheaths are from veg tanned cowhide and are included with the knife.

All fixed blade knives are made from 3mm Sandvik 12c27 for the blade. Blades are hollow ground, heat treated to 57/58 Rockwell scale and hand sanded to a satin finish. Handles are attached using epoxy and pins and then finished to fit the hand comfortably. Sheaths are then custom made for each knife. The blade-steel on folders is 2.5mm Sandvik 12c27 and all are of locking design using stainless spring-steel for the locking liner and 304 stainless steel for the other. The knives are held together with standard metric machine screws for ease of maintenance and care.

The larger models are suitable to use as hunting knives while the smaller models are ideal for everyday use.

All folders come standard with a suitable leather pouch that can be worn on a belt.

Pieter van der Westhuizen makes mostly utility, hunting fixed blades, pocket and tactical folders, daggers and kitchen knives.