The research repository and custodian of

Modern Knife Design

Mission Statement

The purpose of the museum is to curate and allow access to all styles and variations of knives from the modern era of knife making whether bespoke, factory or custom and provide a repository of pieces for research by either knife makers or historians interested in this specific era of knife development.

With the ever tightening of UK laws relating to the possession of knives in private ownership the intention of the MOMKD is to be a legal place for interested parties to access historical and important items which may fall foul of the ill-thought-out UK legislation. MOMKD aims to provide a place that these items can be preserved for research and posterity rather than a return to their birth places, the scrap industries furnaces.

Definition of the Modern Knife

The definition of modern is a difficult concept to define due to the incredible length of time cutting edged tools which are described as knives have been in use throughout human history. We are using the loose description as any knife from approx. 1850 although this is not set in stone.

At the MOMKD we are particularly interested in the resurgence of the craft of bespoke and handmade knives in the United Kingdom and its intertwined history with the growth of knifemaking in general in the USA.

Future projects will be focusing on the initial figures in these fields and how the knowledge they gained has been spread between groups of fledgling industry professionals and onto a wider audience of current hobbyists.

library of historic knifemaking books museum

Research & Collaboration

  • The museum is happy to work with TV and film studios on research, hire and prop design.
  • The museum is happy to work with historians and students who may wish to study this era.
  • The museum also holds the world’s largest collection of books and ephemera related to knives and knife making.

Future Projects

Any monetary donations received will go towards the following projects. The museum will also pursue grant funding for these purposes, but we suspect the subject matter will not be looked on kindly by those with the power to give.

  1. Finding a full-time home for the MOMKD that will allow the best storage conditions and public access to exhibits.
  2. Museum grade storage facilities.
  3. The digitization of the books and catalogues to allow online access.
  4. Capturing living history from older makers before it is lost.

Zombie Knives

Whilst the museum has no interest in knives that fall into the original definition of a Zombie knife we are worried that pieces of significance may be caught up in the current UK legislation and we would be interested in saving these from unnecessary destruction.

If you think you have something which may be problematic for you to own but think is a piece with an interesting history or story or may have a place in the history of the modern knife making please email for advice.

Any donations of exhibits, ephemera or funding gladly accepted.

Would you like to donate?