Even MORE Efficient Baker Forge, Bulgarian 350 is BACK & Will is Leaving! TFN

We’ve been on a warming trend the last couple of weeks, but no complaints here. The random 70 degrees and sunny days are a welcome sensation after what has been a respectable Appalachian winter in our little holler.

A solid start to the week was dampened a bit by the announced departure of one of our long time blacksmiths, Will Spears. With us since back in 2023 Will has been a staple around Baker HQ and odds are, if you bought a bar from us in the past few years, Will had a heavy part in it. However, a knife maker since long before he joined our team, Will is returning to the trade full-time and we are truly very excited for him. It’s surely not the last you’ll see of him in our media as well. Rest assured Baker production is in good hands and we’re ready to keep busting out amazing layouts & patterns as we (and the entire industry) prepare for the spring Show season! 

Speaking of show season– Blade Show Texas is now only a week away and the momentum

is palpable. From exciting collabs to jaw-dropping releases the first show of 2026 is already looking like the best yet! Although we won’t be exhibiting, a small crew will be joining the folks in Texas and we’re looking forward to seeing you all! Keep an eye out for the beard logo himself (our fearless leader, Coy Baker) around the show floor.With the rebuilt ram from our Bulgarian 350 back at HQ the boys set to installing it this week. A few key components still had to be completed, but the process went relatively smoothly and we’re thrilled to see the beast back in action and running better than ever!

Over the last few week’s Coy has been building a full Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for Baker. Nearing the final stages of development this new system should be implemented within the next few weeks and will establish a database for all Baker steels, sub-assemblies, raw materials and inventory. Work orders will flow through the system digitally to each work station and can be displayed on a tablet for each operator. Showing them exactly what materials, sizes and quantities they need to complete their part in the production. Thanks to this new system we expect to dramatically cut back on the time our production head, Jay spends manually creating these for the crew each day and furthers our overall goal of efficiency in 2026! With each upgrade and improvement, our production gets leaner and more efficient, helping to supply our customers with a quality product at a lower price point– Baker to the masses!

---

Inside the Media

It was a quieter week for our media team– the Wrought Iron SanMai drop this weekend lent itself to an easy promotional roll out for one of our most popular materials. Preparations for Blade Show Atlanta continue as Waylon plays with sticker and t-shirt graphics for our only exhibitor show of the year.

Our Monday question broke the monotony, however. When we asked the community to name something younger knifemakers do that older knife makers would NEVER consider and the answers were spicy to say the least. Our intention was to inspire the mention of more modern techniques, silly corners now being cut, or little aspects of the craft that may have changed in the next wave of interested hobbyists. Although most understood our framing there was still a good bit of arguing over “Youngins” and “old Farts”. Needless to say I think we all can agree experience is a real thing and we could ALL probably stand to learn a few things (except Jason Knight he knows everything). 

Looking forward to returning next week with more exciting media– stay tuned! 

---

Sneak Peek

Wrought Iron SanMai returns this weekend — a Baker Forge classic we haven’t run in a long time.

We took massive antique chain links, forged them out on the power hammer, drew them into bar stock, and laminated them with a 1084 core. The result? Grainy, steely wood-grain wrought iron cladding that etches with incredible depth, paired with a deep black core for standout contrast. Thanks to production upgrades, we’re able to drop a big batch at a dramatically reduced price (though consistency is still tricky, so enjoy it while it’s here!).

A wide range of sizes, all flat-ground and ready.

App opens TODAY ~noon EST for early access — full release Saturday 8pm EST.