About Maranoa Knives

G’day, my name is Scott. As a child, a lot of my activities centered around the outdoors. We were hunting and shooting on a large scale, and knives were always part of the picture. I always remember my father’s KABAR which he was given by a US Marine. That knife was something of a legend in our household, as it had been in battle.

In my teens I purchased my first serious knife which was a Boker (Tree Brand) skinning knife that was made in Germany. The place I purchased it from was closing down, so it was less than half price, which is the only way I could afford it. I still have that knife today.

I joined the Australian Army when I was 18 years old and after training was immediately deployed on active service. My peers and I always carried our own knives, as the only official knife we were issued to carry was a bayonet. The bayonets were blunt and designed to attach to the end of your rifle and stab things. Carrying your own knife was an insight into your personality. You wanted something substantial that would do what you needed, but it couldn’t be too big or heavy as it was extra gear that you had to carry. Most of my journey’s as an Infantry soldier were on foot, so we were very conscious of weight.

I later graduated as a Lieutenant from The Royal Military College – Duntroon and was posted to 6RAR as a platoon commander. Once again, it was the same thing – standard issue bayonet and whatever other knife you wanted to carry. One day, that all changed. We were issued with the new Buck M9 Fighting Knife. The Buck M9 (which also fitted as a bayonet to our rifles) probably weighed twice as much as the standard bayonet. The blood groove in the side of the blade was deeper than the entire width of the standard bayonet. The Buck M9 had serrations on the spine of the blade, a built-in wire cutter, a built-in sharpening stone and a small pouch on the front of the scabbard for carrying another knife. This thing was a beast. I remember no one in my platoon had a personal knife that came close. I loved carrying the Buck M9 and now own two of my own that are in mint condition.

A few years ago, my son Heath started sharing my love of knives. I then started to once again build up my collection. I’ve focused my collection on handmade US Bushcraft and Hunting knives. Generally, I’ll purchase a knife and then put it through tests and either love it or go and purchase another knife. I’ve been on that quest to find the perfect knife. As a result, I currently have over 40 US handmade fixed blade knives. Although I love a lot of my knives, there’s always something not quite perfect.

After building up a substantial collection of high-end knives and owning most knives I thought would be great, I figured making my own knives was the next logical step. I made my first knife a couple of years ago and have been obsessed ever since. I’ve attended a couple of courses and picked up a few tips from pros here and there. Each knife I’ve made has been a learning experience.