Forging heirlooms in rural Crittenden County

Ashton and Randy Samuels pose
with a custom built sign for
their business.

MAROIN, Ky. – Minnie Pearl once famously said “Take the backroads instead of the highways.” That’s good advice, because one never knows what kind of treasure can be found along those paths. Travelling up one of Crittenden County’s backroads, for example, will lead you to Eight Gables Forge, a father and son craftsman team who are developing their art and skill in every creative project they complete.

“A lot of people don’t know about us,” Randy Samuels explained of Eight Gables Forge. The forge is located on the Samuels’ farm off Blackford Church Road in rural Crittenden County. Samuels started it as a hobby in 2018. His son, Ashton, quickly became interested in learning too. As their skills increased, so did the demand for their product.

Eight Gables Forge specializes in making knives. “I love to forge Damascus steel,” Randy Samuels described. For Samuels, the draw to Damascus is the challenge that it brings. “It is two different materials,” Samuels explained. The two different types of steel that Samuels uses makes the knife easy to sharpen and also for it to hold that edge. Samuels layers pieces of the two types of steel and forge welds them together to create a billet, or “finished blade blank.” He twists it, warping the layers to create complex, swirling patterns that Damascus is known for. Then Samuels hammers it back out into the desired blade shape. This is where Samuels gives it “character.” 

The process alone is why Samuels refers to it as a challenge, but the challenge is multi-faceted. He is looking for the right steel for the knife he is creating. “There may not be enough landscape to show off the pattern,” he explained. The initial forge weld is critical. “You have to have a good weld,” Samuels added. He also takes into consideration what kind of style of Damascus the knife will have. The number of layers of initial steel impacts the style in the end product. For example, ladder Damascus will only have 13 layers, where Diamondback will have 104 layers.  

While Samuels loves Damascus steel, that’s not the only type of metal he uses at Eight Gables. Many of his creations are made with used metal that he has found or that has been given to him. From bush hog blades to railroad spikes, Samuels uses each piece to create something new. One particular knife Samuels

made was a Japanese wakizashi, or small sword. Samuels forged it from a drag link chain from a coal mine. He is very careful not to throw away any small pieces from his projects, incorporating them into his next work.

The various types of knives made at Eight Gables Forge is astounding. Practical cutting tools like cleavers and chef knives are made with the same precision as Bowie knives, push knives, and Inuit ulu knives for cutting blubber and fish. Eight Gables specializes in custom orders, making knives for customers, sometimes simply based upon a photo or idea. A typical order takes about two weeks to complete. Samuels stated that they stay busy with orders, but around Christmas gets exceptionally busy.  

Eight Gables Forge sends knives all over the country, including New York, Texas and Missouri. Willing to take on any challenge, Samuels describes himself often as a “maker” and “fixer.” One particular knife he made was out of 16-penny nails that a customer had sent him. His first forge, also, was something that he put together himself from multiple spare parts. He forged by hand until he began to purchase additional equipment to help him create more efficiently. “It’s fun,” described Samuels.  

Samuels pointed out that his son, Ashton, has the vision and artistic ability to take the business to the next level. “It’s your business,” Samuels told his son. Ashton has since extended their business to include cerakote, a tough ceramic finish that can be applied to almost anything. They apply cerakote to firearms, tools, hardhats and a variety of other items. Ashton stated, “We have about the same amount of business – cerakote and knives at the forge.”  

The father and son duo also has developed skills with Computerized Numerical Control lasers and plasma cutters to further their product line. “We can come into the shop every day and find work,” they both noted. Laser engraved cutting boards, metal signs, house numbers, leather air fresheners, and even flutes are all part of the workshop encompassing Eight Gables Forge. Samuels also does leatherwork.

Samuels recalls that his grandmother once told him that if God blessed you with a gift, you should share it and not waste it. Being a “maker,” Samuels feels blessed to share his interests and talents with his son, his family and his customers. “I don’t have to go anywhere to see the blessings,” Samuels stated.