Many of the knives on this website are not currently for sale - none of my knives are 'turned out'. Each one is a labour of love and a test of skill: this is part and parcel of making unique, completely handmade, high-quality knives. Each knife demands a great deal of time, effort and skill to make: knives are such complex and varied artefacts that the most satisfying results - for owner and maker - come from tailoring the knife to its future owner. Therefore, I often work on commission, so I'll explain how this works...

First off, a commissioned knife need not be particularly expensive, though I cannot make a knife for less than £150, and around £200-£300, or above, is more usual. Also, there are a variety of degrees to which a commissioned knife is tailored to the buyer:

- while I don't make copies of previous knives, you are very welcome to commission a knife closely or loosely based on one of my previous knives;

- alternatively, you can let me have a general idea of the type of knife you'd like (e.g. historical reproduction, special purpose, personalised sgian dubh, etc.) and I will base an original design on what you've requested;

- finally, if you have a very specific idea of what you want, I'm happy for you to send a detailed description, rough sketches or other reference ideas, and I will use these to come up with the design.

The basic process is the same regardless of which of the above options you choose. I'll first of all need to know the type of knife you want, and your ideal budget, and will probably get in touch to ask for some more specifics, or to highlight particular issues with what you've requested. If the knife you want is something I can make for the price you want to pay, I'll then come up with an intial design based on what you've told me, with a couple of price options depending on different materials.

I'll welcome any comments or suggestions at this stage, and will also give you a rough estimate of when I'll be able to deliver your knife (based on what I'm already committed to making - I generally work on just one knife at a time). From your comments, I'll then come up with a final design and specification, and once you're happy with this, confirm the price and delivery date by asking for a deposit (usually one quarter the final price). By paying the deposit, you 'book your place' in my schedule, and once I start making the knife, I'll send you regular progress pictures and reports.

So, if you've been inspired by the knives on this site, or if there's a particular knife you've always imagined owning, get in touch, and take the first step towards owning your own unique, custom made Skye Knife...