Tim Hancock — The Push-Stick Pioneer: A Tribute to an Arizona Master Smith
Tim Hancock’s blades combined artful profiles with rock-solid function — qualities honed over decades in Arizona workshops. Selling his first knife in 1988, Hancock rose quickly in the custom world and earned his ABS Master Smith stamp in 1994. He became renowned for high-end fixed blades and folders using steels like ATS‑34 and 52100, plus his own pattern-welded Damascus. Beyond beautiful knives, Hancock’s clearest gift to the trade was pedagogy: a teachable, straightforward, repeatable grinding system centered on a push stick and a stable work rest. I first learned this method while taking knife making courses taught by Master Craftsman Andreas Kalani https://akcustomknives.
The push-stick method is elegantly simple. A shaped stick (hardwood or composite) supports and guides the blade while a work rest steadies the belly or spine near the belt. Hancock taught breaking long grinds into many short, controlled passes, using the stick to maintain a constant contact point and the rest to prevent cantilevering. That incremental approach reduces heat, minimizes warping, and yields straight, consistent bevels where long sweeping techniques often fail. Makers who adopt Hancock’s smoother rhythm, short passes, frequent cooling, and careful blending -find faster learning curves and more reliable results on long blades and complex profiles.
Hancock’s influence spread through classes, forums, and countless shop demos. For hobbyists and master smiths alike, the push-stick philosophy reframed the task: accuracy comes from control and repetition, not force. His method also dovetailed with materials and styles he favored — stabler, higher-performance steels that reward precise heat control. Tim passed away in 2019, but his methods persist: many modern jigs, grinder accessories, and teaching curricula trace back to his approach. In 2021 he was posthumously inducted into the ABS Bladesmithing Hall of Fame, a fitting recognition of both his craft and his teaching.
For those who learned from him or discovered his technique later, Hancock’s work is a daily reminder that refinement and repeatability make great knives possible. His knives meticulously ground, and thoughtfully finished remain coveted examples of a maker who taught through doing.
Interested in viewing or purchasing a Tim Hancock original? View here https://www.
