MEET THE MAKER

 

I’m Brent Parnell, the maker behind BSP KnifeWorks.

I grew up in Taradale, on the outskirts of Napier on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. With hill country farms to the west and the Tutaekuri River running along the southern edge of town, there was plenty of country for a kid with a fishing rod, an old .22 rifle and a handful of mates to disappear into.

We hunted rabbits and possums in the hills, fished the rivers for trout and eels, and as we got older our attention turned to bigger game.

Red deer. Wild boar. The rougher country further inland, into the Ruahine and Kaweka ranges, and the back blocks of Hawkes Bay.

Hunting pigs and deer through steep bush and broken hill country teaches you fairly quickly what makes a good knife. It has to feel right in the hand, hold an edge and do the job when you’re tired, wet and a long way from the vehicle. Good design matters too, but it should always serve the work the knife was made to do.

That practical relationship with knives continued through more than 20 years working in sheep and cattle farming in New Zealand.

Knives were everyday tools. Skinning, butchering, cutting baling twine, opening feed bags and general farm work. You used them, sharpened them, abused them often, and learned what worked.

Long before I ever made a knife, I had spent decades using them.

That experience still influences the way I design knives today.

 

After moving to Australia in 2010, knife making was something I kept coming back to. Eventually, during the COVID years, I decided it was time to stop thinking about it and actually have a go.

I taught myself through books, videos, experimentation, ruined steel and a stubborn refusal to give up until I got it right.

What started as a hobby quickly became something much more.

Today, BSP KnifeWorks operates from my workshop on the Gold Coast, where I make hunting, outdoor and kitchen knives. I also offer professional sharpening, repairs and maintenance.

My approach to making knives is fairly simple.

I choose the right materials for the knife, not the other way around.

Different steels suit different jobs, climates and users, and handle materials have their own strengths depending on how and where the knife will be used. A natural timber handle might be perfect for one knife, while G10 or micarta makes far more sense for another.

I would rather choose the steel, handle materials and construction to suit what the knife is actually expected to do than chase whatever happens to be fashionable at the time.

But function isn’t the whole story. A knife still has to look right, feel right in the hand and be something you enjoy using.

Good design should serve the job the knife was made to do, but there is no reason a working knife cannot also be beautiful.

It has to perform.
It has to be dependable.
And it has to last long enough to hand down to the next generation.

I work with quality stainless and carbon steels, Australian and exotic timbers, stabilised woods, micarta, G10 and other carefully selected handle materials.

Some knives are straightforward working tools. Others are more elaborate one-off pieces using unusual materials and more complex construction.

But the philosophy behind them is the same.

Make a knife I would be happy to carry and use myself.

You’ll usually find me at markets around South East Queensland, where you can handle the knives, talk steel and design, and see the work in person.

I also take on selected custom commissions if you’re looking for something made specifically for you.

BSP KnifeWorks is growing, but I want it to remain personal.

No production line.
No factory.

Every knife is made by my hands. One at a time.