RoseCraft Blades

eople who love knives. Stay Sharp.™

What's in a name?

“My father, Bill Rose was a product of the Depression in rural Middle Tennessee. As a young boy, he worked in a hardware store and on the railroad. He achieved local notoriety by inventing a “cherry picker” to keep him from having to climb cherry trees. After a stint in the Navy during World War II and later, Korea, he settled in a desk job until retirement.

“Papa” to grandsons Harper and Hawkins was the consummate “piddler” – always making or fixing something. He taught himself how to restore antique clocks, for example. He carved beautiful ducks out of cedar blocks. He made plant stands and hanging basket stands for his beloved wife Annie. He made custom leather belts for his wonderful daughter A.W. At some point – probably in the 1970’s – he started calling his creations “RoseCraft.”

In honor of Papa, who died in early 2000, we have named RoseCraft Blades to carry on his legacy of high quality, great design, and pride in doing it right the first time.”

William Rose
Proprietor, RoseCraft Blades

RoseCraft Blades is Born



“On a summer day in 2021, William Rose and I had a lunch meeting on the deck at restaurant by the river. We worked together nearly 20 years earlier, but we hadn’t seen each other or really talked much since then. What started as a meeting about some graphic design work changed as we reminisced about the knife industry. Nearly seven hours later, a few things were very clear. First, there was room in the knife market for a new brand, and William’s son, Hawkins wanted to pursue his passion for knife-making and design. Second, I had the experience in the industry and truly wanted to show what I could create as a knife designer. Third, William had the brand name his father created years ago, and by the end of that very first meeting, RoseCraft Blades was born. Over the next couple of weeks, we met several more times. By the end of June, the RoseCraft team was assembled and held its first meeting. It’s all been a whirlwind since then.”

Andy Armstrong
General Manager, RoseCraft Blades