BUILT WITH
PURPOSE.
MH Knives is a custom knifemaker based in Klerksdorp, North West Province — working from a dedicated shared workshop in Wilkoppies alongside fellow maker André Erasmus. His focus is deliberate and narrow: slipjoint folders and fixed blade knives.
"The slipjoint is the most honest test of a knifemaker's ability. There's nothing to hide behind."
The slipjoint folder is Miguel's signature discipline and the form he returns to again and again. Without a locking mechanism, the knife lives or dies by the precision of its spring — and that precision demands a level of care and patience that separates good knifemakers from great ones.
His fixed blades carry the same philosophy: built for real use, designed with purpose, finished with pride. From hunting knives with hand-engraved bolsters to Damascus blades and custom leather sheaths — each one is made by hand from raw steel to finished knife.
Miguel has exhibited his work internationally, including at the Musée du Fer et du Chemin de Fer — Grandes Forges Vallorbe knife exhibition in Switzerland — placing South African craft on the world stage.
SHARED WORKSHOP · WILKOPPIES
Miguel works from a shared workshop in Wilkoppies, Klerksdorp — alongside fellow custom knifemaker André Erasmus. Two distinct makers, two distinct styles — one high standard of workmanship. If you're visiting Klerksdorp, both makers are available by appointment at the same address.
THE PRINCIPLES
PRECISION
A slipjoint with the wrong spring tension is just a piece of steel. Every measurement, every grind angle, every fit matters — and Miguel works until it's right, not until it's good enough.
PURPOSE
Every design decision is evaluated against what the knife needs to do. A beautiful knife that doesn't perform is a failed knife. Form follows function — but that doesn't mean it can't be exceptional.
PATIENCE
Custom knives take time. Tuning a slipjoint action to a standard Miguel is satisfied with takes as long as it takes. Lead times are real — because the knives are real.
INTERNATIONAL
Miguel has exhibited his work at the Musée du Fer et du Chemin de Fer — Grandes Forges Vallorbe knife exhibition in Switzerland — bringing South African custom knifemaking to a global audience.