Hi-Line Living: Living on the edge

Havre's most skilled bladesmith's business has skyrocketed in the past year and shows no sign of stopping.

Lincoln Elijah Holt has been forging high-quality blades at an increasing rate ever since he picked up his hobby in 2012.

Holt quit his job about a year ago to make knives full time for his brand, Montana Hammer Knives.

"I was working at Sunnyside for 9 bucks an hour," Holt said. "I had 56 orders backed up and asked them if I could go back to hours that I had done before, so I could get off at 1, so I could come to the shop and work."

He said school administration told him he couldn't do that.

"So, I took the plunge and quit," he said. "It's really kind of held together ever since. I haven't really caught up yet."

Some people have been waiting five or six months for their knives, he said.

Holt is using his 33-ton power hammer to churn out an average of 20 knives a month. He said he is looking forward to buying the next round of heavy tools for his craft. One is a better oven for more consistent heat treatment.

"If you aren't really careful, you can get a warp," he said.

He is constantly looking for new, better equipment to further improve his craft.

He said that by January 2014, he had made 60 knives. When he goes back and looks at pictures of them, he said he thinks about how terrible they are compared to his new work.

Tuesday, he had completed 312 knives.

"I'm averaging about 240 a year now," he said.

He's been expanding his portfolio of different types of handles he makes for his knives as well. He said he has been experimenting. One handle is made of 16 layers of green Boy Scout canvas. He can take a jacket and compress it down to make handles, he said.

His knives are now breaching the worldwide market. He said he sent one to Australia and one to Canada. His knives are all over the United States.

"There are a lot of boar-hunters in Mississippi that break down boars with them," he said.

He also said more and more of his knives are starting to stay local, which he prefers.

"More people are starting to hear about me," he said, "more local business, which is nice because I hate packing and shipping stuff. I'd rather it be here so people can come by, grab their stuff and shoot the breeze."

The name Montana Hammer Knives was created to honor his brother, who died in a car crash some years ago. His brother was in the army, and and his nickname was "Montana Hammer." Holt now has the name tattooed on the arms he forges his blades with.

He said that sometime in the future, he will solidify his brand and company by getting a secretary and website to sell his wares. He said he has made knives for many people, from hunters to four-star restaurant cooks.

He also said he is going to build his own shop when he is able to, and get out of the rental he has in North Havre.

Right now, he is doing most of his business off his Facebook page, called Montana Hammer Knives. He said he is waiting until he gets enough business that hiring someone to handle the orders and sales is necessary.

Until then, he has his work cut out for him.