Overview
Dark Timber Custom Knives is a digital showcase created in collaboration with bladesmith Peter Kohler. The website was designed and developed from the ground up to reflect the precision, craftsmanship, and story behind each handcrafted blade.
The Vision
This project began as a close collaboration with Peter to translate his physical craft into a digital experience. The goal was to create a website that felt as intentional as the knives themselves—simple, direct, and grounded in craftsmanship.
Design Requirements
- Minimal structure — Clean layout to let the knives speak for themselves
- High-contrast imagery — Emphasizing texture, edge, and material detail
- Simple navigation — Organized categories for intuitive browsing
- Human storytelling — Highlighting Peter’s process and philosophy
Development
I designed and developed the entire website from scratch, translating visual direction into a fully responsive front-end system. The build focused on performance, clarity, and accessibility across devices.
Key Features
- Knife gallery — A visual archive of handcrafted blades
- Filtering system — Allows users to explore categories like skinners, choppers, and camp knives
- Blog integration — Stories, events, and new designs from the maker’s journey
- Social connection — Instagram integration to build community around the craft
What I Learned
Working with a bladesmith taught me how to design for audiences who may not be digitally fluent. It reinforced the importance of clarity, simplicity, and removing friction between the user and the story being told.