Matt Blankenship co-owns Valkyrie Steel with his wife, Becky. Matt’s passion for knives began at an early age when his oldest brother gave him his first Buck folding knife while in grade school. That knife went through years of improper use and three broken tips, but Matt still has the knife and has retired it as a cherished relic.

Influenced by his three older brothers, Matt gained an interest in earth sciences, and he earned a degree in geology. He ultimately became a licensed engineering geologist in Washington State, but after almost 30 years as a consultant, he decided to change his career path and dedicate his life to precision knife and tool sharpening. He is intrigued by the correlation between rocks and steel. Rocks are simply a composition of minerals, just as steel is simply a composition of a few primary metals. In both rocks and steel, the varying percentages of these compositions directly affect their hardness, durability, and resistance.

In 2016, Matt and Becky took a knife making class to learn the basics of forging, heat treating, and constructing handles on knives. From there, they moved on to take an intensive sharpening course from a world renowned master bladesmith, where they enjoyed a crash course in metallurgy and developed a passion for knife sharpening.

Matt strives for excellence by regular communication with his mentors as well as established expert sharpeners from across the globe.