Why We Use Only the Best Materials in Our Knives

By: Guillermo Garcimonte

When it comes to knives, many may look similar, but there are two things that truly set them apart: the materials used and the design behind them.

After years of forging, testing, and studying different steels and materials, I’ve come to realize that every fabrication process has its pros and cons. No material is perfect, and there are always compromises. My goal with GMT knives was to find the best materials for our purpose—hunting and butchering animals in the field. And after careful consideration, I found that Elmax steel was by far the best compromise between retaining a sharp edge and being easy enough to sharpen in the f ield. It offers excellent edge retention, so you don’t have to worry about your blade losing its sharpness after just a few cuts, but it’s still easy to maintain and restore a sharp edge quickly. This is crucial when you’re out in the field, where time and precision are key.

But I didn’t stop there. To further enhance the durability and performance of our knives, I decided to add Cryogenic treatment to the blade. This treatment increases wear resistance and edge stability, which means your GMT knife can stand up to tough conditions without compromising its sharpness. Cryogenic treatment helps to refine the steel’s structure, making it more durable and resistant to stress. This results in a knife that’s not only sharp but also stays sharp for longer, even after prolonged use in harsh conditions.

While the materials are crucial, it’s equally important to focus on the blade’s design. Every knife has a specific purpose, and one-size-fits-all just doesn’t work in the world of hunting knives. If you try to design a knife that does it all, chances are you’ll end up with something that doesn’t do anything well. That’s why each GMT design is carefully crafted with a specific goal in mind. Whether it's a skinning knife, a field knife, or an all-purpose hunting tool, the blade design is tailored to meet the needs of the task at hand.

The process of finding the right balance between materials and design involved a lot of testing, trial, and error. What you hold in your hand when you pick up a GMT knife is the result of countless hours spent perfecting every detail, from the choice of steel to the blade shape and edge treatment. It’s this careful attention to every aspect of the knife that allows you to experience the difference when using it in the field.

All manufacturing is done in Europe, using the best manufacturers in each field—whether it’s the treatment, cutting, or roughing processes. We’ve worked hard to partner with experts who share our commitment to quality and precision, ensuring that every GMT knife meets the highest standards. This attention to detail, from start to finish, is what ensures that our knives will perform at the highest level, every time you need them.

At GMT, we believe that the right materials, combined with a purpose-driven design, are what make our knives exceptional. And that’s why we’ll never settle for anything less than the best.

What knife should we design next?