MILWAUKEE — Over the past 10 years, a Milwaukee man has become known nationwide for his knives that are as sharp as they are beautiful. Chefs from across the country including contestants on TV shows like Iron Chef use his cutlery. His business continues to grow, and now he is opening a bigger and better shop.
"Business is continually increasing. Its been really really wonderful just as more and more people find out that we exist," Nathan Zimmerman, the owner of Zim Knives, said.
He is a bladesmith and craftsman. He makes knives, swords, cutting boards, and more. He also sharpens just about anything that has an edge from knives to gardening tools to saws. Zimmerman's specialty is crafting and sharpening kitchen knives.
“My favorite part about making knives is the blending of functionality and art," he said.
He opened his new shop at 4404 W. North Ave. near the intersection of North Avenue and Sherman Blvd in November 2023. His old location was just a production facility in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. His new space has a bigger production area, space for a classroom, and a storefront.
“So I wanted help, you know, create that space in the City of Milwaukee where people can go have their questions answered, have their tools sharpened, pick up a new knife, pick up a sharpening stone if that’s what they’re into," Zimmerman said.
The classroom area is also where he forges knives. He wants to teach people bladesmithing, blacksmithing, and forging. He already has people signed up for classes that will start in early spring.
The storefront features his own blades, sharpening tools, and slightly cheaper knives made by other well-known manufacturers.
Nathan hopes all these new features help his nationwide business grow even bigger. However, that also means he will be in his shop even longer every day.
“The next 10-15 years looks like me being a hermit in my beautiful shop and making lots and lots of knives for all you lovely folk.”
But Nathan doesn’t mind. After all, that’s how he got the name 'The Knife Guy'.
"It's fascinating, I'll go to the climbing gym, I go out to restaurants and stuff, and it's weird being recognized by people for my work," he said.
His custom knives start at about $500 and can climb to whatever is the necessary price given the customer's customization. In fact, he has a sword in his shop listed at $7,000.
Zim Knives new location is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's open for anyone to drop in and buy a knife, start a custom order, or purchase knife accessories. You can also go to the Zim Knives website to learn more.
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