About the Makers

Naqash Minhas — Founder & Master Knife Maker

Naqash Minhas started Stag Steel Knives in 2001 and has been forging by hand ever since. He handles the making side — grinding, heat treatment, and the Damascus and Copper Damascus (Cu-Mai) work that the shop is known for.

He learned the craft the slow way: shaping steel by hand, ruining a few blades early on, and getting better with every knife. Over two decades later, every blade that leaves the workshop still goes through his hands. No factory line, no mass production — just forged steel, finished one piece at a time.

Christopher Merrett — Partner & Field Expert

Christopher Merrett runs the Canadian side of Stag Steel Knives and brings the user's perspective to everything we make. He's a seasoned hunter who's hunted across Canada, Germany, and around the world, and he's been collecting knives for over 20 years.

That hands-on field experience is why he writes most of our guides and articles — he knows what actually matters when a knife is in your hand on a hunt, not just on paper. When he's not testing blades in the field or working on the Canadian operation, he helps shape the designs that make it into the shop.