Treeman Knives

History of Treeman Knives

Treeman Knives orginated several years ago with a simple notion: To create distinctive, hand-crafted knives that serve a variety of purposes. Knives that fit well in the hand, each one uniquely designed and different from the last. Knives that will suit their owners, serve them well and last a lifetime.

It is gratifying to be able to state that Treeman Knives has been achieving that goal with each satisfied customer. And though the demand is high, and the waiting list for custom orders is a long one, Treeman Knives are still constructed to the same high standards of quality as they have been from the start.

About the Designer
Jim "Treeman" Behring is a lifelong native of Michigan, and his interest in knives - both collecting and creating them - goes back to his boyhood. Though he was raised in the city, Jim spent his weekends and summers in the country with family. It was there that he came to appreciate the pleasure of being outdoors, learning his way around the woods and honing his hunting and fishing skills. It was also there that Jim learned the value of a good, reliable blade, and he's applied that lesson well in the design of each Treeman knife.

A natural interest in collecting knives started early, and gravitated to repair and reconditioning of old and broken knives. Jim's first attempt at knife making, at 11 years of age, was ground out of a leaf spring from an old equipment trailer. Though his first piece was rough, he credits it with providing the inspiration to continue with his craft.

Starting at the age of 16, Jim worked in a forging die shop for the next 13 years, interrupted by a tour of duty in the Army. He acquired many of his forging and metal working skills at the shop, before moving into carpentry, then landscaping, and finally into the timber clearing business. The "Treeman" name evolved naturally from his line of work.

A recognized specialty of Jim's are Scagel-styled knives and camp axes, a reflection of the appeal the outdoors holds for him. However, his work encompasses a wide variety of knives, including his own designs and replicas of time-honored classics. (View Jim's knives in both the Design Gallery and Knife Catalog areas of the site.)

Though he takes great satisfaction in the creation of knives and the high regard his customers have for his work, Jim feels even more strongly about the less tangible aspects of his craft. He says, "It's not just about collecting knives, or making and selling them. It goes a lot deeper than that. Because of my association with knives and knifemaking, I've met people from all over the country. And I've made a lot of good friends."

Jim's knives and profile have been featured in Knife World and Hunting & Fishing Collectibles magazine. Additional articles about Jim's work have been written up in Blade magazine (Aug. 2002), A.G. Russell's The Cutting Edge (Nov. 2001), and Northwest Knives (2002).