History of The Mills Edge

The concept for our knife making started with two men, back in the 1950’s, in Danville, Virginia. One of them was my Great Uncle Hunter Mills, who came up with the idea of cutting blades for his knives out of the sawmill blades, that were used to cut logs that supplied wood to the surrounding community.

The second man was my dad, Ronald Mills, who was taught about knife making from his Uncle Hunter Mills. The two of them would cut out the blades, by hand, and find pieces of wood, bone, or antler, to make the handles for the knives. They then, used cowhide of deer hide to make their sheaths for the knives. These were also cut and stitched by hand.

When they had made enough knives, they would go to the local marketplace and sell their handmade knives and sheaths to the local farmers and ranchers. 

Story

Since that time, my Great Uncle Hunter Mills has long since passed away. My dad, Ronald Mills, ended up joining the Marine Corps and served two times over in Vietnam, before retiring in 1974. I was taught leather work by my dad through the years, until I left home, and my dad moved back to his hometown in Danville, Virginia. 

I always had a passion for knives, as young as 12 years old, and started collecting them at age 18. I was estranged from my father for many years and grew up with very little contact to him. Then, about ten years ago, my father and I reconnected, and the one thing we had in common was knives. I started making visits out to see him and learned that he had small shop on his property, where he still continued to make handmade knives and leather sheaths. Of course, he had learned the modern ways of knifemaking and passed that knowledge and skill on to me. I moved, with my family, to Texas in 2021, at which time I established The Mills Edge. I continued the work my dad had started, and he contributed a lot of the knives he had already made to the business. 

Today, Ronald Mills is 88 years old but, still manages to contribute knives and sheaths to our business, despite severe arthritis in both his hands. I don’t think we would have been as successful, had it not been for the knowledge, experience, commitment, and dedication that he provided.