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Follow our team's adventures as we climb the highest peaks of each continent!

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The Secret Spot Store. Unique treasures from around the world that our Secret Spot 7 Summits team have discovered and are offering to you!

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The SherpaSchool.ORG project is our team's long-term commitment to build a new school facility for Sherpa kids in the remote Gorakhani region of Nepal.

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"Of the four elements of life...Earth, Air, Fire, and Water...

Man stole only one from the gods...

Fire...

And with it, forged his Will upon the world."

-Unknown

It was the early 1990s in a rather uninteresting part of Southern California. The palm trees were dancing in the mid-summer breeze...plastic surgery was kicking into high gear for the wealthy and insecure...and, somewhere, an older brother was chasing his younger brother around the house with big, pointy swords. Whether it was the younger brother's envy of the cool swords adorning his brother's wall, or simply the desire to fight back...an undying love for sharp, pointy things was born.

Over a decade and a half later, Chris Stanko (the younger brother) founded West Coast Bladecraft. Fueled with a passion for quality blades matched with an innate creativity...and thanks largely to the support of his family and close friends who continue to stand behind him, Chris' dream went from fantasy to reality at the end of 2005. Officially founded in March of 2004, and after only a year of working through the logistics, Chris finally completed his shop set-up. To further expand his knowledge and contacts, Chris attained a part time job working for Dan Delavan at the Plaza Cutlery knife store, a name known well in the collector's circles when it comes to the sales of high end, custom knives. Finally, with the construction of www.westcoastbladecraft.com in April, 2006, West Coast Bladecraft was well on its way to poking the world with its sharp pointy creations!

In founding West Coast Bladecraft, I embarked on a mission to provide high quality, functional blades at competitive prices to fulfill the needs and desires of a broad range of clientele. Whether you're looking for a functional hunting or utility knife, a collector's piece to innerve your imagination, a functional and reliable means of self-defense or a blade to use for re-enactments and stage performances...West Coast Bladecraft has your solution. While offering a variety of in-stock blades that are available for immediate sale, I also take requests for custom blades. This still furthers my ability to give the customer exactly what they are looking for.

All blades produced by West Coast Bladecraft are 100% hand forged, finished and designed to be used. I have pride in personally creating every part of my product and, typically, will never use materials 'pre-made' by someone else. This is a highly time consuming and strenuous process, but the end result is well worth the effort. In my opinion, it's not a real knife unless you can stake your life on it. The traditions and practices of hand forging, heat-treating, and finishing blades has been passed down for centuries and is second to none. This sacred art produces the finest blades available today, hands down. My schooling by Master Bladesmiths in the American Bladesmith Society has taught me, among other things, the fine art of precision and quality. I will never sell a blade to anyone that I would not be willing to own myself.

Unless specified as being available for immediate purchase, my blades are crafted at the time of order. This allows the customer to request any alternations or special needs and ensures the quality of the product. Real, quality blades take time to craft and cannot be slapped together overnight. Upon order, the customer will be informed of the estimated lead-time for their specific purchase.

Born and raised in Southern California, Chris was the youngest of two siblings, and attributes the beginnings of his love for blades to his older brother. Chris' creativity began to take shape at a young age beginning with drawing and, later, expanding to music, acting, writing, poetry, and finally, smithing. Along with smithing, Chris remains an avid musician, writer, and poet to this day. Chris also enjoys a variety of outdoor sports including skiing/snowboarding, scuba diving, climbing, hunting, and racing. His love of the outdoors has earned him many great rewards through experience and contacts. He has also attained first hand knowledge of what blades will work and will not work for a variety of outdoor activities. By age 22, Chris had seen much of the world traveling to countries including England, France, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and Mexico. He admits that he has probably seen more of other countries than he has of his own! These travels only heightened his interest in world cultures and the history of their sharp, pointy weapons. When Chris chose the path of Bladesmithing, he sought out the finest instruction available. Chris traveled to Arkansas to attend classes at the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing under the instruction of such Master Smiths as Bert Gaston, Jimmy Crowell, Ron Newton, and Larry Harley. Chris later expanded his contacts within the knife making industry by joining the California Knifemaker's Association. Being intrigued with knives, swords, and sword-play, Chris has studied the art of fencing through the South Coast Fencing Center, specializing in foil. Chris has also studied the art of Kendo (The Way of the Japanese Sword), under the guidance of the Master Sensei at the Costa Mesa Kendo Dojo.