Make everyday life unique! Inspired by Scandinavian pragmatism and driven by unbridled ambition, Alex Kremer, born in Fulda in 1993, combines his adventures with technical expertise and timeless designs in his creations. His stated goal: to get the most out of every cut and make EDC even more exciting! Daily Knives is a joint project between Daily Customs and Böker, combining innovative approaches and more than 150 years of manufacturing expertise in knife making with the ‘Handmade in Germany’ seal to create an unparalleled synergy. With great success, because the fixed Böker Daily Knives AK1 has already taken an exceptional position in the knife world with its carefully selected variants. Developed as a compact and practical everyday knife, the series is now considered a pioneer in the high modifiability of fixed knives. When you choose a Daily Knives, you not only get a high-quality, well-designed knife, but also passion and customisation! Alex Kremer reveals below which materials are suitable for his knives and what is an absolute no-go for him.
How did you first come into contact with knives?
As children and teenagers, we often spent our holidays in Scandinavia. This involved a lot of hiking, fishing and discovering nature in all its facets. But there was also always a lot of work to do at home. My grandfather ran a small farm, so a knife was always essential.
When did you design your first knife?
It's hard to say, I guess 2009 or 2010. Although I started out (classically) with purchased Scandi blades, I always had my own ideas, but unfortunately they weren't feasible at the time. Back then, in 11th grade, I still thought that files and sandpaper were cheaper than buying knives.
How long have you been working as a custom knife maker?
I work full-time as a development engineer. I've been making knives as a side business since around 2012. The two complement each other surprisingly well. The overlap between ergonomics, function and styling is particularly interesting.
What has your career path been like so far?
After graduating from high school, I started a dual degree programme in mechanical engineering, then worked as a design engineer in plant engineering and have been working in vehicle development for two years. Knives have always been a part of my life.
Is there anyone you would describe as your mentor?
Unfortunately not. I have many sources of inspiration and people I admire. I try to do a lot of things myself, but I often get in my own way until I finally stumble upon the right solution. Nevertheless, I enjoy exchanging technical information with a few knife makers on a friendly basis and, of course, I also give tips. However, there are many designs and knife makers who were active between 1990 and 2000 that I really like. This starts with Microtech knives (from 1990) and continues with Japanese classics from Al-Mar and SOG to modern tactical knives. Walter Brend, Robert Terzuola, Micheal Walker, Shane Sibert, Tom Krein and Kiku Matsuda are masters of their craft and have had a significant influence on the knife industry.
What do you consider your greatest talent as a knife maker?
I really enjoy repairing badly damaged knives and restoring them to their former glory. Many production knives can be considered a ‘good basis’ and can be further optimised. Thinning them down a little or restoring their cutting edge after a few sharpening sessions often breathes new life into knives, which I particularly enjoy.
What do you like most about your work?
Satisfied customers who keep coming back with ideas and orders. Fortunately, for many, the first order is not the last.
Where should you start if you want to make your first knife?
Buy good materials, get some simple tools and get started. It's much easier if you have clear goals in mind.
Which materials do you prefer to use?
For the blade, I particularly like steels with high hardness and edge retention, e.g. CPM-S-90V, M4, Cruwear, D2, K390 and others. In many cases, I cannot understand the motivation for VG-10, 440C, N690, AUS-8, O1, 1.2842 and similar (apart from kitchen knives). For me, long-lasting, reasonably high sharpness is important. I am therefore delighted that the current Boker CPM-3V blades are very well made. I prefer to equip my blades with a flat grind, as this combines good cutting properties with good repairability and can be thinned if necessary. I prefer synthetic materials for the handle, as they do not shrink or swell. They also look more uniform. G10, CFRP and Micarta are my top three.
What distinguishes your designs?
Clean lines, functionally optimised shapes, few frills, good grindability, good repairability and uncompromising performance.
What motivates or inspires you to create new designs?
To create better knives than are currently available. They should be easier to cut with, more robust, easy to handle and simple in appearance. Even though my knives often don't stand out with unusual details and colourful materials, they still catch the eye. That's what makes them so special to me.
Can people simply order a custom-made knife from you?
Unfortunately not at the moment. However, I try to have handmade novelties based on my current ideas ready for trade fairs.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
With building a house, a child, a job and a side business, there haven't been any typical days for a good two years.
What projects are you currently working on?
I want to expand Daily Customs, so I've got a couple of things in the works right now. Otherwise, I hope to have more time soon to work on my ideas. I'm currently setting up a new workshop and hope that everything will be nicer, cleaner and better.
Do you ever get fed up with knives?
Rarely. If so, then more from the people. Unfortunately, there are a lot of ‘experts’ with little technical and craftsmanship background who still like to push themselves to the forefront. In my opinion, this leads to a lot of half-baked knowledge being spread around, which is often very tiring. I also often find it difficult to understand the motivation of many ‘designers’ with little craftsmanship background knowledge. The lack of experience is evident in the designs, but that's not my concern. I also don't like the trend of having everything manufactured cheaply in the Far East and selling it here with a 300% mark-up. For me, knives are only a secondary source of income, which is why I want to keep it as a sideline. That way, I can afford to have this opinion.
What about your wife? Does she share your passion?
Not really. But she has come to appreciate good, sharp knives.
Do you have time for other things besides your extensive work?
I always make time for my family, even though I've been very busy lately. Building a house is currently on the agenda, but there are also general repairs that need to be done. Old cars and mopeds are always interesting, and every now and then I get a day off to go fishing.
How do you best switch off in your free time?
I don't really switch off. There's always something going on.
Do you have any other hobbies that have nothing to do with knives?
Holidays, fishing, working on cars, spending time with my friends or shopping for tools.
What can't you do at all?
I've never been very good at leatherwork; my woodworking skills are also rather limited. I'm much better at working with metal.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our customers?
I think Boker is currently on the right track. A lot has been changed and improved, especially in terms of steel and grinding. The prototype blades and pre-production knives I recently received from AK1 and AK4 really blew me away. Very hard, very thin, absolutely custom-made in terms of performance. So I'm very happy and proud to be able to play my modest part in this. Especially since manufacturing in Germany is also a particular motivation for me. There are enough soft-washed Full-Ti flippers from the Far East, we don't need another one. But high-quality products from Europe are becoming rare.
Dear Alex, thank you very much for taking the time for us and our customers.