Mike Gavac

Fueling the Wild: The Story of Mike Gavac from Gavko Knives

"Mike Gavac is no ordinary knife maker. His passion for forging his own path has set him apart in a world where precision meets artistry. With an unwavering commitment to crafting the extraordinary, Mike's designs are defined by their mesmerizing details.

From humble beginnings in a Brooklyn workshop almost 15 years ago, Gavac's relentless pursuit of excellence has led to the creation of custom knives that push boundaries and challenge the status quo. With each design, he seamlessly blends unique handle shapes, breathtaking grinds, and bold color palettes to bring his one-of-a-kind vision to life.

When he's not immersed in the world of knife-making, you'll find Mike on the move—embarking on family trips or exploring the great outdoors with his loyal canine companion, Sky. This innate sense of adventure doesn't just permeate his personal life; it also fuels his professional endeavors.

As we delve into the creative mind of Mike Gavac, we can't help but wonder how his personal passions, life experiences, and daily adventures influence the knives he creates. Join us as we sit down with the man himself to uncover the inspiration behind his work and discover the driving force that compels him to redefine the world of knife-making continually."

 

Q1: You seem a die-hard Tampa Bay Lightning fan! What do you love most about ice hockey, and how does it influence your knife designs?

Yes, I'm a huge fan of tampa bay lightning and hockey in general, fastest, hardest, most action sport in the world, very entertaining to watch too nowadays. And I'm very fortunate to have media access to NHL games as a video/interview reporter for Slovakia tv station to do interviews with Slovakian players in the league so that makes my hockey experience that much more interesting.

 

Q2: Sky is always by your side when you showcase your designs outdoors—does the little paw friend ever "lend a paw" in the workshop?

haha, yeah Sky our belgian malinois and Rosie our aussiedoodle are always in the backyard and my shop with me "helping"…

 

Q3: You've had so many great adventures with your family—what's the most memorable trip you've taken? 

                                                             
A lot of very cool trips and adventures with our family, and since kids are still fairly young, I think the most memorable ones are still ahead of us. But Florida has beautiful parks and places and some memorable ones that stand out are many of our beautiful springs, blowing rocks preserves, Kennedy space center and definitely Key West…

 

Q4: If you had to describe your design style in just three words, what would they be?  

                                                             
I always try to have my designs stand out, be very unique, interesting, recognizable, but still very functional and useful as a edc pocket knife. After I'm done with a design that i would repeat and make it a model, I try to find shark that for whatever reason reminds me that design and name it after it. Just because i love sharks and try to keep the names within the same "category"…

 

Q5: If you could design a knife inspired by the Tampa Bay Lightning, what would it look like?  

                                                             
Well, since I don't design based of things/ideas, I just name after sharks, it would be hard. But what I would do if possible, is pick some of my sleeker models and use the colors to make it a “lightning” knife. White/blue or black/white/blue color combination with a lightning bolt tastefully hidden somewhere…