Hayden Scott of Champion Knives
Hayden is a West Auckland knife maker producing one-of-a-kind culinary knives. Having been professionally involved in the food scene here and abroad for over 20 years, he knows the value of a good knife. Now he creates his own, with a fantastic flair for function and style. You can find his work in homes and kitchens around the country, well loved and working hard. If you enjoy cooking and passionate craftsmanship, don’t pass his table by!
I have had a knife in my hand since I was a young boy growing up in rural South Otago, where a pocket knife was always a helpful tool, but also a badge of honour. I finished high school and spent a year working at the freezing works - sorting offal and trimming lambs - with my first tool being a white handled Victory boning knife (which I took when I left for the sentimental value). I studied cooking at Dunedin polytechnic before moving into my first restaurant job. This jump started my kitchen career working in NZ and abroad over the last 20 years. My first set of culinary knives was produced in a faceless factory, impossible to keep sharp, and were clunky cutters at best. Needless to say, they never had a feeling of warmth and connection. Several years ago I was gifted a handmade knife that changed my perspective, and ultimately sparked my curiosity about making them myself.
Knife making brings me so much value from a creative perspective, allowing me to forge ideas into functional objects that also aid in bringing people together around the dinner table. Connection with people is something that brings me immense value, and by sharing this craft it is endlessly rewarding. I hope that someone collecting one of my knives gets a feeling about me as a person, and the things that I enjoy. I love the rawness of the natural materials and the harshness of the making process.
First time displaying at a blade show, I’m excited to see what others are creating, rub shoulders with fellow makers and knife collectors, and share some insights from within my workshop.
