Bob Terzuola

Bob Terzuola is a legendary American knifemaker who has been creating amazing tactical knives for 40 years. He was born in 1944 in New York City, where he graduated from the prestigious Stuyvesant High School and studied vocational education at New York University. In 1966, he joined the Peace Corps and traveled to Panama as a volunteer. He later moved to Guatemala, where he learned to carve jade and became a jeweler. He began making knives in 1979 and joined the Knifemakers' Guild in 1981 on the recommendation of Bob Loveless. He was also a member of the German and Italian knifemakers' guilds. Terzuoli's first knives were fixed and designed for combat, made for soldiers and CIA agents operating in Central America. In 1984, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and began making folding knives. Seeing the need for a knife that could be carried discreetly, he developed a model with black micarta and titanium grips. It was the first tactical knife, a term he invented himself. Terzuoli's most popular model is the ATCF (Advanced Technology Combat Folder), a folding knife with a linerlock. This knife was his first tactical knife, although he sometimes made them from non-tactical materials, such as ivory or damascus. Terzuola is considered the father of the tactical knife and the author of a book on the subject. He has worked with many other knifemakers and manufacturing companies, such as Spyderco, Strider Knives and Microtech Knives. He currently lives and works in San Diego, California.