Knives for Every Level of Bushcrafting

Houghton Era was born between Detroit pavement and northern Michigan pines. Brothers Aaron and Nate grew up skating rough concrete, then retreated to summers in the woods. This was a place where their father and grandfather, Kermit, built a family cabin board by board.

Later, their time at Visalia’s YMCA Skate Camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains reconnected them to the outdoors in a profound way. Through the wilderness program, then called Elemental Awareness—now Skate Wild—they learned survival skills, self-reliance, and curiosity.

Advertisement — Continue Reading Below

Coupled with stories of their ancestor Douglas Houghton, the explorer and geologist who charted much of Michigan, these experiences instilled a lasting respect for craftsmanship, nature, and exploration. That spirit eventually pushed them to design their first knife. They approached it with the same stubborn DIY mentality rooted in skate culture.

From two small garage shops in Michigan and Florida, they began creating tools that felt honest, durable, and built for real use. They are perfect whether you’re carving a new hunting trail, finding a hidden fishing spot, or skating a crusty alley.

Advertisement — Continue Reading Below

Houghton Era exists to build gear that carries people into unfamiliar places and adds meaning to the everyday. Each tool adds a verse to their family’s heritage—and invites others to add a verse to theirs.

A frontier-style blade built for both fire prep and food prep and inspired by Hudson Bay trade knives. The Kuchni’ blends old-world utility with modern steel. The brothers love 80CrV2 high-carbon steel. The Kuchni’ has a 7 ¼-inch edge (58 Rockwell) and is 11 ¾ inchs overall length.

Advertisement — Continue Reading Below

Weighing about 9 ounces, it balances chopping power with kitchen finesse. The Terotuf Micarta handle resists moisture and fatigue, offering a secure grip in any weather. A razor-sharp 90° spine adds scraping and peeling utility. If you’re splitting kindling or dicing onions, this knife transitions seamlessly from trail to table. One blade, ten jobs, no compromises!

I grabbed this knife when the temperatures hit a ‘real feel’ of 19° Fahrenheit. The stout, handsomely crafted leather sheath was solid in every way. I had several wrist-thick rounds I cut with a saw previously. I used the Kuchni’ to chop thin to medium-thick sticks, no larger than finger-thickness, for kindling. How many chops all depends on the quality of wood.

When the diameter increased, and the temperatures dropped, I used the Kuchni’ to baton wood for smaller splits using a baton. The thin 1/8-inch stock was slicy, but needed a baton to get through the wood.

Advertisement — Continue Reading Below

I carved some “cold-guy in the woods,” feather sticks as my secondary tinder to ignite the smaller twigs, the kindling. The sharp 90° spine showered sparks down from my Ferro rod onto my winter Pyro Putty tinder, igniting the cook fire. All on a cold, early winter’s day!

Kitchen Tasks and the Roast

“Kuchni’ our grandma used to say it. It’s like Polish slang for “kitchen,” thus our camp/kitchen knife.” Said Aaron.

Advertisement — Continue Reading Below

This do-all slicer has been on the cutting board for the last two weeks of this review. What’s on the cutting board gets used for everything. Those are the rules.

I do a beef roast at least once a month. The Kuchni’ was in the right place and put into service. I sliced onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, and a big ol’ beef bottom roast in half. A unique trait of a wide, medium-weight knife is the ability to smash garlic with the broad side of the blade. Just like with a Chinese cleaver.

Advertisement — Continue Reading Below

Houghton Era Outdoors Kermit Knife

The Kermit is named after their grandfather, Kermit Morgan, who was a master woods worker who whittled like breathing. Nate designed this as a tribute. It’s a compact carver that fits in your palm but punches above its weight. Created with CPM-154 stainless at 59 Rockwell. It has a 1 13/16-inch blade, an overall length of 6 ¼ inches, and weighs just 2.1 ounces.

Again, tough, textured Terotuf Micarta scales built for control. A sharp 90° spine adds another tool for the toolbox. “KERMIT” is etched in their grandfather’s signature, lifted from a devotional found in his workshop. Small enough to pocket, sharp enough to honor a craftsman’s life!

Pronounced “sea-cot,” this blade honors the Detroit street where Grandma’s kitchen ruled the house. After she passed, a small, well-used, well-loved serrated paring knife surfaced. The brothers rebuilt it as a bushcraft-ready slicer. 154CM steel, flat grind, 2 ¾-inch blade, 6 ½ inches overall length. It comes in at a slight 1.8-ounce weight, making it compact yet capable.

The name “Cicotte” is stamped in the same font used on American road signs—low-key, familiar, iconic. It also dons a crisp 90° spine, which expands its role, perfect for bark and ferro rod scraping or peeling tinder. It’s a kitchen memory reborn for the woods and EDC land.

I had wanted to try the Cicotte for about two years before this review. Finally, here was my chance, and boy, did I make up for lost time. As part of the beef roast team, the Cicotte was on garlic duty, slicing off that annoying root end. I also minced a clove to add to the top of the beef after searing and adding all the veggies. It was the last topping, serving as a garnish and an extra dose of flavor.

I made several vertical slices with the tip of the blade, then a horizontal slice. I wasn’t trying to make it too much of a fine dice because it had to cook for eight hours. The Cicotte was the perfect tool for this delicate kitchen task. Nailed it!

While the pot roast was cooking, I had several hours in the snowy woods after we got about 5 inches overnight. Naturally, I needed a fire. It was up to my tomahawk, leather gloves, and the Cicotte to prep like a pro! I split more than I care to, but everything was under a thick layer of snow.

I pushed the Cicotte into sausage slicing and feathering duty. It did both tasks well. I carried the Cicotte in my side pant utility pocket and fished it out when needed, like a slip sheath. I don’t like tools on my belt in the cold seasons. The sheath was stellar as expected from the Bros. I’ll add a length of cordage and wear it as a necker next time.

Houghton Era blends heritage, steel, and survival grit into knives that honor family legacy—sharp tools, sharper stories, rooted in goldenrod!

Specs

Kuchni’ Camp and Kitchen Knife

Cicotte Knife

Kermit Knife