Meet Jake Hoback
ABOUT JAKE HOBACK
Jake Hoback had a variety of jobs and experiences before turning to full-time knife making and becoming a prominent figure in the industry. He studied and worked as a fish and wildlife scientific technician, was a machinist at a turbine engine company, and fabricated rock-crawling 4x4s. Jake’s interest in knives began at the age of 5, and that interest was transformed into a knife addiction when he watched Rambo for the very first time!
“My fascination with fabrication and inventing always inspired me to build new tools.”
Jake started creating knives in 1990 in his back yard, pounding them out on a huge chunk of steel with a framing hammer and fence post nails. By 2003, Jake had sold his very first knife, and in 2009 started making knives full-time from his workshop in Northern Idaho. Jake has learned many techniques and skills from other knife makers throughout the years, but his initial work was completely self-taught.
“Always needing a good quality knife and not being able to find one locally drove me to make my own.”
The engineering that goes into the knives he creates distinguishes him from other knife makers. His knives are made to be rugged and reliable.
“We never just add a feature because it looks cool. We always make things with a purpose. Made for hard work, my knives are built to be tools, not just trophies.”
Jake’s knives are known for many innovative features, including the Hoback Roller Detent (HRD), internal lightening pockets, hardened stainless lock inserts, hardened bearing races, and smooth blade movement with no blade play. Jakes specializes in folding and fixed blade knives; but he especially enjoys the thought, design, and engineering that goes into folders.
WHO IS JAKE HOBACK KNIVES?
We are an American-owned and operated company consisting of patriotic people of faith, including military veterans, previous government employees, scientific technicians, hard-working machinists, and residents of several states. We strive to represent God in the best possible way, and to “Make Tools, Not Trophies.”
WHERE ARE HOBACK PRODUCTS MADE/PRODUCED?
We utilize many different avenues and methods to produce our products. Our shop in Idaho has a full set of capabilities to design, make, machine, fit, assemble, finish, clean, inspect, package, ship, sharpen, and repair. We pride ourselves on the quality of our knives and the quality of our customer service, and always seek to exceed the expectations of our dealers and end-customers. As our company has continued to grow, we have been working hard to match our manufacturing capacity with increasing demand. We are in the process of building a new, larger shop in Idaho (near our current shop, and scheduled for completion in the summer of 2022). We also intend to take greater advantage of the global economy to source and/or manufacture many of our parts and products – in countries like Japan, Hong Kong , Finland, China, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Europe, and Canada. We are always looking for better places and ways to do things – with the goal of making the best possible products at prices commensurate with the quality of our designs, the materials we choose, and their overall function.
Occasionally, we are asked where our products are made… While everything is designed by me, personally, and everything we sell comes through or directly from our shop, not everything is 100% made in America. We seek to use the best the world has to offer to make some of the best tools on earth, and sometimes that means we must draw upon global sources – often because domestic sources are unavailable, of poor quality, or are cost prohibitive. We will always commit to producing a superior-quality product at a good price – along with a great warranty and exceptional customer service!
TOOLS MADE FOR HARD WORK
Outfit yourself with one of the World’s finest Knives. Folders, fixed blades, and axes designed for EDC (everyday carry), tactical use, and the great outdoors. With features like the proprietary Hoback Roller Detent (HRD), internal lightening pockets, hardened stainless lock inserts, hardened bearing races, and smooth blade movement with no blade play.
Rugged, reliable, and precision-engineered, Jake Hoback Knives are Tools, not just Trophies! Jake Hoback started making knives in 1990 in his back yard, pounding them out on a huge chunk of steel with a framing hammer and fence post nails.
Guided by an unwavering faith, and committed to innovation in design and workmanship, the Idaho-based company has grown into an industry-leading provider of quality knives and accessories.
Jake Hoback’s knives are crafted of the finest, most durable materials available -- built to be tools, not just trophies!
Jake’s knives are proudly carried and collected by the military, law enforcement, men and women who love the outdoors, and knife enthusiasts around the world.