Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Justin Walker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

People over Profits. Not only in my industry, but in most industries today profits rule all decision making. They are the law of the land, and while all businesses must have them it is not our primary driver at MilMak Blades and Copper State Knife Company, or with our mentorship program.

As a retired SWAT Officer in one of the biggest cities in the country I got to see some of the worst things this planet has to offer, and we got to interact with people at some of their lowest points. This taught me something I try to always keep at the front of my life and business…people are people. We all have good and bad parts. We all need more love than we get. And sometimes we just need someone to care about us.

For my business we always put the people first. We build relationships with our customers. We get to know them. We understand they are choosing to spend their hard earned money with us and we don’t take it for granted. A couple of years of ago and I had someone reach out that interested in one of our outdoor knives. He explained to me what he wanted, but also stated he was in school, had some debt, and was working full-time. He would message me pretty regularly over social media and it wasn’t always about my products. He would talk about life, how things were going, and his goal of becoming a police officer. After a while he told me had been hired by a police department and was going to start the police academy. He was nervous, but it was a goal of his and he was going after it. I followed his journey and we continued to check in and when he finally graduated the academy I sent him the knife he had been wanting for his graduation present.

He later told me he didn’t have a lot of people supporting him and some of his messages with me were what kept him moving. I think we all have opportunities that we miss to help people or just be there for them, even if it is as simple as messages over social. Don’t overlook those opportunities. Could I have made some money if he bought a knife? Absolutely, but my soul made money during that time and so did his.

And you know what…he has sent plenty of customers my way…just because we put people over profits.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Justin Walker and I am the owner of MilMak Blades and Copper State Knife Company. I also have a private mentoring program I run for guys looking to start businesses and grow as men. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Amanda Walker (she is amazing and you should check her out). We have two amazing kiddos!

I retired from one of the largest police departments in the US a few years ago and I spent the majority of my career on our full-time SWAT team.

I started making knives in 2011 because when I was a new patrol officer there was a specific knife I wanted, but I could not afford it on a new officer’s salary.

We make hard use, high quality blades right here in the United States and we pride ourselves on making functional tools that will last for years. Our brand is built on hard work and sacrifice. We did it as a family for years and we know others can too! We know your money and time is valuable. We know you work hard trying to balance work, family, and all the things! That is why we do what we do.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One thing I learned quickly in life and while building my business is you don’t paid for potential. You get paid for the work you put in…for your performance.

I knew I was capable of making high-quality knives and I knew I had the background being a SWAT officer as to what people would want in their knives. Knowing those things didn’t make me any money. I had to build a brand and product that people connected with and valued.

Too often we think or maybe even no what we are worth…but potential worth is not realized worth. You have to put in the work. You have to get out of the mindset of deserving anything. You have to want it, even when you don’t feel like it.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

I originally started manufacturing knives by hand. I would order raw materials and process everything in our garage! My wife loved all the dust! I had a little background in making things from some welding and fabrication I had done, but not much knowledge on processes and becoming efficient.

I reached out to people, asked questions, and just tried to learn. I also wanted to figure things out on my own.

Something I learned and continued to learn was how to value my time. I could make knives or work on my business, but not both. At least not efficiently. I found vendors who could process parts, help with CAD and CAM, and also bring ideas to life. That let me focus on building a brand and relationships. Let people be experts in their areas and do what you do best.

A huge piece of advice is to get prototypes into the ideal design you want at the beginning. Don’t settle if it is not what you have in mind. It will cost you money, time, and tons of energy. And make sure to communicate expectations with your vendors/subs. They are not mind readers, so it is your job to get your design or needs across.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.milmakblades.com
• Instagram: @milmakaz @milmakblades @copperstateknifecompany
• Linkedin: Justin Walker – MilMak Blades
• Twitter: @milmakaz

Image Credits
Troubled Seas Media