John Phillips

John Phillips moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999 to attend the University of Tennessee and received his Bachelor’s of Fine Art and Art History.
John began his journey as an artisan in a variety of mediums such as carpentry, faux finishing, concrete and eventually metal work with local artists including Preston Farabow at Aespyre Metals and Derek White at Bird on the Wire Studios.

In 2019, John was named History Channel’s Forged in Fire Champion winning $10,000 with his Foot Artillery Sword. John’s knives have received international awards and his bespoke works have caught major notoriety.

His clients have included celebrities such as Sturgill Simpson and Chef Sean Brock who featured John’s knives in his New York Times Bestselling cookbook, South.
In 2022, John expanded his workshop from his home studio into a new brick and mortar in downtown Knoxville and launched a synergistic brand called Primeaux (pronounced Pree-Moh).

phillipsforged.com

instagram.com/phillips.forged

instagram.com/primeaux.goods