At GiantMouse, we are always interested in the different relationships people have with their blades. For this installment of Knifestyles, we talk to the founder of Best Made Co., Peter Buchanan-Smith, about his journey in design, tools of the trade, and lifelong connection with knives.
If you've got a passion for thoughtfully crafted gear, you’ve no doubt come across the unmistakable aesthetic of Best Made Co.—bold yet refined, rooted in utility but elevated to something far more enduring. From colorfully adorned axes to carefully considered everyday essentials, the brand has long stood at the crossroads of function and beauty, where tools become heirlooms and stories are built into every edge. At the center of it all is the ever-curious, ever-creative force behind the brand: Peter Buchanan-Smith.
A designer, author, and brand builder with a career that spans art, publishing, and retail, Peter thrives in the space where contradictions meet—where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and timeless ideas are reimagined for modern life. From his early days studying at the School of Visual Arts in New York City to shaping visual culture at The New York Times and beyond, his path has been anything but conventional. His collaborations range from artists and musicians to globally recognized brands, all unified by a commitment to craft, meaning, and lasting design.
Not surprisingly, Peter’s connection to tools runs deep. What began with a simple, striking idea in 2009 grew into Best Made Co., a brand that reshaped how we think about utility and design. After stepping away and returning years later to reclaim and reimagine his creation, Peter continues to explore what it means to make things that matter. We caught up with him to talk knives, creativity, and the enduring appeal of well-made tools.
The Knifestyles of Peter Buchanan-Smith
What originally got you into knives?
My father. He carried a Swiss Army knife with him wherever he went. It was like a small magic trick to see him pull it out of his pocket, always so unexpectedly. The small knife looked lost in his hands. He had little reverence for the tool. He would sharpen the tiny blade down to a nub on the old electric bench grinder at our farm. He was somewhat impatient with his tools that way. He wasn't going to fuss with a wet stone. But I love that he loved a sharp blade, and did whatever it took to make it so.
How do knives fit into your life?
So if I'm not testing something out, I carry a Swiss Army knife. The Florists knife. I like that they come in neon yellow and orange and are hard to misplace. I like that they are single bevel. I like that they are indestructible and easily replaceable when I (inevitably) lose them. Plus it's Swiss. It's neutral. That sums up my day to day relationship with knives. I don't have a super big collection of knives, but what I have is agnostic to any particular style. As a whole they are totally utilitarian, and they are works of art, and they're everything in between. Lately I've fallen in love with sharpening. Sharpening a knife, bringing it back to life, can be so meditative and healing. And there is pure holiness in getting that feedback as you cut with the knife you sharpened.
What is your favorite GiantMouse knife and why?
What else but the GMF1-P that we just released. Or maybe the GM3 / the very first Giant Mouse I ever owned? I am a designer by trade. I care about how much other designers care. I can spot a designer who doesn't care a mile away. And there are few knives that are designed with more care than Giant Mouse.
If you were a video game character who disappeared after losing your final life, what items would be left behind?
A notebook, a well sharpened pencil, a brass pencil sharpener, some pencil shavings, my reading glasses, a bandana, and a florist's pocket knife.
What has your journey with design looked like?
My journey has been an odyssey. Never in a million years could I have predicted where I'd be now, and where design would take me. It's been tremendously hard work, I don't necessarily enjoy it everyday, but that creative process is what I live for.
What does your creation process look like?
Step 1: procrastinate. Step 2: gather (ideas, objects, materials). Step 3: make a mess of step 2. Step 4: procrastinate. Step 5: Question everything and enter the realm of existential dread and uncertainty. Step 6: find the meaning in the task at hand. Step 7: start making and have faith the process will take you where you need to go.
Do you have a project you are the most proud of, if so, why?
I am most proud of the home that my girlfriend Meagan and I have built up here in the Catskills. There is nothing in my life that gets used more fully and completely.
If you could be a mythical hybrid like a centaur, which two animals would you choose to combine?
A Jack Russell terrier and a Peregrine Falcon.
What’s your life motto?
Action is the antidote.
Discover Peter Buchanan-Smith's Favorites
We replaced one of Peter's favorites, the GM3, with the ACE REO - Titanium. They have a similar size and titanium scales!
The GiantMouse Team would like to thank Peter Buchanan-Smith for taking a break from his creative escapades to talk shop with us. Keep an eye out for more Knifestyle profiles coming soon!