About the makers:
Dean 'Boydie' Boyd
Dean joined the army at the age of 16, where he trained as a welder/blacksmith with the Royal Engineers. Dean had always understood the importance of having a good kit to hand, often making his own tools and customizing equipment to be able to function with better efficiency when on operations, he served multiple tours of duty all over the world, spending many months honing his survival skills in the jungles of Central America.
Leaving his army career behind him in the middle of 2010, Dean took on a role as a senior bushcraft and survival instructor where he passed on his unique skills over the following 12 months. All the while, Dean continued making knives in partnership with Joel, giving them away as gifts to fellow instructors and friends. It was here that the first commissions were generated.
In Jan 2011 Dean decided to leave the bushcraft school and, along with Joel, decided to follow his heart and pursue his true passion as a bladesmith, knife maker and leather worker. As well as being a bladesmith Dean acts as Managing Director, and production manager for Emberleaf, he also personally makes all the leather sheaths along with being the laser engraving specialist.
Joel Andreas
Joel built his first knife at the age of 14 and a passion for this craftsmanship and art was born. As years passed, and with no realisation that this calling could possibly provide a career, at the age of 19 Joel joined the British army as a Royal Engineer. He eventually became a specialist in bomb disposal and as a member of a high-risk search team, serving all over the world.
Leaving the army in 2009 Joel went on to help to build an organisation now recognised as a leading UK-based survival and bushcraft school. It was here that Dean joined him a year later.
Together, spending their free time making knives, and with Joel continuing to learn many traditional skills in woodworking, including sawmilling, chainsaw carving and timber framing, their craft was developed.
In recent years Joel has become a specialist in CNC and CAD heading up Emberleaf’s sideline in Rapid prototyping born from the need for high-precision parts when making folding knives.
Both Dean and Joel continue today as founding directors and hands-on creators of every single knife that leaves Emberleaf Workshops Ltd premises.
Jeremy Scott
In 2021 Jeremy started out working at the Emberleaf building as a freelance stone carver, it wasn’t long given his passion for hands-on crafts and learning new things that he tried his hand at a little bladesmithing.
Fast forward 18 months and he is the latest edition to the full-time Emberleaf team, Jeremy is still in training but has proved himself a capable knife maker.
Jeremy still does his free-lance stone carving under the name Emberleaf Inscriptions which you can find on Instagram.
Liam Deklerk
Liam embarked on his journey to a new life when he and his family left South Africa in 2017. In 2019, a significant turning point occurred when he was handpicked from his artistic blacksmithing college program to join the prestigious Emberleaf apprentice program.
Today, he stands as an invaluable asset within the Emberleaf team, specializing in the intricate arts of material preparation, mirror polishing, precision geometry grinding, and the flawless finishing of handle materials.
Cezara Maris
Cezara, a creative and interdisciplinary designer with expertise in both the design and retail industries, is a Riba Part II qualified architect assistant. Her proficiency extends to a wide range of software tools, including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and advanced 3D and 2D modelling programs such as AutoCAD and Sketchup.
In addition to her technical skills, Cezara brings an enthusiastic, creative spirit to her work, coupled with exceptional attention to detail and a deep passion for elegant design. Originating from Romania, she is a freelance artist known for crafting specialized vector files tailored for Emberleaf’s engraving lasers. Despite her architectural background, Cezara’s true passion lies in custom art and design. She has been a trailblazer in the field, playing a pivotal role in pioneering photo-realistic laser engraving techniques on steel and exploring various other forms of laser engraving and artistic expression.