Microtech Knives

Microtech Knives: On The Cutting Edge

Mother of Pearl, Abalone, Stingray skin, these are just a few of the exotic materials Microtech Knives incorporates into its innovative and revolutionary designs. Serving the military and law enforcement, as well as private collectors, this Pennsylvania company has a well-established reputation for pushing the boundaries of contemporary knife making, successfully re-envisioning the use of shape and form to distinguish itself as an industry leader.

Founded in 1994 by Anthony Marfione, a former machinist and current master knife designer, Microtech Knives is headquarted in Bradford, Pennsylvania and has grown to include thirty employees, a third of whom operate the grinders and CNC mills used to help manufacturer the knives. Assistant Plant Manager Keith Durphy, with the company since April of 2005, has the distinction of being the sole operator of the company’s waterjet, a Model 55100 with a Tilt-A-Jet® cutting head. “I love it,” says Durphy of the 55100. “It’s so user-friendly; that’s what I find so impressive about it. It holds very close tolerances and runs flawlessly.” So flawlessly in fact, that Durphy took time out of his busy schedule to phone John Petras, OMAX head of customer service, and extol the virtues of OMAX’s JetMachining® “workhorse."

Prior to purchasing their waterjet in January of this year, Microtech found itself stuck in a production bind. According to Durphy, “We had to order blades from a laser company and then wait for product to ship. With the waterjet, we have easily cut our process time in half.”

OMAX came to the attention of Microtech through their milling machine distributor. “When we initially looked at OMAX, we had no idea it would save us so much time and money. But we knew the more we could do in house, the more control we could have,” says Durphy.

The resultant move to a just-in-time, manufacturing option has vastly improved profitability for Microtech. Do they have plans for another machine? “Maybe down the road,” concedes Durphy. “But the one we currently have more than exceeds our expectations.”

Microtech Knives
Owner: Anthony Marfione
Location: Bradford, Pennsylvania
Specializes in: Advanced Knife Technology
Founded: 1994
Website: www.microtechknives.com