About Liong Mah

About Liong

I've been obsessed with pocket knives since I was a kid — my uncle got one with every rifle he bought, and I'd study them, sketch my own versions, dream about improving them.

But I didn't start as a knifemaker. I started as a chef. I spent years in professional kitchens, including as a pastry chef in New York, where a knife isn't a hobby — it's the tool your whole day depends on. That taught me something no design book could: how a blade should actually feel in the hand.

After long shifts, I'd unwind by sketching knife designs. Eventually I started hanging around knife shows, peppering makers with questions, until one agreed to build one of my designs. That was the beginning of Liong Mah Design.

The KUF — Kitchen Utility Folder — came straight out of those kitchen years. It's the knife I always wanted on the line.

I run the whole operation from home in Palm Bay, Florida: designing every knife myself, obsessing over the details, making sure each one earns its place in your pocket. Beautiful, functional, and honestly priced — that's the whole philosophy.

When I'm not designing knives, I'm making dessert (a good one — I'll stand by that), hunting down great restaurants, or planning the next road trip around food.