Perhaps the only thing cooler than the Minimalist Nessmuk’s streamlined functionality is its all-American back story.

A few months ago Ron Khormaei, the founder and CEO of Steelport Knife Co. in Portland, was in Colorado wandering around a Scheels sporting goods shop when he noticed something that made him pause.

The knife shown in the illustration was made from a hack saw blade % inch wide and about 1/16 inch thick. The blade part was ground off on an angle, as shown, and the handle was formed by bending ...