The term "Legend" is used to describe many people in the knife industry but Paul W. Poehlmann is the genuine article. He is one of the few designers who is both a highly skilled custom knife maker and a mechanical design genius.

     Paul W. Poehlmann has been interested in mechanical devices since he was a child. Paul followed this interest and trained to become a mechanical/design engineer. After graduating from university he worked on a broad variety of mechanical engineering projects. He designed tooling, production processes and products including harvesting machinery, bicycle components, aircraft escape system hardware, multi-purpose tools, two-position boat seats and a wine cork-extraction device plus many other interesting complications. With the experience he gained from this broad engineering background, he then moved into the aerospace industry. He worked for over 14 years as a mechanical design engineer designing many types of aircraft escape systems hardware. During this time period he held the positions of engineering manager, chief engineer and director of research and design.

     Paul has always been interested in guns and knives. He likes their overall design with primary focus on the mechanisms involved. In 1974 Paul started to design folding knife mechanisms as he knew there was a better way to lock a folding knife blade open and closed than what he had seen. During this time period he designed, developed and patented the "Axial Locking Mechanism" for folding knives. This new lock design was revolutionary in that it is durable and safe, locking the blade in both the open and closed positions while also bolting the side plates and blade together. The Axial Lock is so precise in its fit and operation that people are amazed at how smoothly it snaps open and closed. Knives with the Axial Lock were truly some of the first one-handed opening knives and launched a wave of product development efforts by major knife companies to achieve one-handed opening without violating Paul's patented designs. During this same time period Paul also built hand-made folding and fixed blade knives. These knives are extremely rare and are highly sought after by knife collectors from all over the world.

Sample ::  Paul W. Poehlmann - Lone Wolf Designer
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  In 1976, Paul contracted with Gerber Legendary Blades® to have production Paul® Knives produced. Gerber produced Paul® Knives from 1977 to 1986. These knives were very popular with knife enthusiasts and collectors sought them desperately after Gerber stopped production in 1986. A second edition of the Paul® Knife was introduced in 1996 and was produced for two years. This new Series II, Model 2 Paul® Knife had some design improvements over the original models and it soon became very popular. In spite of this, Gerber discontinued production in 1997. The Series II, Model 2 Paul® Knife also became a collectable item as soon as it hit the market.

If I were to summarize what defines a "Paul" folding knife it would be:
1. They are invented, designed and engineered by one individual, Paul W. Poehlmann.
2. Each component of these knives is constructed from the finest materials as applicable to their use.
3. All components are manufactured within a very close band of tolerances to assure longevity and more precise operation than any other knife available.
4. All Paul Knives, handmade or factory produced, over the years have experienced an appreciable gain in value. A Paul knife is great to use, interesting and fun to collect and a further reward is that they are a very good investment that is continually appreciating.

     Paul holds over forty US and Foreign Utility Patents and numerous design patents. Over 20 of these Patents are for folding knife mechanisms. Besides being a great inventor, designer and product engineer, Paul is also an extremely talented custom knife maker. He is as good with his hands as he is with his inventive mind and this shows in all that Paul touches. He and Joanne are gourmet cooks and great hosts if you are lucky enough to be invited to a meal in their home. They live on a beautiful island in British Columbia, Canada. When he is not designing new products they travel, hike, kayak and garden. He continues to be a driving force for environmental protection and throughout his life has coveted the physical and natural beauty of the world.