The idea of Alliance Designs was first conceived in 2017. The founders, Eden Ho and Bill Simonoff, were loyal collectors of knifemaker Ray Laconico’s work and became very good friends over the years. Ray was never able to make enough customs to meet demand, so Bill and Eden would find themselves frequently chatting with Ray, exploring different ways of getting his designs into the hands of his fans.
In order to prove operations, timing, and logistics, Alliance Designs’ first collaborative project was the Semi-Custom Upside Down Jasmine. Fast forward to September 2018, the Ray Laconico EZE was their first product launch and Alliance’s inaugural foray into the knife industry. It wasn’t long before Bill and Eden’s friendships and the company’s reputation for quality within the custom knife community quickly allowed them to attract more talented makers and designers.
Today, Alliance is proud to have some of the most skilled knifemakers as their collaborative partners. In addition to Ray Laconico, Alliance has projects with Kevin Foster, Pat Hammond, Brian Efros, Matthew Christensen, Victor Barajas, Scott Wing, Jeremy Marsh and more.
The Alliance Designs philosophy is simple... deliver a premium product that checks all the boxes, even for the most discerning collector. In order to do this, Eden travels frequently to Asia, working closely with Alliance’s manufacturing partners, creating proprietary processes, all the while preserving an extremely high bar for fit and finish. What sets Alliance Designs apart from many other companies is their inherent understanding of the custom knife community, mixed with the ability to interpret the subtle nuances of every design while being “hands on” with the manufacturers.
Alliance is truly passionate about every model they make and are proud to produce small batch, flawlessly crafted edged tools, that are perfect for everyday carry.
Every Alliance Designs knife sports an amazing fit and finish. Our three best-selling models are the Laconico EZE, Angry Baby Bear, and the Anchovy.