What's happening in your world?

['thul]

Its not that easy to get hold of big, strong knives... 'thul are looking for a knife that has a blade length above 25cm and that is strong enough to chop branches off trees, while still being useable for other things... The problem with learning smithcraft and doing it oneself would be to first find a place that does it relatively close by (couldn't find one), then get both money to pay for the training and to get the materials, then find the time to do it.
Until those parameters are met, it is a practical impossibility to smith one's own blade. Unfortunately. Even more likely is that the course price is even steeper.
At least the producer of that knife make all the blades himself. no mass-produced goods.