East Texas Bladesmith Rejects Nazi Culture and Goes Viral
East Texas bladesmith Johnathan Sibley gained viral fame after rejecting a couple's request to customize Nazi knives, emphasizing his commitment to denounce Nazi symbolism.
Johnathan Sibley, an East Texas bladesmith and co-owner of The Blade Bar in Edom, recently became a viral sensation after a brief encounter with a couple looking to customize Nazi-era knives.
During a 20-second interaction, Sibley questioned the couple about their request, specifically asking what they wanted to transfer onto the knives. When the woman revealed they were Hitler Youth knives, Sibley refused the job, stating, “No Nazi bulls--t.” He offered instead to put a modern German forestry seal on the knife, making it clear he did not support any Nazi symbolism.
The exchange, captured by The Blade Bar's surveillance camera, was posted on TikTok by Sibley’s wife, Rhiannon, on January 24. The video has since garnered over 83,000 likes and 5,300 comments.
According to the United States Holocaust Museum, Hitler Youth knives were used in the 1930s to train boys within an organization designed to indoctrinate youth with Nazi ideology. Sibley expressed that such interactions happen about once a year, and he is committed to rejecting the presence of Nazi culture within his shop.
“It shouldn't be worthy of the attention it's getting. It should be standard practice,” he remarked. Sibley, who is 53 years old, has been crafting and working with knives since he was 13 and sees it as a responsibility to provide knowledge and skills he lacked in his younger years.
Following the viral moment, Sibley's quotes, especially “No Nazi bulls--t,” have inspired anti-Nazi merchandise, leading to a spike in sales on their Etsy shop, which briefly caused Etsy to lock the store due to high demand. Rhiannon has effectively managed the shop's social media presence, which has experienced significant growth as a response to the video.
Despite receiving positive feedback and support from the community, Sibley has encountered some negativity, though he remains unfazed by the weak insults. He appreciates the solidarity from local motorcyclists who have been supporting him as well.
With incidents of hate and white supremacist events increasing in the U.S., Sibley feels reassured that many share his stance against such ideologies. “It makes me feel good that I'm not the only one who's on the right side of history,” he concluded.
