The Jericho Group
Knife Design Services
Over the past 20 years an important aspect of my work has been licensing my designs to manufacturing companies under royalty arrangements. Among the companies that have licensed my designs are Ontario, Spyderco, Fox, Boker, Outdoor Edge, and V-Nives.
That work has been conducted under auspices of The Jericho Group, my incorporated business which is "separate" from Jerry Hossom Knives and Jerry the knifemaker. That said, knife design is necessarily connected to the knifemaking business, because a knife design cannot be accurately judged unless it is in finished form, held in the hand and tested as fully as can be in applications short of illegal or lethal. For that, the Jericho Group depends on experienced people who are more practiced in using knives for real world purposes. Finding such people is difficult, because while many claim to be knife experts, few have held and actually used enough different knives to know that some simply work better than others, and have qualities that distinguish them from the common big box variety that sell because of their packaging and not their functionality - the distinction between cool and useful is lost.
The People of the Jericho Group
Jerry Hossom - President
For the past 23 years I've been a professional knifemaker and knife designer, having retired from the biomedical industry where I was largely involved in marketing and product development. In the mid 1980's I co-founded a biotech company here in Georgia that was sold to Abbott Laboratories in 1997. I hold eight patents on various methods and devices in that industry.
Alex Hossom - Vice President, Folder Design
In 2020 Alex Hossom graduated from Valdosta State University with a degree in business and a passion for making knives. In 2019 he first showed and sold his knives at the Blade Show, and followed that up with even greater success in 2021. In addition to be an extraordinary craftsman, Alex is also a gifted knife designer, having been awarded his first design patent in 2021 for a highly unique kitchen knife design.
Eli Gautreaux - Field Test Consultant
Knife design is not an activity that can thrive in isolation. It leans heavily or experience and expertise in using knives, and an intimate knowledge of how they work or need to work. It's not about cool; it's all about functionality and in that regard the Jericho Group employs two highly experienced knife users to guide and test prototyping efforts to ensure that what is offered for licensing to knife manufacturers are designs which function as well as just looking nice. Eli has been an integral part of the Jericho Group effort for about 20 years.
Michael Kelley - Tactical Applications Consultant
One of the principle focusses of Hossom Knives over the past 20 years has been in the tactical knife arena, both for civilian and military carry applications. With the increased demand for tactical designs, the Jericho Group has enlisted the services of an expert who has experience both on the battlefield and in training non-military personnel in defensive tactics and weapons.
Mike Kelley spent over a decade in U.S. Army Special Operations and then went on to run pre-deployment courses for several of the U.S. Government’s intelligence agencies. He then spent almost 12 years in the Middle East and Southwest Asia working in support of US policies overseas. In his capacity working as a Ground Force Advisor, Mike taught firearms, Close Quarters Battle (CQB), and combative techniques to both US and host nation forces. Additionally, in his personal time, Mike has studied martial arts for over 40 years with a primary focus on Japanese martial arts. His decades of first hand experience, to include numerous conflict zones, have provided him with unrivaled expertise with bladed weapons. As such, Mike provides invaluable collaboration with blade design, testing and utilization. Mike is a Combat Injured-Service Connected Disabled Veteran but continues to stay active in both teaching and as a consultant, and brings invaluable experience to the Jericho Group's efforts in tactical knife design and marketing.