Changing Gears: A Quarter Century of Pro-Tech with Founder Dave Wattenberg

In this episode of Changing Gears, Garrett sits down with Dave Wattenberg, the founder and owner of Pro-Tech Knives. From building the first batch on his kitchen table over 25 years ago to running a 17,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Southern California, Dave’s experience in the knife industry has allowed him and the Pro-Tech team to create some of the best everyday carry knives on the market today. In this episode, Dave and Garrett dive into Dave’s family ties to the cutlery industry, how Pro-Tech got its start, how Dave came to be both a watch and knife enthusiast, and even an exclusive design that’s been created just for the San Francisco Windup Watch Fair. Listen closely, you might even get some information about a top secret Pro-Tech prototype that’s in the works. We’re happy to announce that Pro-Tech has created an exclusive knife design for the upcoming San Francisco Windup Watch Fair, a TR-3 Integrity. Derived from one of their best selling automatic knives over 22 years, the TR-3 Integrity combines the iconic TR-3 Auto design with their button lock hardware to create a consumer friendly, manual action knife. This exclusive edition will feature a 3.5”, stonewash finished, S35vn steel blade, battleworn blue relic handles, and a gorgeous abalone button. While this exclusive is limited to 25 pieces, in Dave’s own words, each one is “one of a kind” due to the uniqueness of the abalone insert. Check out this design, and many more at Pro-Tech’s booth inside the EDC Expo at the Windup Watch Fair.