You’ve seen his knives on Chris Pratt, the Rock, Capt. Picard. Meet their Kentucky maker.

With its rolling pastures, serene streams, and scenic landscapes, Bourbon County, Kentucky, would not seem to have much in common with Hollywood — except for resident Steve Auvenshine.

Auvenshine, 61, is spending a considerable amount of his “retirement” working as a motion picture and television black powder armorer, military consultant, weapons fabricator, and prop maker.

He has contributed to the production of numerous noteworthy Hollywood blockbuster movies and television shows including the “Jurassic World” and “Jumanji” franchises, “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” “Star Trek: Picard,” “Crossbones,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Thor: Love and Thunder,” and the soon-to-be-released horror-thriller “The Pale Blue Eye” starring Christian Bale, to name but a few.

A military veteran and former Kentucky State Police detective who served on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force earning a “top secret clearance,” Auvenshine’s passion and prowess for custom knife-making was his gateway and introduction to the lights, cameras, and action of the entertainment industry.

His unique background afforded him exposure to a wide variety of arms, and he has a deep knowledge of the history and proper use of many weapons, which has come in handy working on numerous movie and television shoots.

“I became interested in knife making in 1991 when I met Frank House of Woodbury, Kentucky. Frank is a renowned flintlock gunmaker and a remarkable all-around artist. He got me started … and I still consult with him regularly,” he said.

Auvenshine began his film career in 2003, when he was invited by House to work on the set of the epic period war-drama, “Master and Commander: Far Side of the World,” starring Russell Crowe.

“I took leave from the KSP and spent a month in Baja Mexico at the Fox Studios in Rosarita. While there, Frank and I maintained the flintlocks and taught the actors and extras how to shoot and be safe. Working on that film, the prop master and his assistants learned that I could make stuff. That started the prop-making part of my career.”

As an artform, prop-making is often overlooked for its vital role in moviemaking. Where would a movie or television show be without props?

Imagine “Star Wars” without a light saber; “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” without a golden ticket; “A Christmas Story” without its leg lamp; or Dorothy without her ruby slippers in “The Wizard of Oz.” Props add a sense of realism and help give a story validity.

A self-proclaimed bladesmith, each of Auvenshine’s knives are meticulously hand-forged and hand-cast. He uses a 100-year-old coal forge and anvil to forge his knives. This amounts to around 10 percent of the total work. The rest of the time he spends inside the workshop located behind his Bourbon County residence, painstakingly filing, grinding, and crafting the respective piece to its completion.

“Thirty years ago, the simplest knife took me a week to complete. Today, depending on the knife it will take me anywhere from one day to six weeks to produce.”

Auvenshine’s knives are highly sought after and high profile, worn by such prominent lead actors as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in his portrayal of Dr. Smolder Bravestone in the “Jumanji” movies; by Chris Pratt as Owen Grady in the “Jurassic World” and “Jurassic World: Dominion” movies; and by Sir Patrick Stewart, portraying Jean-Luc Picard in the pilot episode of “Star Trek: Picard.”

In industry jargon, the knives are known as “hero props” as they are used by the “hero” for filming.

In general, he creates 30 to 40 custom knives per year and anyone can commission a knife. But the wait for delivery is significant. Presently he has approximately 100 knives on backorder.

His knives start at around $250, with the most expensive knife costing more than $2,000.

What is an armorer?

Armorers are also known as weapons masters, or weapons specialists, weapons handlers, weapons wranglers, or weapons coordinators. It is their job to maintain and keep a close eye on the weapons used during filming.

In the United States, many movie/TV armorers are members of the American Entertainment Armorers Association (AEAA).

Armorers follow strict safety protocols to ensure that the weapons being used cannot harm the cast or crew, and are also responsible for ensuring the on-screen action appears accurate and real.

As a recent event has proven, an armorer’s job can be a matter of life and death.

In October, a shooting death on the set of the Western, “Rust,” in New Mexico thrust movie armorers into the national spotlight when star and producer Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun containing a real bullet that struck and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and seriously injured the film’s director Joel Souza.

The accident reportedly occurred hours after half a dozen members of the camera crew walked off the set to protest unsafe working conditions.

The incident and circumstances leading up to the shooting remains under investigation and production is indefinitely suspended.

While working as an armorer on set of various productions, Auvenshine has worked directly with several Hollywood celebrities including Russell Crowe, Richard Coyle, Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Anthony Mackie, Claire Foy, and others.

Working with one award-winning actor on the set of NBC’s former series “Crossbones” stands out.

“I truly enjoyed working with John Malkovich. That guy is a genius. He learned everything very quickly and was very respectful.”

Auvenshine delights in working on film and TV sets, consulting, and training crew and actors on the proper handling and use of weaponry.

“They pay me to keep people safe and teach them how shoot properly.”

Training some of Hollywood’s leading actors

“Most actors are no different than the rest of us. They learn at different rates and in different ways. Some grew up shooting, so it is much easier to teach them black powder firearm skills. Some have never handled a rifle or musket. That can be a challenge. I teach them first to be safe. Standard firearm safety rules apply on set as well as off. Then we work on basic shooting skills, and finally, how to look like they know what they are doing on camera.”

As a weapons fabricator, Auvenshine creates realistic looking, safe versions of actual weapons including knives and swords. His expertise ensures that the props seen on screen accurately reflect the production’s time period and culture.

He sums up what it is like seeing his hero props in use on-screen thus, “It is pretty cool. I am not going to lie.”

To contact Steve Auvenshine, email: knife279@gmail.com or follow Auvenshine Custom Knives on Facebook.

Rob Bolson is a freelance writer residing in Lexington, Kentucky, who writes about food and culture. Follow him on Instagram at @robbiebolson .