Unique designs, mixed
with durable and
functional construction
are Kaila’s trademarks
in the knifemaking
world.Naked and Afraid
KI: Was it your love of nature that
helped you to pursue becoming a
contestant on “Naked and Afraid”? Or
did you end up on the show by some
other means?
KC: I had a few people from the show
reach out to me and ask if I’d ever be
interested in doing the show. I honestly
thought it was someone trying to pull
a prank on me and kept blowing them
off. They found me through different
survival groups I was in.KI: Before completing the challenge,
what did you think you would miss
most during the 21 days away from your
normal life? And after the challenge,
was it the same thing or something
different that you may not have even
imagined?
KC: I knew that being away from my
little girl was going to be hands-down
the hardest part of doing the challenge,
but she was so excited for me. She is
my biggest cheerleader and thinking
about her when I was out there waswhat really got me through when I was
struggling.KI: What part of the 21-day challenge
do you feel most “armchair
survivalists” wouldn’t be able to handle
if they were thrust into a strange
environment, completely naked and
without any supplies?
KC: I think the biggest challenge in a
survival situation is keeping a level
head, including staying calm under
pressure and using common sense.Knifemaking
KI: Speaking of knives, most of your
photos on social media show you hard
at work, forging and creating all types
of knives. How much time do you spend
per week “in the shop”?
KC: I basically live out in my shop.
It’s my home away from home. I work
seven days a week from sunrise to far
past sunset. I’d say I put in a good 12-
hours a day.KI: Do you consider knifemaking your“... I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY LUCKY THAT I GET TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY
AND GO TO A JOB THAT I AM BEYOND-PASSIONATE ABOUT ...”
The Sharpshooting
SurvivalistWhile Kaila is proficient with
primitive weapons — knives, spears
and the bow and arrow — she is
also quite talented on the shooting
range.She began in her early teens, around
the age of 15. She went to the range
with a group of boys and ironically,
they all dropped the sport — except
Kaila. She competed in smallbore
competition shooting (4-position,
consisting of sitting, standing,
kneeling and prone). Later, she
came in second place in the nation
at the Junior Olympic games in
Camp Perry, Ohio.She is very proud to this day that
she earned all the required patches
and certificates!18 KNIVES ILLUSTRATED • JULY/AUGUST 2019 knivesillustrated.com