Our Family

CRAIG BURHART | Founder, Skallywag Tactical

US Marine Corps veteran. Professional diver. Two decades in the Western Caribbean. Craig founded Skallywag Tactical on a conviction that most knives on the market weren't built to the standard that the people carrying them deserved.

 

Drawing from his time in the Corps and his years underwater in demanding dive environments, Craig assembled a team built around real-world performance, precision design, and a refusal to cut corners on quality. That standard is still the one every Skallywag product is held to.

US Navy veteran. Former private military contractor. Engineer with over 15 years of experience and more than 25 years of frustration with multi-tools that never quite got it right.

 

MICHAEL O'DONNELL | Creator, GOAT Tools

Michael built GOAT Tools from the ground up, filing the intellectual property in 2017 and earning a USPTO patent on its hot-swappable modular platform. In 2021, a Kickstarter campaign raised nearly $200,000 in 30 days, funded by a community that recognized something genuinely new. GOAT Tools is now part of the Skallywag Tactical family, bringing modular innovation and engineering-first thinking to the lineup. 

 

MICHAEL DONVITO | Blade & Product Designer

Michael Donvito is a lifelong student and subject matter expert (SME) in Personal Protection and Close Combat. He has dedicated most of his life to learning and teaching everyone from the most elite SOF forces to little kids how to defend themselves and their team.  His Jiu Jitsu professor, Master Carlos Machado, acknowledged his skill and hard work by promoting him to 5th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, making him one of, if not the, youngest professor ever promoted to that rank at the time.  He has been teaching and training SOF forces Personal Protection and Close Combat skills for over 25 years.

JAVAN ROBERTS | Blade & Product Designer

Javan Roberts, one of the founders of Skallywag Tactical, chose to focus his high-level skillsets on heirloom quality blade manufacturing and formed Grays Custom /JRoberts Knives. Javan is a stock removal knife maker who relies on his 30+ years of machining experience to design and build heirloom quality knives. Passionate about knife making, Javan is dedicated to using the finest materials and building to the highest standard where quality is never compromised.

Focusing on small batches allows Javan to spend time on each blade. This dedicated process guarantees each blade deserves to bear the JRoberts/Grays Custom maker's mark.

PARTNERS & COLLABORATORS

Skallywag Tactical works alongside a trusted network of partners across manufacturing, training, marketing, and field operations. These relationships are part of how we stay sharp, stay honest, and stay ahead.