Knife Design Questions

[jday2727]

Hey everyone, I have recently been getting into designing knives. I don't really have the practice or equipment to make my own, and I've seen production companies produce knife designs that were sent in by people. If I decided to try that, how would I go about it? What companies accept designs, and how do I know the designs wouldn't be stolen? Just some theoretical thinking if I ever decide to do this. Thanks!