Etsy

9 yrs old and I picked up my first piece of metal to make a knife out of, just like dad was doing. He helped me out with the handle process.

8th grade art class was my first introduction to lost wax casting. Throughout high school art classes we covered other casting and tooling methods. Some of which I researched, or just had the thought and tried during my senior year.

Throughout time in the Army I further developed my casting and fabricating skills, buying tools and materials when I could and making pieces for friends and fellow soldiers. I even went as far as building a jewelers bench to fit in the same space as the desk that came with the barracks room.

Military service complete and trying to do construction work with a mangled spine I just walked into a local jewelry store with a box of some of my work and an attitude of, "I’ve lost nothing by trying." 2 weeks later I was working there full time. Finally with access to materials I could never afford on my own I could begin to turn my imagination loose. Learning in a shop where if we didn’t have or couldn’t order something WE MADE IT. From metal scraps or even dust we could make anything. I learned SO much that first year, and couldn’t have asked for a better boss/ mentor or coworkers.

It was also in that first year that I picked up hand engraving. With a personal interest in the way things were done, before electricity, this art form greatly appealed to me. Once again I was hooked. I engraved on my own knives, and jewelry. Eventually I took a couple classes through GRS and discovered just how much I didn’t know about engraving.

Economy can play cruel tricks on lives and so I was left with skilled hands, my own tools, a need to eat and pay bills. I started setting up my workbench at a local flea market, and picked up an old love, knife making. Adding to what I’ve learned I ventured into folding knives; something best tried by those with good teeth and no hair left to pull out. It’s been 2 years now and here I am; making a living doing what I love to do, and measuring my success by the contents of my pantry. I’m not eating ramon, but I’ve not yet reached steak either.