My new site, cool huh….still under construction. Well, here’s my knife story about how I got started making knives…. the readers digest version. Having been interested in and used and collected knives for many years I went to a custom knife show with a thousand bucks in my pocket intent on getting a real nice custom folder. This was in February ‘04. After drooling over many prospective buys and realizing that I was addicted but in the long run wouldn’t be able to afford my habit, I decided to keep my money and invest in some knife making equipment.
I met a mastersmith at the show by the name of Red St. Cyr who was kind enough to allow me to bend his ear for some time and then he asked me if I’d like to visit his shop sometime. Wow! I think I just hit the lottery! Two months later I attended the ABS California West Coast Forging Clinic at Cal Poly. Bladesmithing, yeah baby! I found my calling, my life would now be complete. I started buying what equipment I could afford, a little at a time, but invested most of what I had available to attend the ABS School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington, Arkansas in October ‘04. Best choice I could have made and once again I’d like to thank my instructors Joe Keeslar and Jim Jackson for their encouragement and excellent instruction.
Anyway, I’m still mentoring under Red, another man who deserves my deepest gratitude for his continued support and instruction. So right now I’m an apprentice bladesmith making fixed blades of all types. I prefer to work with 5160, 1084, o1, and 52100 steels. I don’t do stainless because I do all my own heat treating and don’t have the¬¨‚Ćequipment for stainless steel…….yet. I’m saving my money for next year in hopes of making it back to Georgia to have my knives judged to acquire my ABS Journeyman’s stamp. I So if you’re interested in purchasing a knife from me, or, just want to talk knives drop me a blog.