“…every blade begins with an idea of what it should look like, but the forge, hammer, and anvil all have their say in the final product.”
I was thirteen when I made my first knife from an old file using a blow torch and 1"x30" belt sander (under the supervision of my father). I loved it! However, dad's job changed and we moved into town (no shop). Later, his job changed again and we moved from Indiana to Montana. I grew up, got a job, went to college, had a family, and though it was thirty-five years before I made my second blade, I still loved it! This time it was under the supervision of a veteran blade-smith David Brackett. I was captivated by the craft and I haven't stopped making blades since.
I'm now live in Northwest Arkansas and am still learning and enjoying every minute of the craft. Using high carbon steel, both reclaimed and bar stock, every blade begins with an idea of what it should look like, but the forge, hammers, and anvil all have their say in the final product. My goal remains to produce a simple, clean, strong, and hopefully beautiful blade that will last a lifetime.
Forging a blank piece of steel (often reclaimed) into a beautiful, working blade is tremendously rewarding. It reminds me of God’s work in a person’s heart when they surrender their lives to His Son Jesus Christ. He turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. From the fire He gives beauty for ashes. He makes all things new.
“From forging, to grinding, to tempering, to finishing, to attaching handles, and finally making a leather sheath, each step is a labor of love. By the time each blade is finished it has become, ‘My new favorite!’”
