Why I Decided to Become a Knifemaker

I have been making knives now for around 10 years and I got started because I was ready for a change in my life. After getting my degree in Fine Arts and Sculpture at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, I worked many different jobs from wooden furniture making to building concrete counter tops and building banjos and guitars. I loved metal work but honestly knew nothing about metallurgy. Making knives forces you to be involved in both material science and chemistry as well as using power tools. I am always so curious about the way things are put together, so I ordered vintage knives on E-Bay and took them apart to see how they all fit and to examine their blade geometry. The first knives I ever made were kinda terrible-I used whatever was given to me, old files, wrought iron saw blades, metal scraps...I ventured into the world of heat treating and wood stabilization. I never knew I would become a knife maker by trade. It was just a hobby while I worked other jobs for other people helping them accomplish their goals of installing gigantic chandeliers and spiral staircases in multi-million dollar mansions.