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I have been making custom
knives in serious way since 1985. Prior to that time my son
brought home a book on knife making by David Boye and I really
caught the fever. My first knives were made from saw blades and
ended loo king
a lot like David’s knives since I was using the same techniques
as he was. I later found sources for good materials like 440C
steel and started to develop my own designs and construction
techniques.
I guess you could call me a
full time knife maker but I am now retired from my real job and
I am lucky that I don’t have to make knives for a living. As a
result I can work at a reasonable pace and have time to
experiment with new blade materials and heat treating
techniques.
I like to make fillet knives
and am fortunate to have them in use by serious fishermen all
over the world. It took a while to figure out how to grind a
long flexible blade and do the heat treating so they are hard
enough to hold an edge but still tough enough to have good
flexibility. I got into this by necessity. I was filleting a box
of rockfish with my Grandfather looking on, we were talking, and
I was not paying attention as I should have. While working on a
Ling Cod I accidentally drove the tip of the knife into the
cutting board and my hand slipped down onto the blade. I got a
very deep cut on my index finger. The knife did no t
have a finger guard to prevent this. From then I was looking for
a fillet knife I could buy that had a finger guard and would
hold a decent edge. I found a couple with a finger guard but the
steel was way too soft to hold an edge. In the end I decided to
try to make to make one myself. The first knife was made from
440C with an ivory micarta handle and a long finger guard. It
worked great and I still use it once in a while.
Learning to make knives is a
long process. It’s like flying airplanes; you have to stay at it
to stay good. I have spent endless hours in the shop trying to
teach myself how to grind, heat treat and finish blades. I also
have had the good fortune to get some help when I needed it to
keep me going. I would like to acknowledge those makers and
friends who had the most influence. David Boye of course for the
information in his book, Bill Herndon, who lived close at the
time and showed me some hints on grinding and finishing, Wayne
Goddard who encouraged me to do my own heat treating and showed
me how to test edge holding by cutting manila rope. Finally PJ
Tomes who encouraged me to start flat grinding and offered many
time saving techniques. I have to also mention Bob Loveless who
gave me some pretty sharp (not a pun) critiques at the Pasadena
Knife Expo one year. In the end he said he liked my fillet
knives and encouraged me to keep making them. Many of my fellow
knife makers and
friends like Bill Harsey, Barry Gallagher, Rick Dunkerley, Devin
Thomas, Ed Schemp and Tom Mayo have offered encouragement over
the years and that helps to keep the interest alive. Ed Severson
and Dick Barber, both very knowledgeable metallurgists provided
valuable mentoring on heat treating the CPM steels. Mayanrd
Meadows and his wife Jackie who are good friends and have used
my hunting knives on big game in Alaska, Africa, and Australia
have given me invaluable feedback on knife design, blade shape
and steel performance.
I am now making knives at the
rate of 4 to 5 per month and hope to continue at this rate for
at least 15 more years. I also intend to get back to writing a
few technical based articles on knife making each year. I live
in a little town called Mokelumne Hill. My wife is a Chef so I
get first hand feed back on kitchen knife performance. We are in
the heart of the Gold Country here in Northern California. We
have deer, turkeys and sometimes Mountain Lions around us. It is
a little remote but it sure is nice to wake up in the morning
here in the Pines, Oaks and Cedars. When not working in the
knife shop I try to find time to fish in the Ocean and San
Francisco Bay and ride dirt bikes on the trails in the area. I
have been traveling, exploring and fishing in Baja since 1969
and try to get down there to fish and explore the desert
whenever I can. Thanks also to all those who have my knives and
who will have them in the future.
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