My Story

It all started in 2015 when I was 14, with the idea of turning a blank piece of steel into a knife. I did my research and was able to build my first forge. With limited equipment, I had to be creative without access to a welder.

I quickly saw the challenge of making a piece of steel bend to your will with only a hammer. My first forge soon fell apart, so I built another. This one would eventually end up in the scrapyard, but it served me well for a few years.

Using a hairdryer as my bellows and a 30 lb anvil, I was at the forge at any given opportunity. It was the most challenging passion I had ever had and was extremely frustrating, yet, I was intrigued and longed to learn more!

I signed up for a basic blacksmithing class at my local community college. What I learned gave me a solid foundation. I took a few more classes there—one of which was an axe-making class where I met Matthew Shirey. He saw that I had some knowledge so he referred me to a position working at a boy scout camp as their blacksmith. They hired me and I spent the summer teaching 12 to 18-year-olds. I really refined my skills that summer and learned how to teach effectively.

In 2020 I invested in equipment and set myself up to professionally produce knives. I quickly fell in love with the process and the efficiency of having the right equipment. I made 100 knives in my first year, and it continues to be my main focus and inspiration. I have now been making Knives full time for 3 years.