Born and raised on a farm in southern Indiana, I have been exposed to knives my entire life. I recall my early years, when my Grandfather taught me how to sharpen my first barlow pocket knife on the sandstone back step of the farm house.When I was 12, my best friend and I worked the entire summer, putting up hay, and earned enough money to buy ourselves some "real knives" that we would use for skinning on our trap line that fall. Our first catch of the year was a sixty plus pound beaver. He sharpened his knife four times, and I sharpened mine five times just to make it through that beaver! There had to be something better!

That is when I started experimenting, trying anything that I thought might make a good working blade. From "borrowing" my Grandmother's butcher knives, to grinding old files down, but all of them had their limitations.

In 1982 I joined the US Air Force. After the first year, my interest in knives was rekindled, and I set out on my quest for a high performance knife. During the next 5 years I learned a great deal about metallurgy and began to experiment with my own heat treating methods. After a remote tour in Belgium, I was stationed in Blytheville, Arkansas were I met two people who had the biggest influence on my knifemaking career. Mr. Eric Harris, who introduced me to the forge; And Mr. Beryl Driskill (a member of the Knifemaker's Guild) who taught me more than he will ever know about fit and finish.

I was on fire to learn all that I could about steel, forging, and creating "high performance" knives. I spent every spare moment in my tiny 8' X 12" shop, with my homemade forge, and all the determination I could muster.

After giving away perhaps a dozen knives, I was shocked when a visitor asked if he could purchase a wire damascus blade for $50. That was 1987, and I have been going at it ever since. The Air Force decided I needed to move in 1992, and Great Falls, Montana was the place. We purchased a home, and in 1995 I decided to part ways with the Air Force rather than move my then 10 year old daughter and wife to Denver, CO. I joined the Montana Air National Guard, and landed a full time position as Superintendent of Heavy Equipment. I now enjoy knowing that in another 18 months, I will be eligible to retire, and to continue my pursuit as a Bladesmith.

I have been blessed to gain knowledge from such great knifemakers as Wayne Goddard, Ed Fowler, and a host of others. My current passion is creating mosaic damascus blades. For serious working knives I use 52100 or 5160. Nearly everything I do is forged. I have formed some very pointed opinions concerning knives, steels, and heat treatment over the years. I personally believe that the toughest, best cutting knives are produced via the forging method. I strongly believe in the multiple quench method of heat treating, for those steels that derive benefit from this process. I also am fanatical about sole authorship. If my name is going on it, it must be the absolute best work I can do, and the only way that I can be 100% sure that the customer is getting my best, is to do it myself. I have taught internationally, am a founder of the Montana Knifemaker's Association, and have won various awards for my work at major shows. I also offer both beginning and advanced knifemaking classes.