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MY STORY

I was born and raised on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, where my fascination with knives started early. I still recall my little blue pouch with red felt lining, where I kept a small collection of pocket knives all neatly aligned. As a teenager I had several restaurant jobs, where I was first exposed to using knives as tools for earning a living.

At 18 I moved to Phoenix and attended the Arizona Culinary Institute. While working at my first fine dining restaurant, the chefs gifted all the line cooks with Japanese chef knives and a communal set of sharpening stones. Little did I know this would lead to a lifelong career in knives.

I quickly became more interested in knives and sharpening, than food or cooking. This led to a job at one of the best resources in the US for high quality Japanese cutlery, and I spent the next decade sharpening, studying, repairing, and selling knives.

I’ve now sharpened over 100,000 knives.

My continuous quest for knife knowledge led to an introduction to American Bladesmith Society “Master Bladesmith,” Ray Rybar. Under Ray’s tutelage, I began my education in knife-making and bladesmithing and instantly fell in love with the craft.

My influences are Japanese knives and knives of the American West. I’m working towards achieving a “Journeyman Smith” and then “Master Smith” rating with the American Bladesmith Society.

I strive to create knives that perfectly balance function and artistry, and I look forward to building you a high performance tool that will stand the test of time.

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