Not sure if a had a "conscious" awareness of knives, but I've had one around me since I was probably 10-12 (I'm 55 currently) - just another "tool" from my father's perspective (Japanese heritage for me - so knives have always been part of our culture). The real interest probably started a few years ago when I started to look at new kitchen knives and just about fainted from sticker stock

I figured "There has to be another way" and started searching the 'net. Ran into Texas Knife & Jantz, got a couple of kits to start and the rest is history, so to speak

So now, I have a small shop, where I do my blade work/leatherwork, etc., a collection of somewhere between 80-100 production folders (I'm scared to count

), plus a "bunch" of fixed blades and still no new kitchen knife set

It's been a fun ride and continues to be that way
- gord