I think it's time : Another "who the heck are ya post.

Oddly enough this does feel like one of those 'meetings'... So I'm Paul and I live in New Bedford,MA. My brother in-law Mike S. actually got me hooked alittle more than 2 yrs ago. My wife has stopped asking me 'what ya thinkin?' Because she knows tha answer. I'v got one 16 month old and another due in just over a month. Both boys, my wife is very pleased about this for as she likes to say 'with boys you only have to worry about one penis, with girls all the penis'. yeah I usually get up much to early to start working on something that won't let me sleep. fortunately there are alot of people in this area to help with my problem(grinding). If they seem to be out this is the place to go. All this talking has made me itchy, I'll go make something pointy and leave you guys now. Good to meet you.
Paul
 
Hello, My name is Justin, and I'm a knifemaker... err wait this isnt a Knifemakers Anoymous meeting. I'm a 25 (soonish to be 26) year old software engineer with a degree in electrical engineering, and I started to make knives less than a year ago. I had always been interested in blacksmithing, and when I purchased my first house a little more than 2 years ago in Woonsocket RI, one of the first things I did was go out and buy myself a forge and an anvil.

So I've been metal pounding for about two years now on and off as a hobby. Last summer my dad, who's always loved gunsmithing, gave me a copy of Wayne Goddard's The Wonder of Knife Making. I read it cover to cover, and thought "that looks fun, why dont I do that" and last october I registered here and started to get to know other makers. Since then I've made only 3 knives, so I feel like quite the slacker, but I'm learning a ton with every one that I do, and aspire to become an acomplished maker eventually.

I'm also a very avid computer gamer, with many friends who work in the gaming industry. For well over 10 years now I've mostly been known online as Tharkis, a chat handle I had picked many many years back for shoot-em-up games and the like. This is where my website gets its name, www.tharkis.com In actuality the vast majority of people who know me first knew me as Tharkis before knowing me as Justin, it is only the metalworking forums for which I've registered using my real name.

In this reguard, I'm still at a bit of a crossroads right now, I have several good friends who have asked me if I can make then some knives, having seen the pictures of the few that I've finished thus far. I need to determine if I'm going to mark the knives with Tharkis, which would actually mean something to these friends, as I've been gaming with them for seven years now almost nightly using that name, and even when we get together in person, that is what they call me, or if I should mark them J. Mercier which really wouldnt mean much to them. I'm actually leaning towards marking my blades with the 'pen name' Tharkis as a result since all of the first blades I've got in the works for people are people who know me 'more commonly' as Tharkis.

Anyways, that's a bit about me which I havent shared before with the makers here, so I hope you now know me a little better ! =)
 
Nathan Carothers. 30 something. Blessed with a very understanding wife and two great kids. Work as a product designer, mainly in plastic product design consulting. Pro/E surfacing guru. Also involved in R&D, prototyping, and manufacturing production. Have been a hack machinist and briefly owned a shop building jigs, fixtures and short run stamping etc. Used to do job shop work, but not much any more. I still have a shop, which I still use occasionally. I make knives by "cheating" (CNC).

Used to enjoy hunting and precision shooting, but I don't get outside as much as I once did. Hobbies include, well, crap, I'm out of hobbies. Interests include remembering when I had hobbies...

I live in Mooresville NC, and I invite anybody who wants to fool around in a machine shop to send me an email.
 
Hi, Kevin, or localy, Centrial Colorado, 'Kevin the Horseshoer' (among friends) Full time Farrier, part time Big Game Guide, Wanna-be Knife Maker.

Spent a lot of time as a kid in my Grandfathers Blacksmith shop, were my Grandpa tought me one of lifes best lessons, 'Can't say Can't' .

Intrested in persuing a part time career knife making, hopping to offer Hunter/Camp/survival knifes with the attutude that you will never know when the last knife you needed to use, will be the last knife you needed!

Lurking in the background for some time now, and learn something everytime I visit!

My thanks to everyone that contributes here!

Kevin
 
Name - Robert, retired metallurgist. Here's what I looked like in my creative period [7-8 years old].Sketch by my father.
 

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I don’t post much, but read this forum regularly, may as well introduce myself. Todd Brandel, I’m in my late 30’s and live in Boise, Idaho I’m back in school working on a bachelors degree (mediation/dispute resolution and psychology), and among other things I intern at district court as a mediator and it looks like I have landed a job at the university as a studio assistant taking care of the art metals and ceramics studios. Haven’t had much time the last few years, but do enjoy outdoor activates, hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. reading, and martial arts. Always been interested in knives, but got into making them kind of backwards, worked for a leather goods manufacture for 10 years, met some knifemakers and during my time there we began making sheaths and pouches for Chris Reeve Knives and was able to go to the guild show and the Oregon show a couple of times for work. Chris and his crew as well as just about every other knifemaker I’ve ever met has been very generous with time and knowledge helping me and other beginners out. I’ve made a few knives both forging and stock removal and have accumulated quite a few from friends that need some help, like re-handle work.

Todd
 
For those who don't already know me, I'm Stacy Apelt, just shy of 58. An avid kilt wearing Scotsman, and general jack of all trades.Among other things, I have been a research chemist, electronics eng., snake handler,auto plant worker, and for the past 30 years, a goldsmith. I am an inventor of sorts, always looking for a way to make/do something. I made my first knife in 1960-61, and returned to knife making about ten years ago.I have a fine wife ,who encourages my knife work.Grown kids in their 30's.Grandkids,too.

If I won the lottery and had a million dollars,I'd just make knives until it was all gone,then go back to work.
Stacy Elliott Apelt, FSA,Scot
 
Hello I'm Stuart Willis. I'm 43 yrs old married with a 6 yr old daughter. I was a carpenter for my dad in my younger years until he retired. Being made to go to work with dad all those years I was sick of it so decided not to follow in his foot steps. I started shoeing horses in 1988 just to save the family a little money having 17 horses at the time. Due to a horse related back and knee injury in 1989 had to give up the shoeing. I loved the hammer and anvil so started blacksmithing. I was the resident smith at several living history farms up until 2000 and started bladesmithing for the reenactors. The past 3 years I have pretty much specialized in traditional style tomahawks (spike,pipe and hammer poll). Just lately have started back doing a few knives. So thats who I am.
 
Josh O Mason here, 26 years old, from the little town of Paris, Ky (Nepotism capital of the world! Home of the 5 dollar millionaire!).

I'm a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Corrections, and currently work as a Pretrial Officer for the state of Kentucky. Before that, I was a Corrections Officer. Tough jobs.

In my spare time I like to play guitar, and tinker around with an old black 68 Ford Ranger hot rod truck that I recently acquired. Been practicing Aikido for a long time. Huge music fan. I like old punk rock, good heavy metal music, and classic rock. I love to lift weights and work out.

As far as knives go, I've been utterly infatuated with them since I was a little kid. Absolutely obsessed and fascinated. My father showed me how to sharpen a knife on his bench stones when I was 8 or 10 years old, and since then, I've been making every knife I could get my hands on hair popping sharp.

I'm a wannabe maker. I live in a subdivision, which isn't too friendly an environment for knifemaking. I've made some crude knives from files and the like, nothing too fancy. I'm currently stocking up on equipment. So far I have a Coote grinder, and a big 300+ pound bridge anvil.

My dream is to move into a cabin out in the woods somewhere and to be able to have a big shop and make all the noise and smoke that I need to become a succesful knifemaker.

I've wanted to graduate from sharpening and refurbishing knives to making my own for some time now. The main reason is that I'm consistently disappointed in production knives, and the customs that I truly love are out of my reach, or too expensive, so I'd like to make my own.

I know in my heart that I have the personality, the mechanical skill and artistic ability, the creativity, the passion and the meticulous and obsessive nature to be good at making knives. This is something that I dream about every day.

I cannot wait to get started.
 
Mike Carter here in Louisville, Kentucky. I have been making knives off and on for about 4 years and I am trying to devote much more time to knifemaking now. I learned the craft, and am still learning, from Gil Hibben. Gil lives about 30 minutes from me so I am frequently hanging around his shop soaking up as much knowledge as I can. My first love is big Bowie knives but I make a wide variety of fixed blades and I am just getting into folders.

Besides knives, I pay the bills through photography and creating websites.

In case you are wondering, the MisterSat handle comes from my former profession as a broadcast satellite network engineer where I was frequently referred to as "Mister Satellite".

http://www.cartercrafts.com
 
I'm Chip Kunkle, hopefully retired psychologist as of last week. Turned 62 in July.Started making knives about a year ago during my first retirement. Married for 30 years, one daughter, 2 granchildren - twin boy and girl, 10 years old. Pilot for over 20 years, not flying now.
Shop in the garage, home made forge, lathe, mill, 2 bandsaws, kmg. Got a lot of the tools when building guns, mostly competition pistols. Still shoot, but less competition than when I was not as "experienced" as now.
Served in Army in Vietnam. Medically retired in 1968.
Wife is psycholgist, still working to support me.
Hope to actually make some money in this addiction.
Chip
 
I'm Page steinhardt, 41 years old, Syracuse NY
When I was 10 I spent 2 weeks on a commune watching a goldsmith work so I could answer questions while the goldsmith was demonstrating at our elementary school's bicentennial fair. when I was 14 I apprenticed to a cabinetmaker, and I read in the popular mechanics do-it -yourself encyclopedia how to make a knife and started one, working secretly at night in my father's basement shop. when I was 15 I decided to become a professional photographer, I went to college at RIT for photography, started making jewelry in my dorm room, dropped out for a year on sick leave, got a job as a polisher in a jewelry repair shop, worked up to bench goldsmith, then I went back to school. While there I took a metals elective, and met a grad student who introduced me to belt grinders and heat treating. I finished my first knife. I ran out of money, fell in love, dropped out of school and moved to california. San Diego sucks!
I came home, opened a photo studio, did that for a while with jewelry on the side, and made knives as a second side business. I also joined the Society for Creative Anachronism where I am a fencing marshal, and I make fencing swords. After a while and a change in the market for professional photography I went back to finish up my photo degree, got a masters, couldn't find work other than self employment and retail, I met my wife, moved to Syracuse, got a job as a goldsmith at a high end jewelry store, then Carrier laid off most of their Syracuse workforce, our customer base was out of work, I got laid off, started my jewelry business in earnest, and with that got serious about bladesmithing. I went to Ashokan for the first time 3 years ago, met lots of great craftsmen (and Mace too) and here I am on BF.
 
I'm Scott Gossman, 48 years old. Fulltime maker, still work part time at my 30+ year job in a food store. I've been in the knife business for 10 years. Tinkered with knifemaking and got serious for the last 5 years. I enjoy hunting, shooting, wilderness survival and field testing my blades.
Scott
 
Edited for updated content 2-23-2013:

My name's Nathan Burgess. I'm a 33 years old physical therapist living in Lubbock, TX. I have specialty certification in treating adult neurological patients: strokes, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, etc, but I see a bit of everything else as well. I'm full-time faculty at the doctor of PT program at TTUHSC. Been out in West Texas all my life and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Other places are nice to visit, though :D.

I've been making knives since around 2004 and studying the art for years prior to that. I've collected knives my entire life and thought that I should give it a go and make knives of my own. I started out grinding on a Grizzly and heat treating in a home-made one brick forge. I've got more equipment now than I probably need, but collecting tools is just as fun as making knives. Currently, I'm getting very little shop time. Life with my wife, kid, and job have kept me away from knife making for the last year or so. We recently moved homes, and I have a single car garage space into which I have consolidated my tooling. Hopefully the proximity of the shop will increase my productivity as time goes on.

I've learned more here than anywhere else, and I appreciate all the experienced makers who have given out their hard fought information to everyone. God bless, and have a nice evening.

Family-1_zpsf42e9641.jpg


--nathan
 
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My name is George Rebello, the infamous Indian George. :eek: See website for details. Been slacking off this year, but will be kicking ass going forward.
The smithy will be open for visitors and students ever other Saturday starting tomorrow(10/13).:thumbup:
 
indian george said:
The smithy will be open for visitors and students ever other Saturday starting tomorrow(10/13).:thumbup:
Click to expand...

Do you offer in-home tutoring (Sorta like "Home-Schooling" ?) If so, I might be interested........ Just come on down to Alabama and spend a few days. Mama gave me $12.00 to spend any way I want. How much change would I get for a week of "home-skoool" ? :D

Robert (A former Rice-Rider) - Now 2-wheel free..
 
Hello, my name is Sam Salvati. Salvati is Italian for Italian Stallion;). I have been forging for about 5 years and tinkering with metal for about a year or two before that. Originally i got into metalworking with the desire to make swords and armor, but upon researching that i realised there is a MASSIVE learning curve. Rethinking the whole thing, and also having found out about blacksmithing, i decided that it would be better to start with instead of blades or armor with art. Always was drawing and stuff in class, and artistic ironwork and forgings was SO appetising, and metal was so solid and permanent and also the draw of working with hot fire, hot steel big hammers and the damn near legendary tool of all an anvil. I started out with a cast steel (not cast iron) russian anvil from harbor freight, 22 pounds for $20 (less than a dollar a pound!), and a home made sawhorse with a wide flat top i built with tool racks and stuff on it, a couple old hammers and some tongs from a fleamarket, along with a propane torch i was forging little hardware store nails in my basement. Did alot of jewelry and rings and mini mini tools and stuff, and it gave me a great feeling for how the metal moved. But shortly it got frustrating, such a small heat source it took it awhile even to heat up the little nails i decided it was time to upgrade. An amazing turn of luck and i found at an estate auction an old cast iron Hibachi grill, not the crappy sheetmetal ones like today, old and solid. Also around the same time i found out there was a blacksmith/farrier supply only 30 minutes away from the house! not having enough money to afford anyone of the nice gas forges he had there, i just bought a bag of coal and some steel. Hooked a shop vac up to the little air inlet and poured some coal on and lit it up and POW, 5 and 6 foot flames and INTENSE heat. Was a bit too much, not much control over the airflow either, so it was full blast or smouldering, which worked well to heat up BIG steel but it was kind of ridiculous as if it was running you couldn't get near it from the way too intense heat. It worked great for awhile though, but after a few months it started to break up and crack from the heat, and i was out of commission for a few weeks. But being a member of ABANA (Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America), i got the quarterly magazines they put out and lo and behold in the classifieds i saw an ad for a paid blacksmithing apprenticeship 6 hours away in a period late 1800s blacksmith shop in a little historic town called Grafton in Vermont. Gave the guy a call, he sent me an application and filled it out and sent it back, then went and drove 6 hours up there for a 30 minute interveiw, then 6 hours back. He was lucky i got the job hehe or i woulda drove 6 hours there and back again to beat him up(haha just kidding Payne!). So in the middle of May that year packed up all my stuff and my motorcycle and moved up! Well spring in Vermont isn't exactly sunny shiny days all the time, so the bike got a bit much, freezing rain and the roads are not exactly nice in that area. Got my little red wagon(1989 Jeep Commanche in Jeep red with a badass rollbar) then, and everything was sweet. Spent most of the week down at the 1800s shop practicing and demonstrating Thursdays through Sundays, and spending Wednesdays up at the fully modern shop learning modern production techniques and how to weld and use a plasma cutter and stuff and power hammer (SWEET 50 pound Little Giant, very excellent and highly controllable machine i fell in love), using a gas forge and stuff. Worked up there, loved it but in October it was over, packed up all my stuff and a couple hundred pounds of steel things i had made(you get to keep all the things you make except one, which goes into the sort of "apprentice's gallery" at the 1800s shop, i left behind a wrought iron spear head i had made), and came back down to New York. Had a little money saved and bought a Cannedy Otto hand crank rivet forge, a post vice and setup the new and improved shop again in my garage. Was using that for quite awhile before it again got frsutrating not having

A) power, lights
and
B)a sizeable anvil(still using the 22 pounder, and still do when i can)

But luckily Santa came through that Christmas with a NICE anvil, what i recently found out was a Peter Wright marked 145! SO used that in the garage shop and loved it, but the electricity thing got to be a pain in the butt. But, when talking with some of my old bosses from a deli job i had worked before the apprenticeship i found out they would fix up and rent out a basement room to me in they're building(which is a convenience store). SO fixed it up, and moved the whole shop again down there, great location too but still kinda out of the way tucked in the basement. Worked there for the longest and loved it, made alot of connections with great customers and ther i began to fool around again with blades. I had messed about with trying to forge a sword during the apprenticeship in Vermont, and got it to a point where i did not want to mess it up, so hung that one up to wait for when i had more skill. So started to mess about with railroad spike knives and some leaf spring stuff and all that and got some fun and learning filled knives out of that. made a connection though finally with a local knifemaker named Kurt Meerdink, who it turns out has lived 15 minutes away from my house for like YEARS! So went and hooked up with Kurt and started to work with and learn from him, and realised i knew not too much about knifemaking hehe. Learned TONS everytime i hung out and worked with Kurt, and still do everytime i hang out with him now. Also recently made a connection with John Lundemo of Odinblades, and started to visit his shop and learn from him. Throughout the whole time i only learned forging applied to artistic ironwork, none of my teachers were ever actual blade forges, both John and Kurt are stock removal guys, so i only really could approach blade forging from a blacksmith's point of veiw(and i still do!), as at the time i had only found online blade forgers who sort of were very mystical abot the whole thing, not much practical info. So learned from trial and error how to form bevels and stuff, and sort of discovered blades were easy to forge compared to a full vine motif mug rack or coat rack or whatever. One thing i have found that helps me, is NEVER approach forging a blade and be intimidated, treat it like it is just another hook, forge it anyway you need to arrive at the final product, but be a little more careful of how hot you get it. I moved my shop again recently to a NICE new space, and am still getting setup, and that is where I am now. I love the blacksmithing and bladesmithing communities i have never met nicer more awesome people, willing to help and share info freely!!! I teach anyone who is interested enough to come into my shop and hit some hot steel or make some sparks fly, or just shoot the breeze. If you are ever in my area feel free please to stop by. Hope this was worth reading:D.

Oh yeah i almost forgot, i own and operate my business River Valley Forge, and am a fulltime blacksmith/bladesmith/welder.
 
Nick Wheeler, 29.... used to be full-time smith, now full-time laborer and very very part time smith. Was very fortunate to get my Journeyman smith stamp last June... something I've wanted for years.

I have more ideas than time.

This place used to be a big hang-out for me, part of my daily routine. Now I'm lucky if I get on here once every couple weeks.
 
Hello,
I'm Mike Coughlin, I've been making knives close to 5 years now. I am a stock removal maker. To date every knife I've made has been a one of a kind. I use both stainless and carbon steels. I love making knives and will continue to do so until I can't anymore. My favorite thing about knife making is the creativity you can put into it. My least favorite thing about knife making is when you tell someone the price of some pieces and you have to explain why it's so much more for a custom for the 9 millionth time. Take care!!:D:thumbup:
Mike
 
Okay, my name is Ray Laconico, 33 years old. I'm a full time maker but I also have a job as a private janitor for about 1 1/2 hrs a day. I made my first knife 7 years ago. I got serious and sold my first knife here about 2 1/2 years ago. I would not be doing this without bladeforums.com. I love what I do and hope to do this for the rest of my life. So far so good!
 
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