The future Stars of Custom Knife Making....

JR88FAN

JR88FAN

Joined
May 5, 2013
Messages
3,618
Hey Guys,

I am not sure how many of you have heard of Desert Blade Works or Trevor McDonough, but I thought that I would share this video with all of you.

I am not here to say anything negative about our current crop of teenagers, but lets's just say that Trevor is a bit of a rarity.
After coming across this video, and then reading a little more about Trevor, I became an instant fan.
I am not sure where he will go as a knife maker, I guess that's up to him, but his level of maturity, general attitude, and approach to knife making are incredible considering that he is all of 17 years old.

I hope I come across more kids like Trevor, This is what I want the future of custom knife making to look like.

Enjoy:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P-LzyHYXGjk
 
JR88FAN said:
Hey Guys,

I am not sure how many of you have heard of Desert Blade Works or Trevor McDonough, but I thought that I would share this video with all of you.

I am not here to say anything negative about our current crop of teenagers, but lets's just say that Trevor is a bit of a rarity.
After coming across this video, and then reading a little more about Trevor, I became an instant fan.
I am not sure where he will go as a knife maker, I guess that's up to him, but his level of maturity, general attitude, and approach to knife making are incredible considering that he is all of 17 years old.

I hope I come across more kids like Trevor, This is what I want the future of custom knife making to look like.

Enjoy:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P-LzyHYXGjk
Click to expand...

Well I think there's more of us than people realize... I'm 16 and I make knives too. I wish I had access to more tools for damascus and some of the other stuff he's able to do, but we're all just doing what we can with what we've got...

You can check out my website if you want to see my work predatorcustomblades.com

I'm nowhere near some of the talent you run across here on bladeforums, but I've got plenty of time to improve so it's all good :)
 
PredatorCustomBlades said:
Well I think there's more of us than people realize... I'm 16 and I make knives too. I wish I had access to more tools for damascus and some of the other stuff he's able to do, but we're all just doing what we can with what we've got...

You can check out my website if you want to see my work predatorcustomblades.com

I'm nowhere near some of the talent you run across here on bladeforums, but I've got plenty of time to improve so it's all good :)
Click to expand...

Hey bro,

I am glad there is more of you guys than I think there is. Being a knife maker is a trade, and most trades these days are suffering from a lack of good young hard working people. Talent is not enough to make anything, it is just one variable.

I will definitely take a look at your website and wish you the best of luck as you continue to improve and learn your craft....
 
JR88FAN said:
Hey bro,

I am glad there is more of you guys than I think there is. Being a knife maker is a trade, and most trades these days are suffering from a lack of good young hard working people. Talent is not enough to make anything, it is just one variable.

I will definitely take a look at your website and wish you the best of luck as you continue to improve and learn your craft....
Click to expand...

Well I'm young and hard working... The 'good' part might be debatable though :o;)
All kidding aside though, I appreciate the support. I've learned most of what I know (about knives) from bladeforums and the generosity of this community and I really appreciate so many people being willing to share their knowledge.
 
PredatorCustomBlades said:
Well I'm young and hard working... The 'good' part might be debatable though :o;)
All kidding aside though, I appreciate the support. I've learned most of what I know (about knives) from bladeforums and the generosity of this community and I really appreciate so many people being willing to share their knowledge.
Click to expand...

I just spent a good bit of time looking through your site, and in my opinion you have no shortage of talent...

First thing I noticed on all three fixed blades was your attention to ergonomics. That is so critical, but often over-looked for the sake of a 'sexy line' or 'style'......it's a tool, it needs to feel good in hand first look great second (unless you're collecting)
Your grinds are excellent as well from what I could tell.

This is why the title of this thread is 'stars' and not 'star'
Great work!
 
JR88FAN said:
Hey Guys,

I am not sure how many of you have heard of Desert Blade Works or Trevor McDonough, but I thought that I would share this video with all of you.

I am not here to say anything negative about our current crop of teenagers, but lets's just say that Trevor is a bit of a rarity.
After coming across this video, and then reading a little more about Trevor, I became an instant fan.
I am not sure where he will go as a knife maker, I guess that's up to him, but his level of maturity, general attitude, and approach to knife making are incredible considering that he is all of 17 years old.

I hope I come across more kids like Trevor, This is what I want the future of custom knife making to look like.

Enjoy:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P-LzyHYXGjk
Click to expand...

WOW!! That is awesome. Definitely not your average teenager today for sure. He definitely has it together and seems very talented as well.

Its always nice to see that there is still an interest out there in up and coming youngsters to carry on what has been for some time. Definitely a Fan after watching that video!!

Spending his spring break at Blade!!!!! Heck Yeah
 
JR88FAN said:
I just spent a good bit of time looking through your site, and in my opinion you have no shortage of talent...

First thing I noticed on all three fixed blades was your attention to ergonomics. That is so critical, but often over-looked for the sake of a 'sexy line' or 'style'......it's a tool, it needs to feel good in hand first look great second (unless you're collecting)
Your grinds are excellent as well from what I could tell.

This is why the title of this thread is 'stars' and not 'star'
Great work!
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks! I appreciate it

I think my audience right now is those people who really use a knife, so I look to the stars of the knife world and see people like Nick Wheeler making beautiful palm swells for his working knives and so it makes sense that that's what I'd want to do too. Or at least imitate, in my own way.

I've gotten pretty buried in this knifemaking obsession, and even though I don't think I'll be a full time maker (at least for a long time) I'll definitely be making knives for a long time.
 
I'm 15 and I have been making knives for two years. I a mentor who has been helping me with materials and general advice that I wouldn't know whatto do without... I'm glad I'm not the only one who makes knives. At school, kids pretty much think I'm weird because of it. Makes me feel as though i am part of a bigger community.
 
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xXBackyardCrafterXx said:
I'm 15 and I have been making knives for two years. I a mentor who has been helping me with materials and general advice that I wouldn't know whatto do without... I'm glad I'm not the only one who makes knives. At school, kids pretty much think I'm weird because of it. Makes me feel as though i am part of a bigger community.
Click to expand...

That's really cool man!
I think those 'kids at school who think it's weird' that you make knives spend way too much time on XboX and FaceBook to be allowed to have an opinion.
Keep doing what you do, it's great to learn to craft something with your own hands. Regardless of where you end up later in life, it will always be useful.
Where can I see some of your work?
 
PredatorCustomBlades said:
Wow, thanks! I appreciate it

I think my audience right now is those people who really use a knife, so I look to the stars of the knife world and see people like Nick Wheeler making beautiful palm swells for his working knives and so it makes sense that that's what I'd want to do too. Or at least imitate, in my own way.

I've gotten pretty buried in this knifemaking obsession, and even though I don't think I'll be a full time maker (at least for a long time) I'll definitely be making knives for a long time.
Click to expand...

Hey, you never know where life may take you.
As I said in my post below, it's always good to learn how to use your hands....

I think you can always make knives, especially when you have the talent that you obviously have.
Maybe it won't be your 'job' but it can be something you do on the side for some creative fun.

Still too early to have to figure that one out definitively, just keep working hard on honing your skills, and most of all, having fun.
 
xXBackyardCrafterXx said:
I'm 15 and I have been making knives for two years. I a mentor who has been helping me with materials and general advice that I wouldn't know whatto do without... I'm glad I'm not the only one who makes knives. At school, kids pretty much think I'm weird because of it. Makes me feel as though i am part of a bigger community.
Click to expand...

I got the same response when I told people I made knives... Until I showed them my knives. I saw a lot of jaws hit the floor... I'm pretty sure when they heard 'knifemaking' they pictured some thug sitting in a dark basement sharpening prison shanks.

But I would agree with JR88FAN, most of the people who thought it was weird also spent too much time with complete fluff and really didn't understand.

It's hard to explain to people like that the satisfaction of creating something functional and beautiful with your own hands. If they have no experience with that sort of thing, they just can't understand. And because we do things that they don't understand that makes us weird.

But all that aside, best of luck to you and I hope to see some of your work in the future :thumbup:
 
JR88FAN said:
Hey, you never know where life may take you.
As I said in my post below, it's always good to learn how to use your hands....

I think you can always make knives, especially when you have the talent that you obviously have.
Maybe it won't be your 'job' but it can be something you do on the side for some creative fun.

Still too early to have to figure that one out definitively, just keep working hard on honing your skills, and most of all, having fun.
Click to expand...

And that's my plan :)

I'm leaving for college in just a couple months so I'll be away from the forge for a few years but I'll miss it and without a doubt I will be back at it as soon as I can.
 
You guys are blowing my mind, and making me feel old!

I am so damn proud to see that there are young guys out there doing this.
I know this thread is a small sample size, but when I put it together, I honestly never thought there would be any posts from teenagers putting effort and hours into an incredible craft. Trevor seemed like an incredible rarity...

I am really glad to see that he's not.
 
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