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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.

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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.

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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.

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I’ve now sharpened over 100,000 knives.

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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.

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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.

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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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