My Story
When I tell people I make custom knives, custom pens, coin jewelry, laser engraved/etched products, and the other items I make, the first question I always get is "how did you get started doing that"? It all started one day I saw a video of someone making a coin ring, which I thought was pretty neat. I've always been into making things with my hands and so I thought I want to make myself a coin ring out of a Kennedy half dollar. And so, I bought the least number of tools needed to make one. It turned out really good. The next thing I knew people were asking me to make them one, and it just snowballed from there. I bought more and better tools, started selling them online, and to date I've sod thousands of coin rings and other coin jewelry, such as earrings, cufflinks, necklace pendants, etc. Then one day I saw someone turn a pen out of wood on a lathe and thought to myself I could do that. So, I bought a lathe, some wood, and some pen parts to give it a go. The same thing happened and I started being asked to make more and more pens. It has grown from a hobby and something I liked to do for fun, into a way to earn money. The same thing happened with knife making. I've had family and friends who became knifemakers and I learned from them and from watching many, many videos online. I bought a 2x72 belt sander and a knife oven to go along with other tools already had, like a drill press and I was off and running with making knives. With blade smithing, it was a little different for me than the previous items I have been making. I already had an established hobby and wanted to add this item, so my approach was a little different than before. But the result was the same. After making one, people were asking me to make them one, and those requests just kept growing. In my knifemaking I was adding my makers mark with an electrochemical etching device I had built after watching some online videos. That was really cool to be using tools that I also made. But I eventually purchased a laser engraver for adding my makers mark to the blades I made, as well as a way to customize knives with client’s names, initials, or logos. That has given way too many other items such as stainless tumblers & wood engravings and the items I am asked to make continue growing. Making items with my hands is something I enjoy, and there is something really fulfilling to give someone something I make with my hands.