Once, while speaking at an outdoor/wildlife extravaganza, I took a break to visit with a custom knife dealer who was exhibiting at the show. While I was examining a beautiful and very expensive damascus folder, an onlooker asked, "Who would spend so much (thousands) on a knife?" The vender calmly and politely raised his sleeve to reveal his watch and replied, "The man who wears a Rolex."

He then inquired as to the kind of knife the gentleman carried. The fellow quickly produced a simple pocket knife. "Was the price right?" asked the vendor. "Fourteen dollars." replied the fellow. "Does it cut?" "Yes sir!" replied the owner. The vendor then replied, "Sir, sounds to me like you've found the perfect knife for you!" With a wide grin, the fellow proudly took his knife back and returned it to his pocket.

Indeed, the passer-by had found the knife to suit his needs. Our vendor was courteous in his explanation, and everyone left feeling happy. But there are good reasons for purchasing a fine handcrafted knife. It's like picking up a flint arrow head in a plowed field, examining it closely, feeling it in your hand, and knowing that thousands of years earlier a man held the same point in his hand.

Most of what we own today is manufactured in huge quantities. Each piece is identical, the goal being to produce as many pieces as possible, as inexpensively as possible, and ultimately make as much profit as possible. As a result, we find ourselves living in a throw-away society. When something breaks it is often cheaper just to buy another rather than have the original repaired. Everything is on a schedule and faster is always better. Well, not always.

My work results in both function and beauty. While certain knives that I make may be very similar to each other, no two will ever be exactly alike. They'll be close but always unique. This is the nature of any art form. I have the freedom to experiment and sometimes stray from the norm in order to achieve the desired results.

In days past, most quality items were meticulously fabricated by master craftsmen and their apprentices. Each individual piece was a masterpiece. With every year I find myself relying less on power tools and more on straight hand-work. This has effectively slowed my processes and while my electric powered belt grinder is still important, its use is minimal. I now rely more on hand-work, such as draw-filing my bevels by hand. It takes longer, but in the end my blades are far more precise, and this extra effort is reflected in the finished piece.

In owning a handcrafted knife you own the provenance to that knife. You'll know the maker and what he put into that knife, not only in the way of physical materials, but his designs, techniques, thoughts, efforts and hours of work. My knives, damascus steel, all components, as well as the hand-stitched leather sheaths, are all made by me in my shop. Only the natural materials from nature are exempted, but even those are precisely shaped and fitted in my shop. This is often referred to as "sole authorship."

When purchasing a knife from an ABS Master Smith, you can rest assured that the maker is tested for his rank and each of his knives is of the highest quality. Expect to pay more for your one-of-a-kind handcrafted knife. You may be buying it as a collector's piece or an investment with no intention of actually using it, but should it ever be called upon to perform, you can bet that it will stand up to the task. Your knife will become an heirloom to be passed down to the next generation. A thing of beauty and usefulness, it will continue to serve them as it has served you.