I'm a former police officer, but I've been a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the last 22 years. I started making knives a long time ago by the "Kit Knife" method. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I wasn't really "Making" knives so I learned to make them via the stock removal method. I saw my first forged knife at the Batson Bladesmithing Symposium and decided that was the way I wanted to make knives. I built a tire rim forge and got a piece of railroad rail for an anvil and forged my first blade. Later I built a nice shop, got a real anvil and a gas forge. I attended the introductory course at the ABS school in Arkansas and eventually got my Journeyman stamp. I've also taken the handles and guards, damascus and advinced damascus classes. I'm hoping to get my Master stamp eventually.