Brooks, Glenn

I was born and raised in Canon City, Colorado. At the young age of eight or nine, I began my knife-making career. Using whatever metal I could find, I put "my" first knife-making tools to work—my dad’s hand-operated mowing machine sickle grinder, a forge, an anvil and hammers. Helping myself to the coal pile and conning my younger sisters into turning the grinder for me, I was in business! In high school, I made my highest grades in woodworking and machining. As far as I was concerned, that was the most fun I had in school. Those two classes were the only ones, besides art, that I really liked. After I graduated, I went to Denver, Colorado and worked as a machinist, until I was drafted into the army in 1963. After my duty for "Uncle Sam" was completed, I returned to Denver and resumed my work in the machinist business. Here I met a milling machine man and in 1968, we decided to start our own business. We subcontracted aircraft parts and also made orthodontic tools. In 1986, my partner and I parted ways. I continued on my own until 1990 when the aircraft jobs began to "peter out." Needing a job, I went to work for my father-in-law on his ranch, and got back into making knives as a hobby in my spare time. These I made out of car springs and whatever wood I could find that would work for the handles. I even made a knife out of some scrap aircraft metal for my father-in-law so that he could cut the hay bales with it. As far as I know, my mother-in-law still has the knife with his old tools. During this time I met some experienced knife makers who gave me some pointers in knife making, encouraged me to work on my natural talent, and urged me to get into the business of offering my knives for sale. I am doing the work that I have wanted to do all my life—being a full-time knife maker. I have not yet found a knife that I don’t like, and receive some very challenging orders. I do my best to satisfy any and all who order from me.