Rhea, Lin

"I’ve always appreciated the look and feel of a good knife. Being raised in a country setting, a knife was a necessity, not just for looks. When I found out about the bladesmith school in Old Washington, Arkansas, I was amazed that there was such a school. At first, I tinkered with making knives, but wasn’t happy with the results. Finally my wife, Kay, insisted that I schedule a class with the school. It was the most interesting two weeks of learning I can remember. Joe Keesler and Greg Neely shared their love for the forged blade and still are willing to offer pointers when we meet at events. A year later I was able to take the Damascus class under Bill Fiorini. People like Mike Williams, JR Cook, Roger Massey, Jerry Fisk and lots of others shared a wealth of information that money couldn’t buy. I am a member of the American Bladesmith Society with a Mastersmith rating, which I received in 2009. I’m also a member of the Arkansas Knifemaker’s Association. I don’t farm out any of the different aspects of my knives. I do ALL the work on my knives and believe this will advance my skills and set my knives apart. I offer sheaths with my hunting knives because they are hard to use without one and I make them to be used. I do have a professional leather craftsman, whose name is Kenny Rowe, make the sheaths to fit the knife, because this makes the package complete."