Taylor, Shane

"I began making knives at age twelve to have a quality working knife for use on the family ranch. I started out using a coal forge, a hammer, and an anvil. At age 23 I started experimenting with Damascus, and I've been hooked ever since. I experimented with several different steel combinations and created a variety of styles from bowies to miniatures. While trying to master the basic Damascus patterns, I was introduced to the challenges of mosaic Damascus. I am particularly interested in this form of Damascus because it offers almost limitless opportunities for artistic creativity. I began making mosaic Damascus in 1995 after hosting a hammer-in where Steve Schwarzer demonstrated his cutting-edge work in this field. In 2000, I received my Mastersmith rating from the American Bladesmith Society. The following year I was the first recipient of the Jim Schmidt Award at the East Coast Custom Knife Show in New York City. In addition, I have since been awarded Best Damascus Knife at the Blade Show twice, and won three Blade Handmade Awards."