White, Gene E
I started making knives when I was about 13 years old, out of whatever materials I found available and could work with. I joined the U.S. Marine Corps in early 1964, and continued knife making when time permitted. I was making what I considered "marketable" knives in about 1971, and thereafter displayed, sold, and accepted custom orders at gun and knife shows wherever I was stationed and whenever I could. I retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991, after almost 28 years active service, and was able to devote more time to my knife making endeavors, mostly in the Northern Virginia area. I'm near 77 years old now, am semi-retired from knife making (now I only make what I want to make, when I want to make it), and no longer attend shows or take custom orders.