Christensen, Jon P

"I worked in the horticulture field while living in the Willamette Valley of Oregon until 1999, when we moved back to Montana to be closer to family. After moving back home to Montana, I knew I wanted a career change which included working for myself. My brother introduced me to a knifemaker, and I thought I'd give it a try. So in August of 1999, I picked up the Barney and Loveless book on how to make knives and tried to figure out what a ricasso was. I loved it and started making stock removal knives. A short time later, Ed Caffrey introduced me to the forged blade. I was hooked! Being able to make knives fulltime, I focused on perfecting my art, becoming an ABS Journeyman Smith in 2003 and a Master Smith in 2006. I am most proud of winning both the George Peck and B.R. Hughes awards. These awards are given by the American Bladesmith Society to the best knife submitted by an applicant for Journeyman Smith and Master Smith, respectively."