Ironwood Burl Damascus Dagger

Berg, Lee

I made my first knife in my Grandfather's blacksmith shop when I was 12 years old while he was showing me how to use his forge and blacksmith tools on different metals. I have been hooked on knives and knife making ever since. About 40 years ago I decided to start making knives as a serious hobby; I have never considered knife making a business, but always just an enjoyable, challenging hobby and with each and every knife, trying not to make it just another functional knife, but always with the goal in mind to try and create a new and individual "Piece of Art" from raw and unique pieces of material. I retired in 1994 from my profession as an Aerospace Artist, Commercial Artist and Graphic Design Specialist, which consisted of creating artwork for several of the leading aerospace corporations in the US I have always tried to apply my artistic skill's when designing and creating unique and always "One of a Kind" knives and daggers. All my knives are entirely hand made and hand finished. Each of my knives is either forged into rough shape then hand filed, or simply hack sawed into rough shape, then hand filed into the final, finished shape, hand polished, then individually heat treated and tempered, one blade at a time. I never use an ""assembly line"" type of operation on any of my knives, but always make just one knife at a time from start to finish, this gives me better control over each and every individual step. Since I feel that the blade is truly the "Heart" of any knife, I consider this "One at a Time" concept is especially critical in my own heat treating and tempering process. I do all my own file-work, carving, etching and scrimshaw work that is used to accent many of my knives. I always do the entire knife myself, starting from a steel bar or from a custom made Damascus billet to the finished knife. Several of my knives have won "Top Awards""over the years, and have been in numerous displays throughout the US.