Snake Skinner

Bolden, Joel

I was born on July 16th, 1944 in Lackawanna, NY (just south of Buffalo). I joined the Navy in Feb. 1962 and retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8) on April 30th, 1984. I spent most of my career overseas and/or riding fast attack subs.We lived in the country, and I worked summers on my cousin's farm in North Collins, NY. Everybody in the family hunted, fished, camped, etc. My father ran a small gun business for a while. He was an avid collector of any kind of weapon. I had my first knife at six years old (Imperial Kamp King - faux Boy Scout knife). I grew up reading Kephart, Nessmuk, Olson, etc.I started making knives in 1996. I started with old Sandvik files and did them almost entirely by hand. I discovered Bob Engnath a couple years before he died, and started buying stainless blades from him. I eventually bought a small 1" x 30" grinder and started grinding 440C and ATS-34, mainly. I moved on to a Sears 2" x 42" grinder and ran that for eight years until buying a KMG a couple years ago. I still have all three and use them all.I build all kinds of different designs; some are mine and some are old, historical patterns done in modern steels/materials. I work mainly in D-2 and 154CM, but also use S-30V and BG-42 (when I can get some). I use all sorts of handle materials. Now that I'm retired, I have more time to devote to making knives. I do take orders, normally only for my own designs, but I prefer to build and sell my own."