Exhibiting Artist

John has always been a metals guy. As a  child, he was a tinkerer, taking things apart to see how they work, and then  trying to put them back together again. His next step  was learning all about cars, beginning as a young teenager.  He made auto mechanics his profession for many years, specializing in European makes and  models.

In 2001, John ventured into a blacksmithing meeting in Winston-Salem, NC to learn about this trade which he hoped to make his new profession.  As fate would have it, he soon met Tommy McNabb, a renowned knife-maker, and Tommy took John under his wing and began teaching him about the  art of knife-making.  Tommy is a tough teacher, never cutting John any slack, but all of those hard-as-steel lessons paid off.  Since 2004, John has been making knives in his own shop in Stokes County, NC.

In 2009, John retired from auto repair to expand his shop and work on knives on a more regular schedule. As a Journeyman Smith with the American Bladesmith Society, John is busy in the shop, constantly improving his skills as he works toward becoming a  Master Smith.