I studied philosophy in college, then took a desk job in Boston after graduation. Browsing the internet one day, I happened across the site of a custom knife dealer and was totally captivated; it had never occurred to me that knives could be made by hand, let alone that they could be an artistic pursuit. The idea ticked so many boxes for me; knives? Check. Art? Check. Fire? Check. Curiosity? Double-check.
In a major stroke of good fortune, it turned out that MASSArt offered an introductory bladesmithing class right there in Boston. I ended up taking that class back-to-back for eight consecutive terms. The teacher, ABS Master Smith JD Smith, recognized my passion and invited me to become his apprentice. I accepted gladly and worked closely with him for about three years. Toward the end of my apprenticeship I also traveled around the country learning from other teachers. My most valuable lesson from that adventure was that everyone has some insight worth learning, and it remains a central feature of my philosophy to seek out knowledge wherever I can find it.