#5 Sharpening Story. Brad Wilson (Ol' Glory Knives)

Brad Wilson

Social Media: olgloryknives.com, Instagram

When I was 8 or 9 years old my Dad gave me my first pocket knife. I was so excited to have my own knife, a tool, a weapon, a piece of craftmanship in my pocket everyday. One day I sat on the front steps of our home sharpening my pocket knife on a wet stone for what seemed to be a couple of hours. I finally achieved a razor sharp edge. When my Dad came home from work I showed him the knife. He felt the edge and couldn't believe how sharp I had gotten it. He actually made me rub the edge on the concrete to dull it down a little because he didn't want me to hurt myself.

Over forty years later now, I am a knife maker. Although I am not a full time maker, I am the owner and maker at Ol' Glory Knives. Every spare moment I have is spent making knives and when I am not in the shop, I am thinking about and dreaming up ideas for future builds. Being a perfectionist, I find great pleasure in finishing each knife with a crisp razor sharp edge. I've used several different methods of sharpening such as free-handing on my OBM 2x72 belt grinder, a hand-held Lansky, a wet stone, a no name handheld that you can adjust the angle and a few others but none compare to the precision of the TSPROF Kadet Pro that I have now. I want every knife I make to be as close to perfect as possible and this includes a nice even, clean, razor edge.

My love of knives started as a child and continues on today and I find great satisfaction in making something that can be carried and used for a lifetime and then passed on to the next generation knowing their Dad, Mom or Grandparent carried that knife every day. A knife has the potential to become a sentimental family heirloom. Every knife is a piece of art, completely unique derived from the maker's imagination and design for a purpose. And every knife is the result of a maker investing countless hours into perfecting his/her craft and investing in the equipment required to make the knives. If you've ever thought about trying your hand at making knives don't wait. You can start with basic affordable equipment and still end up with a fantastic knife that you will know you made with your own hands.

Stay Sharp, B.Wilson