Tell A Little About Yourself

JK Knives

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Joined
Mar 6, 2001
Messages
27,910
This is your chance to tell us a little about yourself. We did this several years ago, but there are new people here.
Here goes
I’m John, soon to turn 67 in a few weeks. I’m married to Connie, it will be 33 years in December. I have 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren, and 4 dogs.
In my former life I worked for a seal manufacturer for 37 years, until production was moved out of the county. Since then I’ve been making knives full time since 2008.
If you want to you can also explain how you chose your forum name, mine kind of explains itself.
 
Great idea! Since I’m probably the newest (of one of the newest), I’ll jump in.

I’m Michael, and just turned 50 this year. Married to Alma for more than 20 years, and we have 2 sons.

I have been in the automotive retail industry all of my life, started after graduating LSU (grew up in Louisiana). I currently manage a dealership in New Braunfels, TX. Ever since I was a young kid, I was “into” cars and motorcycles. Got into motorcycles at a very early age, and what I currently do allows me to be around cars all day long.

Got very interested in watching Formula 1 racing when I was 17 years old. I have never stopped watching, and love almost every aspect of that sport. Taken Alma and the boys to see several races, and now we are fortunate that we have a race in Austin, TX. I have a whole write up about that in the “Whatever” thread, post #8454. But that is where my screen name of “f1addict” came from. Go Tifosi!!!

Alma and I both enjoy cooking and grilling, so it is very rare that we “eat out” (even under normal circumstances). She can cook some of the best Mexican cuisine I have ever imagined, and very good at Italian, Mediterranean and Indian as well. I have quite a few Cajun dishes that I enjoy making, as well as smoking a brisket, ribs, chicken, turkey or pork on the side fire-box smoker that my brother in-law made for me 7 years ago.

Also enjoy photography, hunting and fishing. Most of my hunting is for Whitetail deer (during season of course). Started with archery hunting about a year and half ago. One doe so far, not counting the squirrel a few weeks ago. I will probably start doing more Turkey hunting, and to hunt for Elk in on my bucket list.

LOL, most of my posts are short and to the point!! Not this one!

Anyway, I want to thank John for the outstanding work he does, and creating this little corner of BF. I’ve enjoyed being here!
 
I am Andy - Married to Maggie for 29 years this past June. Two grown children and 5 grandchildren, one of them has been driving and is a Senior in High School. (2 girls and three boys).

I am in computers - now in the waning portion of my career in Software Asset Management, but I led teams of Database Administrators for almost 20 years prior. I have been at the current company for 31 years. I am 58.

I love motorcycles, drag racing and fast cars, knives, firearms, bird watching, photography, playing darts, disc golf and Jack Daniels.

I live in south central TN, but originally was born in Oklahoma and have lived in Illinois, Buffalo NY, and now down here where I intend to stay and retire.

best

mqqn
 
These are always fun.

I've been a food safety specialist of sorts for 10 years, normally focused around the microbiology lab and weighing in on production and quality practices more or less as the scientific expert for the couple different companies I've worked for. I spent 2 years in product development and process engineering for a nutritional supplement company that made products for animals and people and I specialized in developing their soft chew product line and helped build the production line they now use along with putting in the development plan for what they are now using several years later after I left the company to go back to school.

I'm currently working towards a new role along the lines of organizational health or essentially continuous improvement focusing on the people development aspect. I would love to get into consulting but the travel can be annoying as is getting into a company just to learn the ropes, especially in my area that is all industries I have little experience in and my wife is the bread-winner of the family anyway.

I used to run a bicycle race team and website that did event reviews, product reviews, and pretty much anything else I could use to leverage for sponsorship for my racing. The website was cyclingandsuffering.com but I ended that after heading back to school several years ago. I was also getting a little supplemental income as a coach and personal trainer around cycling as a USAC certified coach. It was fun but time-consuming and after moving to the other side of Michigan and then deciding to go to school I really needed to pull the plug to start a new chapter in life.

Now, I'm trying to get the Good Knife Company running bigger and better at a really weird time in our national and global history. Part of it is to gain experience so that when an opportunity arrives for something bigger I can take that plunge while also seeing how much I can grow this to where this may be the opportunity I needed to take. I believe my calling is to help people's lives through business, or work, and while doing that as a manager or leader in a company is satisfying I have a strong drive to do it from a higher-level so that's the path I've set out on through two different paths, my current primary occupation and then again through Good Knife Company. I really hope to get to the point in a few years to where my profits can help support some employees and partners but for now, just networking with some of the fine folks in the knife community has been very enjoyable and fulfilling even if the times are a bit strange to try and launch a company with such uncertainty in the economy.

My hobbies are centered around getting out of the house and now getting out of the house with the family. I suppose learning might as well be a hobby at this point as I spend a lot of time trying to absorb as much info as I can on leadership and taking care of people through business even if it's not being applied as much in my current job. I love the philosophy and psychology of what motivates and drives people along with how to influence and encourage people to want better. It is very similar to what I did as a coach but instead of being centered around sports, it's centered around work.

I'm also known for typing long messages in forum threads and emails :)
 
I've been married for 32 years, we have a grown son (25 years old). He's finishing up his Masters this year in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He's a good man with a kind heart, a better person than I'll ever be.

I served in the USAF in the late 80's, now I work for the largest electrical contractor in NH.

In my spare time, I've been known to tinker with knives.
 
Some ending to that race at Silverstone, huh, f1addict f1addict ? I was on the edge!

I'm a bit on the younger side for the knives I carry/collect at 32. Focusing mainly on traditional patterns came from being around my dad and grandfather. They always had a pocket knife on them.

I'm a construction inspector, mainly structural but also roadway. I've been doing this for just over 11 years now, and it's a decent gig. I'm not confined to a cubicle, I don't have anyone constantly over my shoulder, and the work provides multiple challenges to keep me engaged. Plus, I can carry as many knives as I want and no one cares.

I've grown up in and continue to live the in the New Orleans area. Four and a half years ago or so, my then-pregnant, then-wife and I bought a house in our home town about 25 minutes from the city. Unfortunately, our marriage didn't work, and it's been really rough for me these past couple of years. I'm pushing on, though, doing everything I can to provide for and be there for my baby girl. I've lived with some kind of grief, anxiety, or pain for most of my life, so I'm not exactly in a new spot, just a bit different.

I grew up around sports cars, race cars, and cameras. I started shooting when I was 8, and by the time I was 13 or so, my dad and I were shooting local races. I also had the opportunity to have some seat time in a racing kart in my pre-teen years that was a lot of fun. I still shoot from time to time, but the camera hobby took a hit when my father passed in 2011. Initially, I lost the motivation, but life happened and the camera went to the wayside a bit.

My knife interests were reinvigorated in 2013 or so when I wanted a new pocket knife. Initially looking for (and buying) a modern knife, I stumbled upon BF. After exploring what the site had to offer, I immediately found my love for traditionals. I've owned a bunch and still have quite a few, but it's always been an evolving collection where some go out and some come in with some quicker than others. My buying has almost completely stopped since the divorce, but I still carry, use, and admire my collection daily. I've always got time for window shopping, too!

It's good to hear everyone's stories. Keep on keeping on, everyone! All the best.
 
Wurrwulf Wurrwulf — Yes, Silverstone had quite the ending. The final 3 laps had me jumping up a down and yelling at the TV. It’s the first time I recall seeing the winner coming across the finish line with a flat tire and sparks flying everywhere!
 
My name is Sean and I turned 51 in June. I have two kids (22 year old in the Navy and 24 year old who works for the Health Department) from a previous marriage and I’m engaged to be married again. That was scheduled for October but we pushed it out until May of next year because of COVID. My fiancée has a daughter who lives with us and we have 2 dogs as well.

I work as a security consultant and have a background in design and engineering of low voltage systems (structured cabling, AV and security). I am also a part time police officer. My job is pretty interesting and allows me to travel quite a bit (not so much recently).

I enjoy hunting, fishing and camping as well as knives, guns, bows and cooking. I have always loved knives and found BF in 2009. Shortly after joining I found a post about a “gathering” that this knife maker who went by Stomper hosted at his house. I noticed that he lived fairly close and thought that it was cool that he did this. I bought my first JK shortly after that (a Kephart with orange scales and matching fire steel) and would come to own many more JKs and attend many gatherings myself over the past 11 years. The gatherings are the basis for countless fond memories and my JKs still see regular use, remaining favorites even as my knife collection grew to the point that it is easier to weigh than count.

More recently I have been bitten by the sword bug (I now have 7 of them) and have been doing some backyard bottle cutting as one of the things to help me recover from a back surgery I had 6 weeks ago. While I do feel like a bit of a nerd doing it I also very much enjoy it and don’t really care what the neighbors think. My recovery has been going well and the neurosurgeon is optimistic that I will make a full recovery.

I don’t drop by here as much as I used to but do lurk a bit. This post also reminds me that I likely need another JK.
 
Bill here. Married to Gemma(formerly of the Philippines)- 3rd and final marriage. Three kids and one grandchild. I grew up spread between my parents in a middle size city in western Virginia and my grandparents homestead in SW Va.

I have been in IT/Datacenter Operations since '85. First married at 19 so family life is all I have ever known. At 54, I am looking for an early out to the Philippines, hopefully by 60.

lmalterna- at one time was the taxonomic name of my favorite reptile pet- Lampropeltis Mexicana Alterna- Gray Banded Kingsnake of Texas and northern Mexico.

Knives for me are tools/toys, just like axes, saws and hammers. I have ones that work and some that are just a pleasure to own, carry and use lightly.

My life has been ebb and flow. Have eaten at some 100.00 plus steak houses and have slept in my truck living off of dry Cornflakes. Make the most of what you have and experience everything you can. We only get one go 'round.

Hobbies right now are taking care of my house, my Mom's house, gardening, building my self reliance and spending time with my wife.
Bill
 
Hello, I'm Kim, 54 I was born and raised in the NE corner of Oklahoma 50 miles North of Tulsa. Joined the Navy right after I
turned 17, got out at 21 and started working on cars, paint and body. I now travel world wide doing paintless dent repair on hail damaged vehicles, I've worked on 4 continents. Me and my wife Marilyn just had our 20th anniversary on the 18th. Together we have 3 boys and 2 girls, 5 grandchildren.
My dad, a WW2 Marine veteran of the Pacific made all 5 of his boys a knife and I thought I would like to make my boys a knife as well. Well I started out and after every one I made I was unhappy and kept saying " I can do better". Almost 2 years later I'm still perfecting my skills and just like the automotive business I will probably always strive to do just a little bit better.
My father in law helped me build a 2 x 72 grinder and also a 55# tire hammer. This winter I hope we can make a press. I love damascus and hope to get into that pretty heavy in the future.
I love learning and I will never stop trying to learn new things, my interests are many, I shoot, fly fish, kayak. If any of you are near the NE corner of Oklahoma I'd love to meet and maybe collaborate on some projects.
With my job right now I only work in the summer and since I have the winters off I felt like I needed a good hobby that was warm that I really enjoyed doing. My father in law as well as most of my family all retired from the local National Zinc smelters. My father in law worked around full time blacksmiths and he mad my first forge. I believe it would be called a rivet forge. In the beginning I had trouble finding the hotspot in the fire because it was actually not in the center of the table, therefore the name of my forge in his honor is Off Center Forge.
Thanks for reading this, I hope you have a great day and forge on !
Kim
 
  1. My name is Craig, and I have a knife problem. And you could not find a better place to explore and discuss and meet some good people here on the JK forum, and on the bigger forum too.....although I come here first. You will learn a lot.
 
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Hello, I'm Kim, 54 I was born and raised in the NE corner of Oklahoma 50 miles North of Tulsa. Joined the Navy right after I
turned 17, got out at 21 and started working on cars, paint and body. I now travel world wide doing paintless dent repair on hail damaged vehicles, I've worked on 4 continents. Me and my wife Marilyn just had our 20th anniversary on the 18th. Together we have 3 boys and 2 girls, 5 grandchildren.
My dad, a WW2 Marine veteran of the Pacific made all 5 of his boys a knife and I thought I would like to make my boys a knife as well. Well I started out and after every one I made I was unhappy and kept saying " I can do better". Almost 2 years later I'm still perfecting my skills and just like the automotive business I will probably always strive to do just a little bit better.
My father in law helped me build a 2 x 72 grinder and also a 55# tire hammer. This winter I hope we can make a press. I love damascus and hope to get into that pretty heavy in the future.
I love learning and I will never stop trying to learn new things, my interests are many, I shoot, fly fish, kayak. If any of you are near the NE corner of Oklahoma I'd love to meet and maybe collaborate on some projects.
With my job right now I only work in the summer and since I have the winters off I felt like I needed a good hobby that was warm that I really enjoyed doing. My father in law as well as most of my family all retired from the local National Zinc smelters. My father in law worked around full time blacksmiths and he mad my first forge. I believe it would be called a rivet forge. In the beginning I had trouble finding the hotspot in the fire because it was actually not in the center of the table, therefore the name of my forge in his honor is Off Center Forge.
Thanks for reading this, I hope you have a great day and forge on !
Kim

hah!
I'm Erik, 53, born & raised about 50 miles North of Oklahoma. Joined the Navy Reserve right after turning 17 and got beached at 21 for messing up my knee during a "draw-down" period. Just had my 19th anniversary at the end of Sept.
Dad was a pacific theater navy veteran between Korea and VN (54-57).
I want to build a 2x72 grinder (currently use a 2x48 from Grainger) and am working on my plans for a helve-hammer. Haven't decided if I'm going to use a DaVinci cam or a solid drive with shock absorber.

one of my hobbies for the past 30 years is historical recreation (not reenactment) with a primary focus on the viking era -- which ended in 1066 according to historians.
 
hah!
I'm Erik, 53, born & raised about 50 miles North of Oklahoma. Joined the Navy Reserve right after turning 17 and got beached at 21 for messing up my knee during a "draw-down" period. Just had my 19th anniversary at the end of Sept.
Dad was a pacific theater navy veteran between Korea and VN (54-57).
I want to build a 2x72 grinder (currently use a 2x48 from Grainger) and am working on my plans for a helve-hammer. Haven't decided if I'm going to use a DaVinci cam or a solid drive with shock absorber.

one of my hobbies for the past 30 years is historical recreation (not reenactment) with a primary focus on the viking era -- which ended in 1066 according to historians.
I built a 2x72 grinder for around 500. only thing is it's single speed as I didn't want to put 3 phase in the shop. If you have a welder this might be an option. Go Navy
 
I'm still a tad fearful about disclosing any significant personal information online...

but eventually I'll recover from my unfortunate experiences with the social media over the last couple years

and at that time I look forward to sharing a few things about Hijo de Luna, me, myself and Ay!

:)

appreciate everyone who's shared. good to get to know each of you!

JK's forum is probably my favorite here, and that is almost entirely down to JK's person AND the sort of chill folks he attracts...

plus, well, I do like his knives ;)
 
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