ABOUT

Rick was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and graduated from high school in Hermitage, PA in 1977. Rick then spent four years in the U. S. Air Force, stationed mostly at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, where he trained guard, drug, and bomb-sniffing dogs. Rick first started making knives in 1984, and after moving to Montana in 1985, his interest in the craft increased. He made stainless steel hunters and utility knives until 1991, when he began forging carbon steel knives and creating damascus steel. Rick joined the American Bladesmith Society a year later. Since receiving his jouneyman smith rating in 1995, Rick’s main focus has been damascus steel, particularly mosaic and composite bar blades.

Rick attained the American Bladesmith Society Mastersmith rating in 1997, and in 2002 was selected to the Board of Directors of that organization. He has been a full-time knifemaker since 1996, except for the two month’s each fall that he operates as an outfitter in Montana’s Scapegoat Wilderness. Rick now specializes in damascus folding knives, and also enjoys making Bowie or Persian style straight knives.

Rick’s knives have been featured with photos and articles in knife publications worldwide, including appearances on the covers of Blade and Knives Illustrated magazines.