This Picture of Jim is taken in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. When Jim is traveling to knife shows he often takes "side trips" to other area's of the US and Canada to take Photographs. Doesn't he look cold!

Jim's knife making talents all started while he watched his step-son Brian Milford working to put a knife kit together, thinking it would be a nice way of sharing a hobby, Jim located one of the founding members of the Knifemakers Guild, R.W. Wilson , of Weirton WV., together Jim and Brian spent many weekends going to RW’s shop to learn this dying art form. Jim admires the work and the instruction of other knife makers D’alton Holder of Arizona, Hugh Bartrung From PA., Russell Easler to name a few.
As to how Jim makes each knife, he takes a bar of 440C Stainless Steel and designs the shape of each blade then using the stock removal method hand shapes the hollow grind. The most interesting blade material Jim uses is Damascus Steel. This steel is made when you take two dissimilar metals and using a forge weld the metals into one solid piece of stock then hammer it and fold the red hot metal until you get somewhere between 192 layers and 2100 layers.

When you are finished with the shape of the knife and have it heat treated you place the knife blade into acid. The acid will remove the softer steel at a different rate leaving the blade with unique patterns almost like wood grain. After the knives are heat treated he attaches the handle material, his materials of choice are Mastadon ivory, fossil walrus ivory, mother of pearl, turquoise and specialty woods such as desert ironwood and stabilized burls making each knife a separate work of art.

Jim’s new accomplishment is the design and construction of folding {liner lock} knives also using the specialty mastadon ivory and Damascus steel. Jim uses steel he has made by hand or purchases patterned steel made by Robert Eggerling and Chuck Hawes.

To further add a uniqueness to his knives Jim sends his knife along with one of his photo’s of an animal to either the engraver Bruce Shaw , California or the scrimsander Sandra Brady, they are then able to place his image onto the hand crafted knife.