How long have you been a knife-maker?         
I made my first knife in 1979 so officially for 29 years.

Right, the Balisong knife, I remember the story from writing the Wikipedia entry…how long have you been a full-time custom maker?
The catalyst was cutting my thumb off! I was operated on and recovering, and I’m not one to sit around watching television, well.  A movie producer called me and said Scott Glenn was interested in using one of my knives for a new movie called: Night of the Running Man.  I told him he just cut my thumb off, but he wanted a Full Dress CQC6.  So I got some white, thermo- plastic which was about 3/16" thick and made like a gauntlet running the whole length of my arm…to make a platform to hold the knife.   While I was recuperating I thought, I could do this full time.  So whenever that movie came out (1994) would be the time frame.

What got you interested in knives?           
When I was 8, my grandfather gave me a barlow knife, and growing up in Wisconsin, going to scouts, getting my first hunting knife, were all rites of passage. I was never really a “collector” especially not in the modern sense outside of some bayonets I owned but I was into them as part of everything. 

What's your most favorite model of all that you've ever made?           
That’s a tough question.  I’d have to say the CQC6.  Yeah, no question about it, that’s my favorite of them all.

What's your least favorite model of all that you've ever made?
CQC9.  It’s not that it’s a bad knife or anything; it’s just my least favorite.

What's your latest and greatest design?           
The CQC15; it’s got all the elements I like …the recurve with the tanto point.  I wanted to achieve something and it all came together in that design.

Do you have a favorite by another maker?           
Michael Walker, all of his designs have this perfect graceful fulfilled flow of line.  They literally just “jump forward”.  What I mean by that is when I take a knife, I’ll look at it and set it down, open and look at the profile to see if it looks like it is “going to jump forward”.  All good looking designs in sports cars or fighter jets, for example have that outline in their  design: Maserati, Lamborghini, Walker Knives, my knives. They are all functional and you will hear that form follows function but if it looks good like a samurai sword for instance: it can be simplistic, elegant, beautiful, and useful.  Take the lines on a surfboard...you can look at that and determine if it’s a clunker or something that works well.  All of Walker’s knives have that!  Sorry for the ramble.

No problem at all, this is great. It leads into my next question about where do you get your ideas for a new design, or find your inspiration. For your styles, etc?           
Skateboards, muscle cars, fighter planes, lines, things with speed.  Sometimes even nature… I did not design the karambit, but I make one.  When I was researching the design I looked at predatory animals and the curves in their claws.  Did you know raptors; both birds of prey and velociraptors and tigers all have the same tip to point ratio in their claws?  It’s as if nature decided this was the most effective design.

So what do you like best about making knives?           
Grinding, I love to grind… screw drilling holes… plant me at the grinder all day and let me get filthy dirty and nasty.  I love grinding steel!

What do you like least about making knives?           
Logoing.  When I’m done grinding and polishing, bead blasting, and putting it all together… I feel like I’m finished, but the last thing to do is the logo.

Do you have a favorite material to work with? 
Titanium.

Do you have a least favorite material to work with, something you hate? 
Titanium!  Love it and hate it!

What knife-makers were your early inspirations?           
Michael Walker, he gave me a lot of help …I’d also have to add Phil Hartsfield,  and Mel Pardue.  There were others.

Now that you’re at the top of your game do you still look up to any of them? 
All of them.

Looking back over it all would you change anything?           
No, not a thing.

Do you have any advice for new knife-makers?           
Be inspired by others but be aware that the top guys are those with their own niche, not those of another maker.  Art is in the eye of the beholder, you can look at a piece of art and think it’s beautiful or it looks like something a 4-year-old did.  But there are people who will line up for what you think looks like a 4-year-old did it…build what's in your heart don’t follow the crowd.

How did you find the USN?           
I honestly don't remember, it seems like it's always been there…I’ve developed such a loyalty to it that it's become like a right arm, I can’t imagine life without it.

What's your favorite Forum?           
The Suspect Sanctum… but lately I’ve been exploring more of it than normal.  It is vital for me to get more interactive… there’s a huge pool of ideas, support, talent, etc that comes from everyone on there and we’re all so like-minded.

What’s your favorite shop music?           
That’s what I love about grinding… I usually listen to the Rolling Stones, Little Feat, or anything Southern Rock.

Do you have a favorite sports car?           
My ‘67 Camaro.

How about Movies? 
There’s so many: Last of the Mohicans, Gladiator, Snatch, 300, I know you and I were just talking about these at Solvang!

What is your favorite flavor of Mo-Hare Farms pistachios?           
Habanero

Do you have a favorite sport?
I don’t watch many sports but I’d have to say Baseball. I played it and love everything about it: the field, the smell of the glove, just everything.  My son is at that age where he is starting to play now.

Do you have a favorite sports team? 
Green Bay Packers.

You’re a fitness guy so how about a favorite exercise?           
Squats.

And I’m doing the interview so I’ll ask this next one… favorite drink? 
Lately Scotch, Johnny Walker Blue is some good stuff, even though it’s blended but if I’m out somewhere, probably a margarita.

How do you see the future of the cutlery industry?           
As far as production: companies getting more in tune with custom makers…where the custom guys design the knives.  I see them going to smaller runs of customized.  You know the USN has exposed so many people to so many more makers that the production companies could fill that niche.  So the production companies can do better by getting behind the custom knifemakers and marketing their designs to a larger audience.  On the custom side now that so many knifemakers have discovered the internet it's given them a worldwide recognition and allows them to follow their craft.  The USN has been pivotal in that, it’s so unlike the other forums.  The USN  is like a private club that screens out the riff raff...it’s a tough guy forum for tough knife eaters and the guys on the USN are the most loyal and dedicated to the people they support.

What would you like to see at the USN show or what would make it the best damn knife show, ever!  
More than knives…USN recognizes the efforts for other craftsmen who follow their dream to make the best thing in the world: whether it’s canes, leather, jewelry watches, cameras, it’s unique that we’re all of the same like-mindedness.  You can go on there and ask what’s the best anything and you’ll get the answers and whatever it is will be the highest quality.

You can say that again, we’re all driven to be the best and we’re going to make this the best show of it’s kind!  Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Ernie.
Thanks Mike.