Ben (UK)

To be honest, it's pretty amazing when I think about it. Never seriously imagined I'd make a living designing EDC knives. Back then, it was purely a hobby—just tinkering around in my garage, making pocket-sized knives and tools that were both good-looking and practical. Mostly for myself, or to give to a few close friends.
The real turning point came about five years ago at a knife show in Birmingham. There was an old craftsman I'd long admired whose work was nothing short of art. I mustered the courage to show him my work. He held it in his hands for a long time, weighing it, opening and closing it repeatedly to test the feel. He said to me, “Young man, your understanding of ‘daily use’ and ‘reliability’ is straightforward and quite exceptional. You should seriously consider making more of these and letting more people see them.”
The weight of affirmation from someone who truly understood the craft was entirely different. It wasn't the polite flattery among friends, but rather... a kind of permission, or perhaps a clear signal. It instantly shattered the notion in my mind that “this is just a hobby.”
From that moment on, I truly began demanding more of myself as a designer. My focus shifted from “making a knife that feels comfortable in my own hands” to “how to blend British attention to detail with practical outdoor needs,” balancing weight, functionality, and durability. It was that perfectly timed encouragement from a fellow enthusiast that truly gave me the push I needed to transform this garage hobby into the passion-driven career I dedicate myself to today.