ABOUT ME
Hello, and Thank You for visiting Ed Clarke Knives. I would like to share a little about myself here, so you might have a better idea what an Ed Clarke Knife is really about...
​
When I'm not filling knife orders or Teaching Knife Making Classes at my Home Forge, I am the Shop Manager and a Director for the William F. Moran, Jr. Museum and Historic Forge in Frederick, Md., where I perform demonstrations on Bill Moran's Forge and Teach Knife Making Classes. I am a Journeyman Smith with the American Bladesmith Society, of which I've been a member since 2008. I also Teach Knife Making for the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland.
​
Here's a little more personal info, just for fun:
​
I was fortunate enough to be born in Baltimore, Md., to two kind, loving, and intelligent parents: My Mother, an Acupuncturist and Navy "Brat" who beckons from the South, and My Father, a Lawyer and Navy Veteran of the Korean War. The youngest of four children and the only male, I am an eclectic mix of Lumbee (Cherokee) Indian, Irish, German, and a little Dutch. I got my first knife, a Victorinox "Fisherman" model, from my Dad at the age of 8 years old. To this day, I still have and use that knife. My first real job was working on a horse farm in Pennsylvania. It was there that I learned the true value and utility of a good knife-a simple yet invaluable tool. I still have the Buck folding knife my sister gave me to use on that farm, and it still smells like hay (among other things). It was during my time there that I became interested in hunting, as well as continuing my passion for fishing.
As a young child, my family often took vacations to visit with our cousins in North Carolina. My cousins there own and operate Brittenham's Rebuilding in Ahoskie, where they rebuild automotive starters, alternators, and perform repairs. I have always been fascinated with learning how things work, and the exposure to my cousins and their business, along with other factors, led me to pursue a career in automotive repair. I quickly became an ASE Master Technician, and several years later I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management & Economics. My career soon took a few turns: I was part owner of an auto repair shop, owned and operated a Cornwell Tools franchise, and ran 2 auto dealership service departments. I even got to be in a commercial (that's me, wrenching & saying "It's always free!").
I have been involved with the Martial Arts ever since I took a Jiu Jitsu class as a child at the local YMCA. Since that time, I have also studied Gung-Fu, and finally became a Black Belt in Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate, where I occasionally taught adults, teens, and children. My love of the Martial Arts exposed me to the Katana, and from there my thirst for edged weapons and tools exploded.
​
​
In my opinion, there has never been anything made by man with such beauty, purpose, and utility, as an edged tool or weapon. I simply couldn't get enough, and so, in an effort to satisfy my appetite, I took my first Blacksmithing course with the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland in 2008. Several classes later, I had joined the American Bladesmith Society, built a forge, and was making knives right here in beautiful downtown Hampstead, Md., a burgeoning mecca of modern society. Well, maybe I embellished that last part... Hampstead is a 125 year old farming community, trying to catch-up to modern times!