It shaves like a razor blade

Bill Smith has been making knives since 1959, and he doesn't plan on slowing down.

His first experience with a knife, was when he was going to college.

He was at a hardware store and asked some guys if they would let him have a quarter of their deer if he skinned and quartered it for them.

"I got three in one afternoon (deer meat)," said Smith.

That is when he realized he didn't have a good knife, so he made one using old planter blades. He was approached by a man who asked if he could buy the knife for $85.

"Back in the sixties, that was a lot of money," said Smith.

He kept the second one he made and has been using it ever since. "I have only sharpened it one time, and it really didn't need it," said Smith.

Every time Smith would make a knife, someone would buy it.

In 2000, a friend invited him to a gun and knife show. He sold out of his knives in one day.

"I call that a successful show," said Smith.

The following day at the show, he took orders for knives. He worked from dawn to dusk getting all the orders complete, but by the time he was done, he had 33 new orders.

"At one time I was 41 orders behind," said Smith.

"I don't know what I am now and don't even look anymore. I build one and just pick up the next order and say, 'okay, this is what I am going to do now.'"

Every October, Smith builds a special knife for the Salado Education Foundation.

They auction the knife to raise money for kids so they can go to college.

Smith was a school teacher for over 31 years.

He got his degree in science and art.

He is passionate about art and was even a practicing artist for a number of years. But it didn't provide a stable, monthly income, so he went into teaching. He did his last art show in 1972.

Smith has made over 3,000 knives since his first one in 1959.

"This is man-made material and this is ivory from a wooly mammoth thousands of years old," said Smith as he displayed his collection of knives at the dinner table.

Smith also dabbles in other hobbies such as wood work, ceramics and even belt making.

"A man came to me. His belt was almost torn in two. He asked if I could make him a new belt."

When Smith learned the man was a World War II Vet, he made the belt for free.

"I have had several Vietnam Vets want something," said Smith. "I couldn't charge those men."

Two soldiers approached him ten years ago and inquired about ordering a knife. When Smith told them the cost, their eyebrows shot up in surprise.

So, Smith offered for them to make their own knives and pay for the materials.

Two soldiers became four, and new soldiers started arriving to participate in "knife night."

"one of the soldiers had something come up and the others harassed him saying, 'now you aren't supposed to make plans on knife night.'"

Smith then picked up another knife from the dinner table.

"This is what's called a caping knife. It's hammer forged out of a hundred year old hammer spring. It shaves like a razor blade and it has a rib bone in it. The bone washed up in a bay in Texas."

According to Smith, a capping knife is used for chopping wood, skinning animals and cutting up cheese.

"An unsuccessful hunter lives off cheese and crackers," said Smith.

Smith's big accomplishment was was when he got a hold of the original diagram of the Bowie knife. He bought it at a gun and knife show in Arkansas.
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