Robert has lived in Fort St. John, BC since 1979 when he moved to become a Telus Technician where he worked until he retired twelve years ago. He raised his three sons there and it was only after he retired did he have the time to become a knifemaker.
When talking with him you quickly become aware of the key role knifemaking plays in his life. Robert takes a philosophical / spiritual approach to life and knifemaking. When his long time mentor, suggested it was time he got a “Makers Mark” and set up his own company, Robert named his company “Light Knives” and his mark is the sun rising over the horizon. Robert says “The name has come out of self-reflection and seeing the light that is in life instead of darkness. I use light because making a knife is to cut away the dark and the knife is revealed. It goes with my philosophy of life.”
Robert elaborates by saying, “Knifemaking has sustained me during my darkest times. My wife, Edwina, had a heart transplant in 2012, she became blind and had a long and difficult recovery. She was hospitalized for six months and it took another year and half to regain her strength and learn to live without her sight. It was during this time that I went into my shop, made knives and dreamed. What started as a hobby now has become a place for me to create art. I use knifemaking to make the world a better place. I put a lot of positive energy into each knife, so they are functional and affordable, and they make people happy.”
Robert’s knifemaking journey started when he went to the Dawson Creek Gun show in 2013 and met accomplished knifemaker, Neil Ashworth. This red bearded 6’6” high school teacher and basketball coach of Viking ancestry , tried to get Robert to take his knifemaking class, to no avail. However, after Robert’s Dad died he replaced the worn-out hickory handle on a 1920’s double bitted axe that had been in the family for generations. He gave the axe to his son, Richard, and with the remaining hickory asked Neil if he could make a knife. He made a small knife and learned the knifemaking process. It wasn’t long until he went back to Neil and made another knife from the original hickory from his Dad’s axe. Then family and friends joined him for a knifemaking session. Before long, they become friends with Robert taking Neil on a wilderness jet boat elk hunting trip and Neil mentoring him on knifemaking. Robert still gets Neil’s input into new designs.
Robert finds his biggest challenge is to let go of self-doubt and just do it. For example, a client asked him for a 17” Brisket Knife. He made two prototypes to practice on the complex and detailed grinds. First, he did a flat grind, then a ¾ S grind to hollow the blade and finally a convex grind. The final result was a very flexible blade and a happy client. A close friend wanted a set of Bowie knives in three sizes, Robert had never made a Bowie knife much less in different sizes. But he went to work and created three prototypes. He has now finished the first one, the second is ready for the handle and he has ground the blade on the third. Because Robert takes the time to do it right, new designs can sometimes take over a year.
Robert has over forty knife designs on his Website many of which are named after rivers such as Prophet, Liard, Mackenzie, Chilliwack, and Fraser. He says, “Rivers remind me of my Dad and growing up salmon fishing with him. Also I love jet boating on rivers and I have been on most of the rivers that I name my knives after. I think the characteristics of the knives often match that of the rivers. For example, my large Brisket Knife is Unchaga that means “Big River” in Cree, locally known as the Peace River.”
Robert’s technician background is reflected in his knifemaking. He likes to solve problems and he will not let a knife leave his shop unless he is proud of it. He is sells about 60 knives per year. His knives make their way across Canada, California and Missouri.
Favorite Materials – Robert likes to use Nitro-V and AEB-L steel and sometimes Damascus. For handle material, he likes G-10, Cocobolo, Ironwood, Rosewood, elk antler and stabilized moose antler.
Words of Wisdom - “I started building knives by chance. I never thought it would turn into an opportunity to create art in a knife that people wanted to buy, I am humbled. It has provided me with a good friend and mentor. I also know other knifemakers who I can share questions and answers. The key is to build relationships with accomplished knifemakers, take courses, and have fun doing it. If you want to go deeper then buy the best equipment you can afford.”
See more of Robert’s knives on his website, Instagram and Facebook
https://lightknives.com/home
https://www.instagram.com/light_knives/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/LIGHTknives/
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