InTouch with Southern Kentucky August 2020 | Page 21

“I have always been a knife
enthusiast, but it was my son’s idea
to build a website and start selling
custom knives,” Carter said.
Carter’s background in welding,
underground mining, and metal
fabrication combined with his
passion for blades made his son’s
vision a reality.
Carter said that he and his son
have fabricated one-of-a-kind knives
for people in England, Canada,
Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
“A survival instructor in Alberta,
Canada wanted a very special knife
to use while teaching his classes,”
Carter said. “The knife we made him
even had a hole drilled through it to
fit a power cord so he could repel
down mountains with it.”
Carter said that his distinctive
knives make great wedding and
anniversary gifts, as well.
“People can contact me via
phone or my website to start
the process,” he said. “There are
several decisions to be made
when collaborating on a custom
knife. Clients must select the type
of steel, handle material, and the
number of blades before I can begin
handcrafting a knife.”
Carter uses CAD drawings,
detailed 2D or 3D computer
illustrations, to display the various
components of a specific project to
potential buyers.
“Shannon’s attention to detail
is a solid factor in his approach
as a knife maker,” he said. “My
son specializes in making tactical
folding knives and has carved out a
pretty good niche for himself.”
Carter said that he has noticed
a decrease in orders over the past
four months, which he attributes to
the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People are more careful with
their funds now, which I totally
understand,” he said.
Although the father and son
specialize in custom knives, they do
have several fixed blade and folding
knives in stock, including swayback,
bushcraft, sowbelly, and sodbuster
varieties.
Carter encourages interested
parties to check out his available
inventory on his website at
bobcarterknives.com.
“Our hope is to create knives that
are both useful and collectible,” he
said.
AUGUST 2020 In Touch with Southern Kentucky • 21