He'd been a professional carpenter for years, making fine cabinetry.
But a serious injury had jeopardized his career.
While he was figuring out his life, Olson found himself in need of a good hunting knife. Since he couldn't afford to buy one, he decided to make one.
“Well, it turned out to be a lot harder than I'd imagined,” said Olson, who is in Missoula this weekend for the 13th annual Montana Knifemakers Association show and sale. “But I liked it enough to keep at it, and here I am.”
While Olson's Damascus steel knives are certainly functional as simply knives, they are art above all else, with heavily stylized blades and handles. (See them at www.olsonhandmade.com.)
“It's amazing to me, but I was 30 years old before I had a car worth as much as the knives I make today,” Olson said. “I'm just incredibly lucky to be able to do something I love and make a living at it.”
His knives are now so in vogue that he's backlogged for months with orders.
Doris Walther and her husband Jonathan met Olson years ago at a knife show in Southern California, where the Walthers lived when Jonathan worked for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA research center.
The Walthers, who eventually moved back to Missoula, where Jonathan grew up, bought some knives from Olson. One depicts aspects of space research, including the Mars Rover and the Cassini Orbiter, which circles Saturn.
Another features motifs based on blues music, one of Olson's hobbies.
In fact, he's recently started making guitars, including one on display at this weekend's show, which is being held at the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park.
“It's a lot easier, because you can just sand away your problems,” he said with a laugh.
He even has a little sign: “Will trade knives for cool guitars.”
The knife show continues on both Saturday and Sunday, with a cutting contest held on the final day.
Knifemakers Association president Bob Beaty said the show draws about 50 exhibitors, about a third of whom are professional knifemakers.
Most, however, are hobbyists like Emil Bucharsky, who traveled down from Alberta for the show. Bucharsky, after a career in stonework and tile, taught himself to make knives. Recently he's been making handles from ammonites, fossilized sea creatures whose spiral, iridescent shells are often found in southern Alberta.
“For me, it's just great to come down and see what other guys are doing,” he said while showing a visitor a knife handle made from a piece of a fossilized walrus. “There's just so many things to see that are inspiring. You see something new and you've got yourself something new to learn.”
Reporter Michael Moore can be reached at 523-5252 or at mmoore@missoulian.com
A cut above
The Montana Knifemakers Association custom show and sale continues Saturday and Sunday at the Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park, 200 S. Pattee St. in Missoula. Admission is $5. The show runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
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Dan wrote on Jun 19, 2009 11:58 AM:
" E.G. Smith is a contemporary maker who made quality reproductions of old knife's. Last I heard is is still around but due to health reasons he no longer makes knives. I met him years ago when I was going to rendezvou's with my Dad.I never did buy one of his knives , I wanted one of his Hudson Bay camp knives.Hope this helps "
Dick Stanley wrote on May 17, 2009 9:25 PM: