Alan Warren . . . I think my real goal in life started when I saw my first Rudy Ruana knife. I fell in love with its beautiful functionality and solid construction. I had learned a lot of machinery skills working for my brother, and I decided that I wanted to duplicate that knife by my own hand. The first result was a little crude over what would come later, but I was proud of my success in accomplishing the construction of my first knife. I made more of these knives. The first knives were made with a 4 inch handheld grinder and took between 12 to 15 hours per blade. I used spring steel from a wrecking yard and borrowed aluminum from my brother. I made 12 of these knives and sold all but 3 which I keep for my personal archive. Now I knew what I wanted to do with my life I wanted to be a Maker - I wanted to make quality knives. I began to gather books on knife making, studied the techniques of other knife makers, and finally began to develop my own style. At first, my family and friends bought my knives, but word started to get around and pretty soon I was in business. From the very beginning I also made all my own hand stitched leather sheathes. Each knife I make is a unique design that includes a combination of beauty and solid construction. I believe that knives should be made to be functional as well as a work of art.