Joel started making custom knives in 1989. Joel is self taught. He became a full time maker in 1991 starting out with fixed blades and moving on to folders and multi blades. Joel mostly makes traditional style folders primarily multi blades and he also creates beautiful Sheffield style knives. Interestingly, the first custom knife I ever purchased was from Joel. I was living in Atlanta and while attending a gun show I met Joel and bought a single blade interframe with an Abalone inlay.