This knife represents a major milestone in my knifemaking journey: my first custom folding knife. During the summer, I had the privilege of attending a class taught by Johnny Stout, one of the most respected custom knifemakers in the world. Johnny has been making knives longer than I have been alive, and the opportunity to learn directly from him was both humbling and inspiring. Going into the class, I knew I wanted to build more than just a functional folding knife—I wanted to create something that reflected my own design style while pushing the limits of my abilities.

The project began with a Damascus blade and matching Damascus backspacer, carefully laid out and profiled before moving into the complex process of fitting liners, bolsters, scales, and internal components. Folding knives require a level of precision far beyond most fixed blades, and every component must work together flawlessly. Much of the class was spent assembling, disassembling, adjusting, and refining countless small parts until everything functioned smoothly and consistently.

Because this was my first folder, I chose materials that would make the knife truly special. Rather than using standard bolster materials, I selected genuine meteorite. While beautiful, it quickly proved to be one of the most challenging materials I had ever worked with. The internal structure of the meteorite contains both strong metallic bands and more brittle mineral inclusions, and I ultimately had to remake one of the bolsters after it fractured during machining. I also chose to build a sculpted bolster rather than the simpler flat bolster used in the beginner version of the class, adding another layer of complexity to an already demanding project.

By the end of the course, approximately seventy-five percent of the knife was complete. My decision to incorporate additional custom features meant I would need to finish the remaining work back home in my own shop. There, I continued refining the knife, experimenting with blade finishes, fitting the scales, etching the meteorite bolsters, and learning how to anodize titanium. The vibrant blue anodized liners became one of my favorite details on the finished knife, providing a subtle accent that tied together the handle material and gemstone thumb stud.

The finished knife combines Damascus steel, meteorite bolsters, anodized titanium liners, and carefully selected handle materials into a piece that reflects both the lessons learned from a master craftsman and my own evolving design style. More than any specific material or feature, this knife represents growth. It marks the moment I stepped into the world of folding knives and discovered just how much there still was to learn. Even today, it remains one of the projects I am most proud to have completed.