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www.custom-knives.com).
Barry Dowe
Barry Dowe was born, raised, and has lived
most of his life, in Northeastern Illinois in communities halfway between
Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The second
of five children, his father, Alfred Dowe, was a gifted physician and surgeon.
His mother Mary was an involved and outgoing force of nature.
Wanting for little, he attended private schools
even into College where he was a Carmelite Seminarian. After his association
with that seminary ended, he graduated with a degree in History and began
working for photography studios as a portrait and wedding photographer. He
married the love of his life, Kathy Altman in 1981 and remains so today. He
has fathered two extraordinary children, Allison and David. He has owned his
own photography studio since 1988 and with the help of his wife, has supported
his family in that venture ever since. He is also a private pilot.
Around the same time he was learning to fly
he began making knives. In 1992, Barry received a piece of "junk
mail." It was a small blue pamphlet entitled Make the Knife you Carry.
It peaked his interest. He began buying supplies and books from one of the
suppliers mentioned in the text, Blades-N-Stuff, in California. He learned to
hand sand the hardened blades to a mirror finish and how to attach handles to
them. Contenting himself with this activity for a few years he continued to
read knife making books, magazine articles, and watched videos by different
makers. During this period he began grinding and modifying existing blades to
his own design. Possessing more woodworking tools than metal working tools he
began to perfect his handle designs, first on sheath knives, then in 2002, on
folding knives. Making between 20 and 30 folders a year since then, all
have sold as soon as they were offered to the public. While
the quality of his knives has improved with time, and an expanded tool
inventory, Barry is by no means resting on his laurels, but continues to
improve. He experiments with different materials and media to perfect his
unique knife designs.
Available Knives
CustomKnives.com