Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnathan and Rhiannon Sibley.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Johnathan and Rhiannon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started making knives when I was about 14 years old. I became fascinated with knives when I saw a magazine about them, and I wanted to understand how they were made. I found out the hard way on many of the processes because so few knife makers at that time wanted to talk to a long-haired boy in East Texas about knife making. So it was a lot of trial and error. Back then many makers considered their knowledge to be trade secrets and feared new makers. I’ve studied the process over 30 years now and I have learned a lot. I now feel it is my duty to help share that knowledge and to teach others how to continue the art of bladesmithing.
Most of my career I have been a backyard bladesmith working under a shade tree, making the best out of what I had. But I learned I was able to do a lot even with minimal tools, and I learned to make my own tools. I’ve proven that it isn’t required that you drop thousands of dollars in equipment to make knives. Though nice equipment will absolutely make it easier and even faster. If you have the desire to make things, you have that drive to find a way to make it happen. I’ve dedicated the last 8 years or so to really building up my skills and focusing on my knife making. In 2017 I appeared on the History Channel on their show Forged In Fire and Competed, I placed 2nd and had a wonderful experience.
In April of this year (2019) I opened my own Knife Shop, The Blade Bar in Ben Wheeler, Texas. This has been a wonderful place to meet collectors and other makers. This shop has given me the opportunity to do what I love and share that with other people. I offer classes 2-3 weekends a month and have a variety of knives available for purchase. This is also where I work on my custom knives, and take orders for custom knives. Every 4th Saturday of the month I drag my anvil around the front and I do Forging Demos to bring the community together and offer an opportunity for people to come from all over to see the process in which I bring these knives to life, from a bar of steel into a blade shape. We just had our first knife show out here in September and I hope to have more in the coming years.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Life brings a lot of ups and downs and they can always create bumps in the road. There have been times in my life that I have had to take a break from knifemaking for a bit. But it has always been something I have come back to, its always been a passion of mine and a great creative outlet. I enjoy the ability to create something that I know will serve someone well, and be able to be passed on for generations to come.
So no matter the bumps in the road or the breaks taken I have always returned. It is not an easy task to make knifemaking a career, and there have been a fair amount of attempts at hoping it could be my full-time job. But with a lot of support from my wife I have finally reached a point in which I am able to spend my days doing the work that I love and creating knives. If you really want something you have to think it through, and really maintain focus. You can’t just wake up one day, quit your job and wish for the best. You really have to put yourself out there, get your name out there, and do what you can to build a following to create a secure path.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business Djinn Knives is my knifemaking, I sell online as well as in our storefront in Ben Wheeler, Texas. Our storefront is called The Blade Bar. This is my workshop, as well as where I sell my hand made knives, take in custom orders, offer some woodwork and leather work, knife repair and sharpening. At The Blade Bar we offer classes for knifemaking through the stock removal method as well as a Bladesmithing class through forging a blade. These classes are open each month and can be signed up for in advance as they have limited spaces available.
Every 4th Saturday of the month we do Forging Demos to bring the community together and allow people to come from all over to see the process of making a knife. We will be hosting knife shows periodically, and we will start to carry knives from other makers as well. There are only a few custom knife shops in East Texas and we are proud to be one of them. I think my down to earth approach of making things work, and my willingness to teach and work with others sets us apart from many shops like ours. We offer an in-depth class that gives a ton of information and we work hard to help build up knife making as a community effort because we feel there is room for all of us in this industry. Everyone has something unique to bring to the table with their style and skillsets. I’m proud to see our shop grow, and to spark new interest in East Texas!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Since we are a fairly new shop out here we are constantly brainstorming for what to offer in the future and what to do next! We just had our first knife show, and we plan to have more in years to come. We will continue to build on to our classes and offer more advanced knife making class options.
We are working on some fun mini-classes for kids, home school classes, boy scout groups, etc. We plan to continue to offer our forging demos each month, and bring out other local bladesmiths to join in because we want to show that there are many ways to go about making a knife and that everyone has their own approach.
Pricing:
- Knifemaking (Stock removal) Class $600
- Bladesmithing (Forging) Class $800
- Sharpening under 8 inches $5, goes up based on size
- Custom knives starting at $200 and going up based on size, style, and materials
Contact Info:
- Address: 1593 TX-279
Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 - Website: www.DjinnKnives.com
- Phone: 9032628071
- Email: TheBladeBarTX@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.Intagram.com/TheBladeBarTX
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheBladeBarTX
- Other: www.facebook.com/DjinnDesigns
Image Credit:
Rhiannon Sibley
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