David Broadwell
Born in 1954, David Broadwell's interest in making knives was kindled in his twenties, working as a machinist. Picking up a worn shop file, his first attempt at grinding a knife in 1981 gave him a chill from head to toe and he thought, "I have got to do this for a living!" Fellow knifemaker, the late Bob Hajovsky, worked in the same shop and was an early source of encouragement and information. Broadwell punched his last time card in 1989 and began making fighters, sub-hilts, and bowies full-time. His intent and goal was to make knives as functional art medium, and his reputation for large, dressy fixed blades soon included flowing daggers, and elegant folders, with more sculpting, texturing, and etching and patina variations. By the mid 1990s his work was firmly focused on "art knives."
His knives are known for their flowing, organic lines, textural carving, sculpting, and meticulous fit and finish. In today\'s production-oriented world, Broadwell's work is still done individually as an artist-craftsman, primarily one-of-a-kind, commissioned pieces. Even limited editions are ground, fit, and finished by hand. Broadwell also makes one-of-a-kind fountain pens with many of the same patterned metals and materials he uses in his art knives.
To keep his metal sculpting skills fresh and growing, David stimulates his creativity with drawing classes and fine art studies. He lives in North Texas with his wife and young daughter and has two grown daughters as well. They enjoy fly-fishing, camping, bicycling, vintage pen collecting, antique browsing, and any excuse to eat out or go get ice cream.
Visit David's website at WWW.DAVID.BROADWELL.COM.