Erik was a carpenter when one day in 2002 he happened on a book about knife-making. Making things, building things, anything that crossed his mind, had been an ability since his earliest childhood, and that included a knife or two, but that book, which told of Brazilian bladesmiths, made a new story unfold for him. He began forging knives in earnest in 2004; at first trying his hand out with flat knives and soon finding his groove with integral constructions. He forged Damascus and monosteel blades, often inspired by historic knives and giving them a twist. By 2016 he became a Journeyman Bladesmith; he continues to chase a clean look in fitting all the pieces, to “make the most with the least number of parts.”