Alec Wachtman of Wachtman Knife and Tool joins Bob "The Knife Junkie" DeMarco on Episode 383 of The Knife Junkie Podcast (https://theknifejunkie.com/383 (https://theknifejunkie.com/383)). Alec started journey into metal at age 6, loving the blacksmith at Boy Scout outings and scenes of sword forging in the Hobbit movie. His first project was smithing a knife out of aluminum in his grandpa's fireplace.Wachtman got his first forge at 13 years old. After many YouTube videos and hours of trial and error, Alec made his first knife out of steel. His mother got him an apprenticeship with a local living history museum blacksmith named John King who taught him much in the coming years.After a fateful trip to Tennessee, a $200 investment, and a class at Tom and Rick Mohr's knife shop, Alec's knife making took a turn for the better. He sold his first knife at 15 and founded Wachtman Knife and Tool in 2019 at 18 years old. Alec’s knives are 100% U.S. made using U.S. material.Find Wachtman Knife and Tool at https://wachtmanknifeandtool.com (https://wachtmanknifeandtool.com) and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/wachtmanknifeandtool (https://www.instagram.com/wachtmanknifeandtool).Be sure to support The Knife Junkie and get in on the perks of being a Patron -- including early access to the podcast and exclusive bonus content. Visit https://www.theknifejunkie.com/patreon (https://www.theknifejunkie.com/patreon) for details.Let us know what you thought about this episode. Please leave a rating and/or a review. Your feedback is much appreciated. Also, call the listener line at 724-466-4487 or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) with any comments, feedback or suggestions on the show, and let us know who you'd like to hear interviewed on an upcoming edition of The Knife Junkie Podcast.To listen to past episodes of the podcast, visit https://theknifejunkie.com/listen (https://theknifejunkie.com/listen). And for professional podcast hosting, use The Knife Junkie's podcast platform of choice -- https://theknifejunkie.com/podhost (https://theknifejunkie.com/podhost).