BEMIDJI — When Curtis Olson was in graduate school in Rochester, NY for music, he had no idea a magazine cover would change his life.
The music training was intense and he wanted to escape. He went to the Rochester Public Library and found an article in Sports Illustrated magazine about knifemaker Bob Loveless. He saw photos of Loveless' knives and thought, "Holy cow, these look really nice."
He then got the Bob Loveless catalog. This led him to getting other famous knifemakers’ catalogs like Ted Dowell, Corbet Sigman and Jimmy Lile. This was the beginning of Olson's interest in knifemaking.
He ordered a blade and pieces for a handle from a knifemaking company in Detroit. While fun, it wasn't quite what Olson was looking for.
He told Area Voices on the KAXE Morning Show that when he went to teach at Michigan State University, he still wished to get into knifemaking.
"I called Bob Loveless and asked him if he was taking students. He said no. He said, 'Check with Ted Dowell.' So I called Ted Dowell. He wasn't taking any students. So, I called Jimmy Lile, the maker of the Rambo knife. He said, 'What are you calling me for? You got a great guy in your backyard.'" Olson said. "He said, 'Mike Leach in Flint, Michigan. You got to call him. He's great.' So, I did, and he kindly took me under his wing."
After retiring from his teaching job in Michigan, Olson was originally planning to make canoes. However, when he got back to Bemidji, he started making knives and it took off.
Olson makes all sorts of knives including hunting knives, folding knives, carving knives kitchen knives and more. He'll buy the steel, outline the pattern and then cut it out with a bandsaw. He then drills holes in it and typically he'll heat-treat it. Then he cryogenically treats each knife, tempers them, grinds the edge blades and then puts a handle on them.
Olson said three things make a quality knife: stain resistance, edge holding ability and toughness. Olson added that the quality of steel is important, and that's why he looks for the best for his knives.
Even though he has years of experience working on knives, he always gives his complete focus on the process. He can't rely on muscle memory or simply go through the motions.
"You have to be alert. Some of these processes are very dangerous," Olson said. "You have to think about what you're doing pretty much every second because you're working with bandsaws, grinders and stuff that cuts steel. It'll cut skin real fast too."
When a knifemaker is buffing a blade, the buffer wheel can grab the blade and throw it. If a finger touches the belt while grinding a blade, a knifemaker can get a huge cut. Olson always wears safety gear, including materials to protect his vision, hearing and breathing.
Olson remains interested in knifemaking after all these years. Part of the draw is taking a piece of steel and manipulating it to become something like a knife.
"After [the] heat-treat, it's a whole different material. It's like alchemy," Olson said.
It's also about making something beautiful out of that piece of steel. It's not only a tool, but it's also something that looks good.
"You just look at that piece of steel, and you think what that represents is the evolution of so many things — a combination of steel, the whole steel industry. It's amazing," Olson said.
People can find Olson's knives at Loon Country Arts in downtown Bemidji or from his website where people can email him.
Listen to the full conversation with Olson by clicking above.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
