We were lucky to catch up with Jared Grant recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jared, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I am self taught, so everything I have learned to do has been through trial and error. The internet is both a blessing and a curse with the amount of knowledge available to learn a new skill.
If I were starting again, I would pay to take a professional course and utilize their knowledge to quickly refine my own pursuit, but I guess that’s also part of the journey of attempting to pursue craftsmanship!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m currently an active duty service member with a passion for the outdoors as well, so knives have always been essential tools.
I’ve deployed half a dozen times and also spent time in some amazing terrain from Alaska to Africa. I started making knives as both a way to cope with stress and help my mind to focus on a single process. With it I bring over a dozen years of armed service experience and a lifelong pursuit of the outdoors.
The things I am most proud about with making knives are some of the people who have put their trust in me when buying a knife. Whether it is law enforcement, special operations personnel, or a dad buying a tool as a coming of age present for a son or daughter, I get to be a part of those stories in a small sense, and I’m so humbled for that.
I’m a small time guy, so when people want to commission a project, they deal with me directly and I do everything I can to make sure that the style, colors, materials are exactly what they want. People get to be a part of the thing they are asking me to create and I think they really enjoy that.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Spreading the word is so crucial, helpful, and generally free! A lot of small makers of things rely heavily on word of mouth vs. utilizing big marketing. We want to invest in our own process and equipment materials, so whenever someone shares something that they think looks good on a social media platform or hands off a business card to some who they know might be interested in that artist or creative’s work, it helps bring potential new customers in.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me it’s that the thing I make has the potential to last for a long time, even after I’m gone. I have an outdoor knife that was handed down to me that has been in our family for over 100 years and it still works great.
That is the main reason why I chose the name “Legacy Blades.” I know every knife I finish has the possibility to create a lifetime of memories for someone. To me that seems a little different than where society is right now, and I’m happy to challenge the status quo.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @legacybladesnc
- Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/legacybladesNC