PEOPLE OF INTEREST
The KNIFE MAKER
JOHN BIONDO PHOTOS
79
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BY PATTIE DURHAM
JeͿ 0c&ullough has had a fascination with knives ever
since he was a small child. While spending summers at
his grandparents· 3ort 6t. /ucie home, he could be found
in the workshop using his grandfather·s woodworking tools
to create elaborate letter openers.
The 0c&ullough children, -eͿ and four siblings, grew up
in 0iami, and moved to 3ort 6t. /ucie in the 19s. As he
grew up, he continued to work in his grandfather·s shop, using
metal blades to fashion small hunting knives, something
he continued to do into adulthood. A longtime employee of
Florida 3ower /ight &ompany, 0c&ullough started out
working in a reÀnishing shop.
´, love working with my hands,µ he said. ´, have Must
always been tinkering.µ
+e and his wife, Brenda, who met in school when they
were 1, attended Fort 3ierce &entral +igh 6chool, graduating
in the 19s. When he and Brenda married, he put a
workshop behind the house so he could still create things and
kept making knives for friends and family.
´, got better at what , was doing,µ he said. ´,t spread
by word of mouth. 6omeone would contact me to make a
knife for them. Brenda is the one who suggested that , do a
Facebook page, 0c&ullough .nives. The demand was Must
intensive. We have a cabin up near Blue 5idge, *a., and ,
saw a small knife shop there. , went in and talked to the guy.
+e told me he does consignments, so , made a few knives to
send to him. They sold right away. This business is getting
bigger than , anticipated.µ
There are knives sold oͿ the shelves and out of cases in
small feed stores and at national retailer stores, and then
there are 0c&ullough knives ² handcrafted carbon steel
blades with decorative and elaborate handles ² works of art.
´, still get amazed when , create these things,µ he said. ´,t
thrills me when someone else says, ¶Wow· µ >>