Gil Hibben - Country Knives

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Gil Hibben lives and works in LaGrange, Kentucky. He is an extraordinary man who has been able to build his life around an object and a profession he truly loves – knives. Gil grew up in Wyoming, the son of a depression-era “dollar-a-day” cowboy. He began making knives part-time after his discharge from the Navy in 1956. He sold his first bowie knife for $45 and that sparked his long and famous career as a professional knife maker. While living in Seattle, WA after his Navy discharge, Gil worked as a machinist for Boeing Aircraft and learned a lot about metals and their properties. In 1964, while living in Salt Lake City, Utah, Gil started making knives full time. This was also the year Gil started making knives from the relatively new 440C steel. Although it is the industry standard now, Gil believes he was the first custom knife maker…