Warsaw man finds knife-making to be a relaxing hobby

Some people may not find it relaxing to stick sharp metal into a blazing forge, but Derick Fisher would say they are missing the point.

Fisher, who moved from Kansas City to Warsaw in 1994, started crafting Damascus steel knives more than six years ago, after health concerns forced him into early retirement from his plumbing career.

Fisher views the lengthy process — it can take between five and seven days to complete one knife — as a relaxing hobby.

“For me it’s a hobby, but it’s just a lot of fun,” Fisher said. “It’s relaxing because I can just sit up in my shop, nobody really bothers me, and I can just take my time and try to create.”

Fisher became interested in crafting knives after he saw a display at Triple Rivers Gunsmithing in Warsaw. He discovered that Mike Ballinger, an employee at the store, had made the knives, so Fisher asked Ballinger to teach him how to make his own. That same afternoon, Fisher went out to Ballinger’s house to start making his first blade.

“He had an interest so I said I’d help him build one,” Ballinger said.

Ballinger, a U.S. Navy veteran, has helped many people craft their first knife over the years. For first-timers, Ballinger watches closely to make sure they don’t walk away unhappy with their work.

“When I teach, I let them do it themselves to a point, but I don’t let them ruin their first project,” Ballinger said. “Most people are proud of making one knife, and then they’re done with it.”

Out of the nearly 50 people Ballinger has taught, he said Fisher is one of only two who have taken to the craft with such passion.

“I’m already addicted,” Fisher said. “I built my own forge and hydraulic press so I could make my own.”

Fisher has made hundreds of knives and sheaths out of the shop in his garage. He keeps some for himself while selling the others at gun and knife shows across the region. He has even had interested collectors contact him from as far away as New York and California.

When Fisher started forging the blades, he had no experience working with wood or steel. Now, six years later, he believes he will continue improving his craft as long as he enjoys it. He even keeps some of his botched blades under his workbench to remind him of the progress he has made and to ensure he stays humble.

“It’s an ongoing process. I’m still learning,” Fisher said. “The more you do it, the more you know how to fix it when things go wrong.”

Along with the Damascus steel knives, Fisher also crafts paring, kitchen and chef knives for his wife, Carol, although she still finds it a bit unusual that he spends nearly three hours every day working on knives in his shop.

“I never used to be a patient person, but you have to be patient to make a good knife,” Fisher said.

EVERYDAY PEOPLE
Each Monday, The Democrat will tell the story of a person with ties to the Sedalia area who isn’t in the news. They are the people involved in interesting and often meaningful endeavors that make up a community, the unsung folks you see at a grocery store or a table next to you in your favorite diner. If you have an Everyday People suggestion,  e-mail editor@sedaliademocrat.com or call 660-826-1000, ext. 222.