One of America's Best Knife Makers Came to Texas to Restart Life and Fight for His Art

Todd Begg’s thick hands, stained with machine-shop grime, could be mistaken for a mechanic’s.Instead, they are the hands of one of the country’s foremost craftsmen in his field - the creator of one-of-a-kind knives that buyers are willing to pay hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars to acquire.To own a Todd Begg knife is special, and his customers come from all walks of life. Business moguls who collect high-end blades to display in paneled offices. Hunters and active-duty military, including Navy SEALs, looking for knives to use in the field. Collectors who see Begg’s art purely as an investment that appreciates in value like a museum painting.In his shop inside a nondescript North Dallas office complex, Begg cradles a simple folding knife with a mirror shine. With a flick of his finger, the blade snaps open like a snake strike. He grabs another weapon off a table. It looks like the evil spawn of a hatchet and a miter saw. "I call this the Zombie Cleaver," he said, his mouth curling into a smile.  Continue reading...