Gary Langley
Member since 2020
Vice President 2021-2023
Address:
10800 Frankie Lane
Dumas, TX 79029
Phone: (806) 290-5211
E-Mail: gll@gllangley.com
Web: gllangley.com
Bio
My Grandad gave me my first knife, a little black plastic handle with a chain on it to hook to my belt, he bought them at the Five & Dime, 10 knives for a dollar, I must of lost a couple dozen but he just kept giving them to me.
Then somewhere my Dad whittled me a knife outta redwood it was the greatest toy I ever had and I think that was the start of my knifemaking.
I spent years whittling them out of wood. Dad made a couple of knives from steel and right after I got married we built a new house, and my new neighbor Don Dollar built custom knives. I saw for the first time fit and finish, Don showed me a few books and magazines and I was off.
That’s when I first heard about the knife makers Guild and saw the work member’s were doing. I made my first in 1977, spring steel and walnut handle using a Sears belt sander clamped in a vise upside down. I still have the knife today.
It’s been a fun adventure, I took off several years raising the family and fishing with the kids, playing ball, making a living working shift at the refinery, all the time sneaking in a knife or two.
In 2013, I retired and I knew I wanted to build knives, travel, do wildlife photography, fish and play golf.
I build knives’ doing stock removal method, it’s a one man shop and I pretty much do them one at a time from start to finish.
I do batch’s for heat treating and send them to Paul Bos but as of late I have been doing a few myself.
I usually use natural materials Ironwood, Stag, Pearl and Mammoth being my favorites. I use CPM154 and CTS XHP and buy some Damascus billets from a few makers for special knives.
Back in the early 80’s I had the pleasure to spend an hour or so with D Holder and he was finishing his 1000th knife, I’m 67 now and just finished #609 so I just hope I get to make 1000 knives before I’m done.
