How a Craftsman Turned His Handiwork into a Cutting-Edge BusinessHe was definitely cut out for this business: Quintin Middleton shows off his chops with high-quality culinary cutware.

Blade Enthusiast Quintin Middleton.

Photos© Christopher Shane

It's a good thing no one discouraged Quintin Middleton from playing with knives as a kid. "I had a wild imagination," he says. "I would make a sword from cardboard while I was watching Conan movies. I would make anything into a sword."

It paid off. Middleton now runs his 1-year-old, one-employee company--Middleton Made Knives--out of a 12-by-16-foot shop in his backyard. But the business is more than a mere hobby for 26-year-old bladesmith Middleton. He plans to expand his Saint Stephen, S.C.-based company to include a factory that will produce his high-quality culinary knives on a larger scale.