3881 MT Hwy. 200 W.
P.O. Box 1396
Trout Creek, MT 59874
Email: troutcreekknives@yahoo.com
Our Beginning.....
In the summer of 1998, we retired, re-married, and relocated to the great Northwest, leaving behind busy schedules, crazy traffic patterns, dirty air, frustrated people, and stress levels that kill. We didn't know exactly where we were supposed to put down roots, but a severe foot injury decided that for us. We had dreams of what retirement would offer, but those dreams soon vaporized, and we were faced with reality. We needed to find something challenging, good, and fun to help cushion the coffers. After discovering there weren't too many booths at arts and crafts shows that could pique a man's interest, Gary decided he would make knives and change all that. Being an avid hunter and fisherman, he had been making knives, off and on, all during his life and just for his own use. Now was the time to begin making the challenge work for others as well for us. We both have been blessed with artistic inclinations, so making knives seemed to be a very easy journey on which to embark..
Our Current Status.....
To date, we have our "noses to the grindstone". Gary is busy making knives, and driving school bus for the Trout Creek School. Julia is always at the computer, keeping up her end of the business. Taking breaks away from the computer screen is important, so she tends to her vegetable and flower gardens, fighting off weeds and bugs, and allowing her "green thumb" to stay active. (She also sings, plays the autoharp, enjoys cooking, and doing various crafts including jewelry which incorporates antler tips. Visiting with friends, or making new ones, is one of her favorite ways to spend her time.) We are digging in for the winterk, but will be working on lining up our 2005 spring/summer/fall schedule, making contacts and solidifying arrangements for various shows and fairs. Our tentative 2005 schedule is as follow:
David Thompson Heritage Festival in Thompson Falls, MT-early May
Great Blue Heron Faire in Heron, MT-early July
Huckleberry Festival inTrout Creek, MT-second weekend in August
Noxon PTO Craft Show in Noxon, MT-first Saturday in November
Trout Creek School Christmas Bazaar inTrout Creek, MT-second Saturday in November
Sanders County Christmas Bazaar in Thompson Falls, MT-first Saturday in December
If you have questions regarding the details of the above events, please call us. We'll try to give you as much detailed info as we have available.
Our Vision.....
Our detailed vision for Trout Creek Knives seemingly takes shape, then as "life" happens, the vision changes, taking a "dog leg" here and a "jog" there, and our vision succumbs to rearrangement. Our long-ranged vision for our business is much simpler: we just want to make good, trusty knives that the average working man can afford and can use in everyday situations. We prefer to stay somewhere in that "middle ground" between the cheaper, good-looking-but-not-long-enduring box store knives, and the knives crafted for the collector which do not lend themselves to the rigors of the working man's world, nor to the budget of the working man's wallet. We will make our knives as long as our physical and mental capabilities allow us to do so. Life is short, so we are making every effort to enjoy it now, and will deal with the uncertainties of our senior years as we bump up against them. Our main goal is to satisfy the person who places one or more of our knives in his/her hands, with the knowledge that we were honest, fair, and "above board".