Hi,  my name is Chad Benson and I own and operate the "White Crane Forge".   This is my family and me (my hair is a lot shorter now).   I have had an interest in knives from an early age.   I made my first knife in an 8th grade shop class.   I still have that knife even though it didn't turn out so well  (it is a good reminder of where I started).   I started making knives part time in 1992.   I started by doing stock removal of 440C stainless steel and W2,  but now I forge my knives from 1084 mostly.   I do my own heat treating,  through hardened and clay coated differential heat treating (Japanese style).   Most of the knives that I have made have been given to family and friends.   Now that I have some experience behind me,  I am starting to sell some of them.   I do this on a part time basis only.   I love to take a dull,  blank bar of steel and forge it into my own creation with each piece being a one of a kind piece.   I live in Orem,  Utah,  although I have lived in Fallon,  Nevada and Omaha,  Nebraska.   I am lucky to have a great wife who understands and supports me and to have two wonderful daughters who do the same.   My bread and butter came from engineering.   I was an engineer for Novell,  Inc.  located in Provo,  Utah,  (Computer Networking) until October of 1998.   At that time I had to stop work because of complications from a 2 of brain tumors (Astrocytomas).   I tell you this not for any sympathy as I have come to terms with this and don't need or want any,  but to let you know that if you want a custom knife ordered,  it might take some time for me to get it done.   I generally don't have a lot of stock on hand as a result of this.   But keep checking back to the link "My Work" as I will keep adding new pictures of blades as they become available for sale.

I would like to give special thanks to Michael Brown who got me started.    Also to Howard Clark,  Randal Graham,  Wayne Goddard,  Ted Harris,  Don Fogg,   and Darrel Meyer,  just to name a few,   and to the many others for their valuable assistance and help in various areas blacksmithing.  Its people like these who's dedication to the art of bladesmithing make it what it is today.