My name is Jerry D. Partridge (Partridge Knives), and I served in the U.S. Army for 9 1/2 years, and I am a disabled veteran. I first started out by collecting knives made by Master Knifemaker Gil Hibben while I served in the military, and over the years, my knife obsession grew, and I started taking an interest in the knifemaking process.  After majoring in Graphics Design, and Drafting & Design in college, I began to design my own knives.  In 2007 I decided to contact Gil Hibben, and take one of his knifemaking classes. Since then I have set up my own shop and started making various sized skinners and fighting knives of carbon or stainless Damascus, and 440C or ATS 34 stainless steels (both plain, and fileworked).  I primarily use mammoth tooth, exotic woods (such as: ebonywood, cocobolo, kingwood, blackwood, rosewood, zebrawood, and bloodwood), sheeps horn, buffalo horn, and giraffe bone.  I sold my first knife professionally in 2007.  I am now a member of the Georgia Custom Knifemakers Guild, a Board of Director for the Florida Knifemakers Association, and a probationary member of the Knifemakers Guild.  I have sold my knives to some of the worlds top knife collectors, as well designing & making the Purple Heart Knife (featured on page 98 in the April 2009 issue of Blade Magazine).  The Military Order of the Purple Heart liked my knife so much, that they named me as their official knifemaker, and my knives are the first ever in history to carry the official seal of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.  Prices: $250 and up, depending on materials used.  Mark:  Partridge Knives logo on the blade.  My address:  PO Box 977, DeFuniak Springs, FL  32435   850-585-0458    www.partridgeknives.com   jerry@partridgeknives.com