FOWLER MAKES KNIVES, SHARPENS PROSE: Ed Fowler starts every day at his Willow Bow Ranch near Riverton, Wyoming, with 30 minutes of Henry David Thoreau. Then he moves on to tending his stock and making knives. Often there is a student on his spread from Alaska or Wisconsin, studying knife making with Fowler in the old way, master artisan teaching eager apprentice. “The days start at 9 a.m. and end at 3 a.m.,” he says. “They’re trying to learn as much as they can in a short amount of time. And there’s a lot to learn.” Apprentices sometimes sleep on the floor in his 30-by-90-feet workshop which rests on a concrete slab containing his “failed experiments,” knives that didn’t quite make the grade. Fowler is the author of two books, “Knife Talk: The Art and Science of Knife making” and “Knife Talk II: The High Performance Blade.” His next book, “Guard Coyotes and Mouse Stew,” will be available by June 1. It features his observations about ranch life, including the tale about a "guard coyote" that kept Fowler’s herds safe from other coyotes. “Other ranchers don’t believe me, but it’s true.” You can learn more at his web site.
