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David Broadwell has been an artist all of his life. As a child in school he enjoyed all of the art classes he could take, and when he entered middle and high school took both wood shop and mechanical drawing classes. Like many boys he was interested in cars, airplanes and ships, and spent a lot of time drawing them probably at the expense of his other subjects! Today he considers himself an artist still, and expresses his creativity in his knives, pens, and other functional art.
Broadwell's interest in knives goes back
to the time when he was a little boy. There are still fond
memories of dressing up in his father's blue plaid bathrobe,
taking up his cardboard shield with the Broadwell coat of arms,
and strapping on his father's Masonic dress sword. There were
dragons and dark hearted knights to slay! For several years this
interest in edged arms and tools simmered under the surface
until in his mid twenties he felt the urge to create a knife. In
1981 Broadwell took a broken file and made his first knife. With
its completion Broadwell knew this was what he wanted to do for a
living, and he worked toward that end. In 1989 Broadwell left
his job as a machinist and became a full time knifemaker.
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What goes better with fine knives than
fine pens? In 2001 Broadwell began creating writing instruments.
Many of those childhood drawings were done with fountain pens.
Like many with an artist's mentality, Broadwell had a strong
urge, almost an obsession, to give pens a try. Today Broadwell
makes both fountain and roller ball pens using some of the same
materials as his knives and with the same passion for creativity
as with all of his creations.
Broadwell has lived in Wichita Falls,
Texas, for most of his life. He is the father of 3 daughters,
and at this time spends a fair amount of his time raising his
youngest who is finishing high school and getting ready for
college. Broadwell is involved with his community. He has
participated with children's ministries at his church since his
oldest daughter was a toddler and continues to do so. He
supports some local charities with their annual fund raisers.
Broadwell has been a shooter of firearms since he was a young
teenager and has shot pistols competitively in the past.
Recreational activities include camping and fly fishing with
friends. Broadwell rides a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle
as much as possible because it's just good therapy!
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