Ocean Springs man turning knife-making hobby into full-time job

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Greg Schob is obsessed with knives.

“If I’m not working on knives or at work, I’m on Instagram talking to other knife makers, other knife collectors,” he said with a hearty laugh.

His admiration for folding knives stems from a traditional perspective.

“I feel like there’s certain things that every man should have and carry with them which is a wallet, a knife and a watch, which I’m not wearing right now but I normally do.”

Schob’s passion started when he was a child. The first knife he made was inspired by one his father gave him.

“It’s a little rattly,” he said as he showed it off. “But I mean, I think it’s pretty good for a first knife.”

His knife-making operation that he has spent six years and lots of money building has churned out plenty of product since then.

He turns raw materials into works of art.

“I just really like working with my hands,” he said. “I really like doing it my way. I really like being my own boss and having full creative control over my artwork.”

It means more than the money he makes when he sells them.

“You know, I pour so much of my time and work into hand-crafting these things,” Schob said. “And then when somebody else finds the value in it and it’s like an heirloom item that I know will be passed down from generation to generation, that’s the most awesome feeling for me with this.”

His workshop is waiting for full-time occupation. That’ll happen in two weeks when he retires from active duty with the U.S. Coast Guard.

With the extra time, he hopes to more than double his current yearly output record of 31. However, out of the hundreds he has created, it’s easy to tell which he likes best.

“Your favorite knife is the one you just finished.”

If you want to see more of Greg Schob’s work, just check out his Instagram account @sparrow_knife_co.

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