NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – A Lowcountry knife maker is paving the way in his industry and making history while doing it.
Quintin Middleton knows his way around a kitchen.
“My mom has four boys. She said, ‘You not going anywhere unless you know how to cook, bake. So like you need to make sure you know how to do something,’” Middleton said.
For this Lowcountry native, that something was gaining knowledge about knives by cooking and even by watching cartoons.
“I wanted to make a sword or make a knife and be like He-Man or Star Wars. And so I would take a tubing off my swing set, flatten it with a hammer and chase my brothers around the yard like, “Huhhh! I’m [Ninja Turtle’s] Leonardo,’ or something like that,” Middleton laughed.
His culinary craft continues to grow as a cut above the rest. Middleton opened Middleton Made Knives in North Charleston. It’s the first Black-owned knife shop in the country.
Each knife is custom-made with its own specialty skill. Middleton shares a standard knife takes anywhere from four to eight hours for him to craft at his home workshop in St. Stephen.
The headline on WCSC’s piece touts Quintin as opening the “First Black-owned Knife Shop”. I have no idea how to verify something like this. I understand that would be a hook for local TV news, and the knife community is less outwardly diverse than some, so it is always a good thing to highlight minority makers.
Bottom line is that if your knives are up to muster, and you conduct your business in an upright manner, the community will give anyone the respect they deserve. Quality work knows no race.
I just enjoy finding local news pieces that feature makers. Anything that gets custom knives in front of a broader audience is a good thing for everyone.
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