There are many talented people in our school who sometimes go unrecognized. Junior, Cade Cordle is one student whose talent has been kept in the dark. In Cade’s spare time, he enjoys forging and making knives to sell. Cade started making knives in his grandfather’s shop when he was ten years old, and the small hobby has consumed him ever since. 

His routine is simple; “I look for a railroad spike, spare piece of metal, or really anything that looks like it has potential to be a knife, and get to work,” said Cade. After he has selected his soon-to-be knife, he sets it in a forge, a type of hearth that is used to heat metals, and heats his selected piece until it looks ready. Then he begins simply using a hammer to pound the red-hot blob into his knife’s desired shape. After some finishing touches and elbow grease, Cade has his newly forged knife sharpened and ready to sell.            

“My goal is to be the best at whatever I do and always improve,” says Cade. However, forging isn’t the most predictable work and some metals will often come out cracked or ruined; this causes Cade some frustration and has forced him to scrap several knives in his experience. “It can be pretty upsetting, but you just keep rolling and hopefully it’ll turn out alright.”

When he isn’t making knives, Cade can be found under the Friday night lights and every wrestling match he has the chance to attend. He plans to become a welder after he graduates high school. Cade gives thanks to his grandfather for teaching him everything he knows.