My name is Gerhard Wieland. I was born in Karlsruhe (Germany) in 1950. Having finished my A-levels I decided to become a professional goldsmith. A short-termed career which was followed by a job as a dental technician. I practised this profession for quite some time until mid-year of 2008. In this year I finally made up my mind to turn my hobby into a full-time occupation. I'm married and call three grown-up children my own.

Having been an avid longbowman I was naturally introduced to knifemaking (stock removal) in 1982, but unfortunately I had to give up shooting due to an injury in 1989. Thus my knifemaking ambitions sank into oblivion as well.

The years went by filled with many enjoyable paddle trips to Scandinavia equipped with my home-build wooden canoes. Meanwhile my knifemaking enthusiasm had kept on laying dormant until the year 2004 when it all of a sudden surfaced in its most archaic manner - blacksmithing.