Business: Hooligan Kustoms
Address: 27 S. Fourth Ave., Brighton
Hours: By appointment
Founded: 2012
Contact: 720-936-9668, hooligankustoms.com
Employees: 1
Interview with Ted Thompson, owner
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
:I just wanted to see if I could make knives at first. After I decided I wanted to learn, I worked on making a few things for myself in my shop for a while. I contacted a man named Steve Rollert in Keenesburg. He’s been making knives for about 30 years and I asked him if he would show me some things. I kind of apprenticed with him for a while and now he’s one of my best friends. Over time, I collected blacksmith machines like my hammer press that are all from the 1920s to 1940s, and I use those to forge everything from handmade knives and axes to bottle openers.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
:I think it’s mostly who I am. I’m a tattoo artist, I’ve been tattooing for 20 years and I’ve been a knife maker now for 15. I combine the two in my professional life because it’s what I love to do. The knives and daggers and weapons that I make are all done by hand from heating the metal and hammering and shaping it for hours or days or weeks. The designs and detail work I engrave on the blades are all by hand as well. All kinds of people buy custom knives; from lawyers to tattoo artists.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: I work for myself. I get to work with my hands and be creative and I don’t have to worry about punching a time clock.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
:Getting people to understand how labor intensive handmade items are. People are so used to going to Walmart or getting online and buying poorly made or generically produced products that are basically worthless. I guarantee everything that I make.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
:I was on an episode of “Forged in Fire” on the History Channel in May. The producers came out to my shop and filmed last December while I made a tabar, which is a large battle ax. I worked on it for five days and ended up winning the entire competition. And this weekend I’ll be in Las Vegas for an annual weapons and martial arts convention called CombatCon.