Though his works are not displayed at local art shows, Clay County native Charlie Edmondson is an extraordinary artist with a standard of excellence and an international following. Edmondson builds bowie knives in a shop at his Alexander City home. And while others might call it a sideline, building top grade knives is Edmondson’s true life’s work. 

It’s a work he discovered at age 5, when the men in his family brought him their knives to sharpen. His grandfather used to bring pieces of aluminum home from work, and a young Edmondson fashioned them into swords.