When Minnesota-based orthodontist David Taber, DDS, MS, PA, isn’t seeing patients in his practice, Taber Orthodontics, he can be found crafting steel knives in his spare time, according to a recent article at WinonaDailyNews.com.

Taber took up the hobby last January after attending a knife show withhis son. Since then, he has made about 50 knives, featuring stag-hornand ivory handles. Typically, he spends about 6 hours a day in his homeworkshop.

Originally, he gave his knives to friends. Now, he sells them for $100 to $200 apiece, but he is not in it for the profits.

“The idea isn’t to generate income,” he told a reporter from the Winona Daily News. “I do it to have fun. I just want to get back the cost of the materials.”

And according to Taber, there is a stronger link between orthodontics and knife making than people would assume.

“They’re equally challenging,” Taber said. “Only here, the metal’s not going in someone’s mouth.”