Kevin Potter began as fine jeweler in Tucson, Arizona. He specialized in carving custom waxes and casting but also drew  the designs and set stones, essentially designing pieces from start to finish. He eventually worked into having his own line  of jewelry that was sold in stores throughout the US. Kevin gained experience using machine tools while attending The  University of Arizona, where he received a BFA in drawing/painting.  He worked in the machine shop on campus and eventually started his own machine shop where he used his tools for the production of stainless steel jewelry. He quickly decided to make silversmithing stakes. He always enjoyed using them in  college, but could never afford to purchase them. After he made his first few sets, he advertised them on Craig's list in  several cities known as artist communities: Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, etc.   Kevin always liked Otto Frei jewelry supply and contacted them about his stakes. They liked them and decided to carry   his line of stakes. Gradually he began to make other tools and started the Potter USA website with the help of a friend   who was a retired computer programmer.