Thank You for Your Support! Click on a Link Below to Learn More.
Thank You for Your Support!
Click on a Link Below to Learn More.
Cutting for a Cause with Matthew Parkinson & Eric Key
- DATE: October 11-12, 2025
- WHO: Anyone who wants to support Matthew’s cause
- COST: $500 tax deductible donation payable to the Autoimmune Disease Association, checks should be mailed to MASW
- CLASS SIZE: 20 people
“Cutting for a Cause” is a class based on helping Matthew generate financial help for the Autoimmune Disease Association. Autoimmune disease affects more the 23 million Americans. It is not always life threatening but can be life altering and is frequently misdiagnosed or completely overlooked. 100% of the proceeds from this class will go to the Autoimmune Disease Association to give support, help with research, and educate people on the effects of autoimmune disease.
Matthew Parkinson
Matthew’s love of cooking and culinary knives comes from his mother who is a long-time autoimmune disease sufferer. When Matthew’s own struggle with autoimmune began, cooking became a refuge for him. Through cooking, he has gained strength and desire to prepare meals for his loved ones, no matter how poorly he feels, just like his mother used to do for her family. Over the last few years, Matthew realized the best way for him to personally support the Autoimmune Disease community was by combining his love of making paring knives with his love of cooking. This workshop is based on these two concepts: with a paring knife a meal can be prepared.
eric Key
Eric Key has assisted Matthew for the last eight years. When Matthew told Eric about this workshop, Eric suggested that students make a small cutting board to go with the paring knives. The result is two incredible people, freely giving of their time for a cause which they are both passionate.
Here is the Plan
In this workshop students will make a small kitchen knife, sometimes called a “Petty Chef”. These small knives are large enough to do most of the kitchen prep, yet small enough for tasks like paring vegetables or deboning a chicken. Their small size does present some design challenges that will be covered in the class. The AEB-L stainless steel blade will have an electro etching logo which will be exclusive to this workshop. Students will make one knife that will have a Wa style octagonal handle. Students will learn the basics of good knife design, as well as how to sharpen and maintain kitchen knives. Matthew will discuss electro etching for marking as well as demonstrate how to use jigs for consistency.Â
To go with the petty knives, students will also make an end grain cutting board from native American hardwoods. The cutting board will have a finished dimension of 8” x 8”, just the right size for cheese and crackers. This busy two-day workshop will give students the opportunity to spend a weekend with both Matthew and Eric, making items for your kitchen that will last a lifetime, not to mention support a very worthy cause.
