Raymond Cover is a life-long artist, having studied art and education in college and taught for several years. His teaching spanned all age levels, from kindergarten to college.

Ray started his embellishment career as a scrimshander,and he worked at that through his high school and college years. During the early 90's, Ray became interested in metal engraving and started tackling the learning curve. Soon he left his teaching career to work as a full time, self employed engraver. Currently, he makes between one and two sole authorship knives each year.

Though Ray creates works in several media, including sculpture, photography, scrimshaw, painting, and drawing, most of his time is spent engraving hand-crafted knives, fly-fishing equipment, and guns. He frequently inlays precious metals and stones into his work.

His philosophy on art and engraving: "I feel tradition is very important in all art forms. That being said, I don't believe tradition is the final word. Tradition teaches us what those who worked hard before us figured out. It forms a base of knowledge and technique on which we can all build." Ray forms his artwork according to the principles and elements of design. This allows him be a good designer no matter what the medium, subject or space he is using.

Ray lives and works in his home studio in the state of Missouri, but his customers and collectors are from all over the world. He has artwork displayed in galleries and homes throughout the world and has a little over a year's wait on commissioned work.