All tools are designed and built in the USA using grade 304 stainless steel

thirdeyeQ  BBQ Tools ~ Designed by thirdeye

​Who is thirdeye?

Well, I'm a third generation backyard barbecuist, a food blogger, a regular member of several barbecue forums, a Moderator on the Primo Grill Forum and a Certified BBQ Judge for Kansas City Barbeque Society competitions.  I'm currently working toward my KCBS Master Judge certification.  Over the years in my spare time, I have designed and fabricated numerous tools and gadgets, some of which are displayed on this site.  I dabble in the art of charcuterie, focusing on home-cured and smoked pork products as well as fresh sausage. I have refined methods for both hot and cold smoked trout and salmon, as well as some special "light brining" techniques.  I currently cook on Big Green Eggs, Big Drum Smokers, Big Chief Smokers, and a custom Weber Smokey Joe "Tallboy".   


What's in a name?

I've been a third party welding inspector for 40 years, and "thirdeye" was a nickname I got early in my career. When the internet came about (yes I'm older than it is),  ~thirdeye~  was unique enough to be a good internet nickname.  


Where did all this start?

My interest in “online” cooking and recipe information started in the 1990’s when I subscribed to a service called Prodigy.  It had sections like news, weather, sports, politics, markets, lifestyles, shopping, games and also offered e-mail and bulletin boards on a variety of topics, some of which were cooking related.  I still have some recipes I downloaded from that site. This early information highway really grabbed me. I started my adventure in online writing with a blog site I called "my cookin' site".  The real name is  Playing With Fire and Smoke, and as of last count, my readers hail from 156 countries and military posts around the world. 


When did you get into online forums?

The early chat rooms and newsgroups were a fun place to cruise around on.  Many of them evolved into forums,  For what it’s worth I do visit some professional forums, several handgun and fishing forums, I enjoy online chess, but barbecue forums are my favorite. Over the years I’ve swapped recipes, told stories and posted a lot of photographs.  All this time I never stopped asking questions, learning from others and having a lot of fun fine tuning my cooking.

 
Why do you like making online footprints?

When I started cruising around on several barbecue forums, I really liked the atmosphere.  Forums are a great way to meet folks from all walks of life who happen to share a common interest. The interaction is what I like.  It’s really cool to read through a thread, then ask a question about a specific post and get an answer (or maybe several answers) in little or no time.  Sometimes just minutes.  In a similar fashion, starting a thread with a particular question will yield a variety of interesting responses. In addition to this website, I do maintain a Twitter account  @thirdeye_Q   as well as a business facebook page,  and I receive e-mails daily with questions about  various techniques or recipes for barbecue.