Knifemaking is the building of a knife, which includes the blade, handle and other accouterments. Blades are made by either removing metal from a steel blank via a grinder – known as stock removal – and the forging to shape of hot steel into a blade in the process known as bladesmithing. Other parts, including bolsters, guards, pommels, etc., are needed to complete the finished knife.
Part of the Texas Slipjoint Cartel, Bubba Crouch shares the tools with witch he crafts his creations.
Tommy “Bubba” Crouch is a Texan through and through. In fact, he lives only minutes from Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bill Ruple, who has mentored more slip-joint knifemakers than a little bit. Crouch is one of those pupils and was also the spark in naming a merry band of talented custom makers who studied under Ruple the South Texas Slipjoint Cartel.
Crouch employs his Harig 618 automatic surface grinder for bringing parts to thicknesses pre-heat treat and for clean-up post-heat treat.
“Bill Ruple and I were sitting around one day in his shop and we were just talking about knives and such,” Bubba recalls. “We were talking about our bladesmithing friends in the Montana Mafia, so we came up with the name South Texas Slipjoint Cartel. It was mainly just to mess with our Montana knifemaking friends who’d formed such a group. We decided to make it an LLC. Our group has done many donation knives for charity events. It mainly consists of friends sharing techniques and better ways to do things. I have been blessed to have Bill Ruple five miles away and he has helped me tremendously. Other members sharing their knowledge have also been something that helped me personally.”
It can be truly said that Bubba is all cowboy and all hat. He grew up ranching, spent time on the competitive roping circuit, and even had a stint driving a cattle truck. He took up knifemaking in 2009 and credits his apprenticeship under Ruple as the key to where he is today.
Bubba uses The Outlaw grinder with the Moen platen (above) for grinding blades exclusively. “Both work well together,” he observes.
First Crouch calls out his milling machine. “The Bridgeport Mill is an adjustable speed head that I use for milling integrals, liners, relieving liners and spinning center handle pins,” he notes. As for shop grinders, he has a plethora. “My automatic surface grinder is a Harig 618. This machine I use for bringing parts to thicknesses pre-heat treat and for clean up after heat treat. The Outlaw grinder with the Moen platen is used for grinding blades only. Both work well together,” he observes. “The Northridge grinder I use for roughing out and shaping parts.
“My green grinder is made by Enrique Pena and is a great piece of equipment. The wheel and platen flip around and the back side can be used as a loose belt. The horizontal grinder is an AMK and is a necessity for making slip joints, in my opinion.”
For his main disc grinder setup, Crouch uses a Hardcore model for cutting blade tangs and fitting handle material into the liners. The flat disc is homemade for thinning and flattening handle material.
Last but not least on the grinder front Bubba lists his disc grinders. “My main disc setup came from Hardcore and is used on cutting in the tang on the blade and for fitting handle material into the liners,” Bubba explains. “The flat disc is homemade and used for thinning and flattening handle material.”
Bubba Crouch
He has two ovens for heat treating. “My heat-treat ovens are both newer models. The Paragon Pro is a great oven that gets to tip really quickly,” he notes. “The Evenheat has been a great addition and is very accurate.”
Bubba also keeps two pantographs in his shop. “The first is an Alexander 1B that I use for inlays and cutting shields. It’s an older machine from the early 1880s,” he states. “The second pantograph is a Gorton P1-2. I use this machine for engraving my name into the blades.”
He also keeps another specialty machine for shop duty. “The Oliver drill point thinner has been converted with a table and a cupped stone to cut nail nicks in the blades,” Crouch advises, wrapping up with something no maker can do without: “The workbench came from Sam’s Wholesale Club and I have three of them—very well built for the money.”
Tony Bose said if you can make a lockback whittler, you have arrived as a knifemaker.
While the whittler is a classic pocketknife pattern that dates back at least to the 1850s, a variation on the theme incorporating both the lockback and slip joint mechanisms offers a challenge to the custom knifemaker and a delight to the owner of this intriguing style.
Custom knifemaker David Taber explains his take on the whittler as a three-blade knife with the main blade on one end and two secondary blades on the other. Simple as that. However, from definition to completed construction it’s a bit more complicated, particularly when the lockback mechanism is thrown into the mix.
“The whittler as originally designed was very functional in that the larger main blade is used for making larger cuts and the two smaller blades are for more detailed cutting,” Taber advised. “The knife is necessarily thin by design with the two small blades nestled on either side of the main blade in the closed position, which makes for a slim, pocket-friendly knife.”
Taber’s rendering of the lockback whittler features hollow-ground blades of CPM 154 stainless steel and a mammoth ivory bark handle. The main locking blade length is 3 inches and his price for a comparable piece would be $2,100. He attributes an early interest in the lockback whittler to comments made by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Tony Bose in a 2008 issue of BLADE® relating to the skill level required to make one.
BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Tony Bose (Kerry Hampton image)
“I was intrigued and called Tony,” David remembered. “That single conversation started a lasting friendship and started me collecting and eventually making knives. In later years he challenged me to make a lockback whittler and shared his pattern with me. He said, ‘If you can make one of these, David, you will have arrived.’”
Taber took on the task with gusto and through personal experience describes the challenge. “The difficulty, in my opinion, lies in centering the main locking blade in the closed position between the two slip-joint blades at the opposite end without rubbing during function. Equally difficult is balancing the two springs that operate the two slip joints on the one end and the underside of the lockbar on the other end. Think of it like a sophisticated teeter-totter,” he explained. “Care must also be taken to maintain the length, particularly the end that controls the lock tab. It has been my experience that to shorten it even the slightest amount will increase the load deflection rate and thereby make the lock tab not function properly.”
David Taber’s lockback whittler sports hollow-ground blades of CPM 154 stainless steel, stainless bolsters and a mammoth ivory bark handle. His price for a similar knife: $2,100. (SharpByCoop knife image)
The level of difficulty in making the lockback whittler contributes to its collectability, Taber says, which in turn makes the design rarer in the marketplace. “The typical collector of the lockback whittler is usually aware of the skill required to make such a knife and achieves great satisfaction from owning one,” he reasoned.
MOST DIFFICULT?
Knifemaker Luke Swenson shares a connection to Bose with Taber. The Case-Bose collaboration effort introduced Swenson to the design. “The blade configuration and the smaller blades being half the thickness of the main blade set it apart from other patterns,” he commented. “Some whittlers have a ‘catch bit’ or a piece of liner material to hold the blades apart at one end so the main blade clears, and some have a tapered wedge, commonly called a splitback. In the case of the lockback whittler, there is a full spacer that rests between the rear slip-joint blades. Also, in a lockback whittler the small blades and spacer are exactly one-third the thickness of the main blade. The main blade locks, and I believe this is for safety and allows for harder use.”
Swenson’s lockback whittler features a hollow-ground 2.8-inch blade of feather damascus forged by Mike Tyre. The fittings are 416 stainless steel and the handle is natural stag. Luke’s price for a similar piece is around $3,000. He describes the lockback whittler as “the most difficult pattern to build, even more so than a six-blade. I believe it isn’t just the combining of elements, but the springs are somewhat tricky in that you have to be paying attention—one false move, or even one over-aggressive pass on your grinder, and you’ll be making new springs. Grinding the small blades isn’t easy and requires a developed feel for getting them right. Very challenging! But if it’s right, the results are magic.”
Feather damascus forged by Mike Tyre comprises the hollow-ground blades of a lockback whittler by Luke Swenson (inset)in natural stag and integral bolsters and liners of 416 stainless. Closed length: 4 inches. Luke’s price for a similar knife: $3,000. (SharpByCoop knife image)
According to Luke, the construction of the slip joint and the lockback are completely different, at least in the opening stages. Putting the two mechanisms together with tiny parts, delicate springs and narrow tolerances tests the skills of the knifemaker in an extraordinary way. “The blades have to sit in the handle to make their tips sit in the handle,” he concluded, “and yet the nail nicks have to be accessible. That takes time and patience to get right.”
Renowned custom knifemaker Wolfgang Loerchner happened past Swenson’s table at the East Coast Custom Knife Show some time back and asked if Luke could make a lockback whittler. “This was in the March of that year, and we agreed on a BLADE Show delivery in June,” Luke laughed. “Keep in mind I’m an unknown maker, and starstruck doesn’t quite describe what I was feeling. I said, ‘Sure, I can get one built.’”
From there, Swenson went to “The Maestro,” Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bill Ruple. “He was quite amused and laughed, a little more than was polite I thought, but he agreed to help me through the process,” Luke recalled. “Like all my slip-joint making, anything I learned to do right was in Bill Ruple’s shop. He was key. I don’t believe I would have made the deadline if he hadn’t helped me. I’d send him pictures, and he’d say, ‘remake this and fit it like this instead.’”
The bottom line for the Swenson lockback whittler is its tremendous appeal. “It is a sleek, streamlined beauty,” he offered. “Like anything Tony Bose decided to do, it is elegant and feels comfortable in the hand.”
COMPLEX SIMPLICITY
When knifemaker Tim Robertson envisions his next lockback whittler project, he knows what he’s getting into. “What truly makes the lockback whittler so difficult to build is the way the springs operate,” he noted. “The slip joint is a standard arch spring pushing down on the blade tang while also lifting up at an equal force on the rear of the lockbar, keeping the blade firmly in position. Too much load on either end loosens the opposite end. In a nutshell, the springs have to be balanced between lockbar function and slip-joint function.”
According to Tim Robertson, “The lockback whittler is appealing due to the complexity of the multiple parts and simplicity of design and operation.” Note the spacer that separates the two smaller blades Robertson mentions in the story at the bottom of the closed knife at right. (Mitchell Cohen knife image)
Robertson has become well known for his lockback whittler proficiency, and two recent examples have won awards. His winners of Best Locking Folder at BLADE Show West 2022 and the 2023 Knifemakers’ Guild Best Multiblade Folder both sport CPM 154 stainless blade steel, 416 stainless frames and stag handles. His prices for similar knives would be about $2,500 each.
With a simple explanation for his foray into lockback whittlers, Robertson remarked, “I just wanted to see if I could do it. The lockback whittler is appealing due to the complexity of the multiple parts and simplicity of design and operation.”
Defining the whittler as a knife with three blades and two springs, Tim commented, “The most common types are the splitback variety with a tapered spacer separating the two pen blades. The reason for the tapered spacer is to allow clearance for the blade to fold into the handle without having to have the main blade thickness increased, and then offset ground for the clearance so that one pen blade falls on each side of the main blade.”
SIDE-BY-SIDE KNIVES
Knifemaker Rhidian Gatrill consulted friend and historian Neal Punchard on the origin of the lockback whittler. In response, Rhidian learned that the earliest examples of it were probably made in Sheffield, England, a major center of European cutlery, and later by German and American cutlers.
“It is a premium pattern and difficult to make, so not many companies took on the challenge,” Gatrill explained. “Some of the early Sheffield multiblade sportsman knives and a few rare jackknives had lockback main blades and slip-joint blades, but they are basically two knives side by side. There’s nothing quite like the lockback whittler. There are a few other pocketknives that have locking main blades and slip-joint secondary blades, but they’re not lockback knives. The electrician knives, for example, have a [locking liner] on the screwdriver blade. And there are pen-blade-release knives where the small secondary pen blade gets pushed in to unlock the main blade.”
Rhidian Gatrill’s Lockback Rhiddler captured Best Folder in the custom category at last year’s BLADE Show West. The cleverly named lockback whittler features a locking 2 7/8-inch flat-ground wharncliffe and 2-inch hollow-ground slip-joint clip and coping blades of CPM 154 stainless steel. His price for a similar knife: $2,600. (Jocelyn Frasier knife image)
Motivation to make the challenging pattern was easy for Gatrill, who won Best Folder at BLADE Show West 2023 for his lockback whittler cleverly named Lockback Rhiddler. “I like interesting mechanisms and figuring out how to make them work,” he related. “I wanted to challenge myself and see how hard it was to make. Plus, I was attending my first knife show ever, which was the Oregon Knife Collectors Association show in Eugene, Oregon, and I wanted to take something that would possibly win an award. That knife ended up winning Best Folder and Best of Show.”
Looking for examples of lockback whittlers that were striking in appearance and function, Rhidian did some research and recalls, “Like most pocketknife makers, I admire the knives of Tony Bose, Bill Ruple, Ken Erickson and other masters that came before me. I traced photos of their knives and read forum posts that give a few tips, and I asked a few questions from other maker friends that have made lockback whittlers.”
That research led to an opportunity to present a lockback whittler interpretation that resonated with the collector community. “I believe knife collectors like them for their rarity, complexity of mechanism, and interesting function of combining the lockback blade with the slip-joint blades,” Rhidian concluded. “They also look cool with the thick tang on the main blade that steps down thinner and tapers to a point. A locking blade is always a little safer than a slip joint technically, so there’s that for the user. Not many custom makers have made them, and those who do don’t make many!”
Top makers explain how they collaborate with knife companies.
The old cliché of the win-win holds a real grain of truth. Any successful partnership must be mutually beneficial, and in the knife industry the phenomenon of the collaboration has come to exemplify the upside of working together.
Years ago, a veteran custom knifemaker described his relationship with a major manufacturer as serving as the company’s research and development department. Such a description is accurate in that the manufacturer often relies on the custom maker for new design inspiration, from good looks to materials and mechanics. The collaboration has emerged in the last 35 years or so as an outstanding means of bringing innovation to the public and putting first-rate knives in the hands of the mass market.
The ins and outs, nuts and bolts, and give and take of the collaboration process raise questions for makers interested in striking deals of their own. A few comments from makers who have achieved great success on the collaboration frontier offer helpful insights.
“It goes both ways,” observed BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Terzuola, who indicated he completed his firstfactory collaboration with fellow Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Sal Glesser and the design team at Spyderco in 1989. “You can go to the company or the company can come to you depending on your notoriety. If you are just starting out, you probably have to go to the company.”
On the business side of the ledger, Suzi Terzuola takes the lead and has demonstrated proficiency in making the deal work for everyone involved. Her flair for negotiation and finding the right blend of maker-manufacturer cooperation has been demonstrated through the years as Bob has worked not only with Spyderco but also the old Camillus, Boker, Fox, Pro-Tech, Tactile Knife Co. and others.
BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Terzuola has done collaborations with many companies, including the Bob Terzuola ATCF Auto Ultimate from Pro-Tech, the BLADE Magazine 2022 Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year®. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven knife image)
“I was raised by parents with their own successful businesses,” Suzi observed, “and I saw Bob receiving passive income from Spyderco and Camillus, and of course passive income is how you survive after having only so many years to make knives. I began looking at the knife designs Bob had and tried to match the design to the company. Bob has patents lining the walls, and when he lends his name to a knife he should receive a signing bonus and a bonus against the royalties.”
In return for his design skill and the use of his name in promotions, Bob has certainly established himself as a leader among successful custom collaborators. His contribution to a company’s success has enhanced his reputation of excellence across the industry, while Suzi has forged a business posture that results in security for the future.
Knife Collaboration Contracts
The contract is the key component of a collaborative deal, and depending on the circumstances everything is negotiable. Although early agreements made among friends were sometimes done on a handshake, it has become a “best practice” to hammer out the terms of the collaboration on paper, invest in an attorney’s review, and formally memorialize the discussions. Standard royalties run roughly 5 percent of the price at which the company sells the knife.
The Terzuolas include a period of time in which the company is allowed to produce the knife; the period may be extended at maturity with the agreement of both parties. Further, there may be a requirement that the company produces a certain number of knives in a given time period, also renewable. Restrictions on wholesale pricing or discounts that affect royalties may also be negotiated.
For those considering a foray into collaborations, Bob and Suzi offer some advice: “If you’re a new maker, you shouldn’t just walk up to [the company’s] booth at a show. Make an appointment to see them because they are at the show to deal with customers. Approach a company with one or more finished designs. They want a package presented to them, a prototype or existing model, something they can hold in their hands, and in the case of a prototype it’s good to have as many innovations and design creations as you can—anything that will set the knife apart from other potential deals out there.”
Lucas Burnley has designed several iterations of his Kwaiken for Boker, including the Kwaiken Auto Frazetta.
Suzi added that a higher profile in the industry can drive success.
“We are the R&D for a knife company,” she noted, “and when you approach them for a collaboration your social media resumé is very important.”
Making custom knives since 1994, Darriel Caston has concluded collaborations with numerous companies, including CRKT, Spyderco, Boker, V Nives, Kansept Knives and more.
“I’m prolific when it comes to designs,” he affirmed. “There are probably about 300 that I will never get to making. I’m an engineer by trade and my 3D drawings are almost ready for production, and that helps with the deals. They ask for STEP files [standardized 3D model data files for CAD and 3D printing] that can go right into machining. Sometimes we work with a prototype, and sometimes we work with a knife that I have been doing for quite a while.”
According to Darriel, one significant element of the collaboration is the retention of the rights to the design.
“Anybody who wants to do a collaboration must put footprints in the sand, get their work out there and show a story,” custom knifemaker Darriel Caston observed. One of his latest designs for CRKT is the blacked-out MinimalX framelock folder, an evolution of a knife originally made for SpaceX to commemorate a rocket launch.
“You never want to give up your design,” he warned. “I would license the design to the company usually up to four or five years, and the average is three years. After that, you can discuss if you want to continue if the relationship has been good for both parties. License the design and never sell it. If a company buys the design, then they own it forever. If it became their best seller, I could never make the knife again, and I would have to stay away from anything that looks like it.”
For Caston, every deal starts with a friendly conversation. As progress is made, attorneys draw up the contract. He sees the process as straightforward, whether dealing with an American manufacturer or a company headquartered in a foreign country.
“I find the knife community for the most part to be very honorable,” he commented. “I haven’t run into any bad juju. When you want to do a collaboration, I tell people they need to have a name and a track record of good designs with people following them on social media and stuff.”
Since his first collaboration—with Spyderco in 2015—Darriel can speak with confidence regarding the potential for success.
“It would be rare for someone to take a design to a company without a history or a footprint there. They look for your story,” he noted. “Anybody who wants to do a collaboration must put footprints in the sand, get their work out there and show a story. Then it becomes easier.”
Getting A Collab Off The Ground
Darriel Caston has concluded collaborations with several companies. “I’m prolific when it comes to designs,” he affirmed. “There are probably about 300 that I will never get to making.” Now discontinued, the Squarehead was one of his early collaborations with Spyderco.
Custom maker/U.S. Marine Corps veteran Les George found early collaboration success at the SHOT Show some years back. He approached Pro-Tech a decade ago, and the association has continued since then.
“I had just finished my first batch of VECP [Value Engineering Change Proposal] mid-tech knives,” he remembered, “and I thought it would be cool to see Pro-Tech make the knife in an automatic. So, I did the CAD work to change the knife to an automatic and walked up to their booth at the SHOT Show. I asked to speak to the owner, and Dave Wattenberg came over and shook my hand. I drew a big breath and told him, ‘My name is Les George and I am a knifemaker and I have a design I think would be a great knife for you to make as an auto and I already have the CAD done would you like to see it?’ I said that all as one sentence in one breath!”
Still, a pragmatic view of the collaboration landscape demands preparation and planning. A so-called “cold call” may not meet with success.
“It depends on the company whether a direct approach will work or not,” George conceded. “Don’t walk up to a company at the BLADE Show and tell them you’re a hot maker and they should pay you to make one of your designs. Instead, walk up, introduce yourself, and show them with CAD pictures, a 3D printed model, or a real knife, and tell them why you think it would be awesome to work with them on a production project.”
When it comes to her husband Bob’s collaborations, Suzi Terzuola takes the lead and has demonstrated proficiency in making the deal work for everyone involved. An example of several overseas Terzuola collaborations is the Clap from Italy’s Maniago Knife Makers.
Les sees the components of a particular collaboration deal varying. Of course, some of the structure depends on the negotiating skills of the parties. Commonly, the compensation may revolve around a percentage of dealer or distributor pricing on each unit, and particular deals may extend as long as each party is pleased with the progress.
“Collaborations should run as long as they are profitable,” Les remarked. “Companies don’t generally kill a successful project unless there is a capacity constraint issue or something else outside hindering it. Both parties can end the deal at any time with some allowances for production to finish with the things they have in progress already. Every contract I have ever seen gives one company the rights to exclusively make a particular model. My contracts have a provision that I can make as many customs of my models as I want. In the end, it would be counterproductive to license the same model to multiple companies. The maker would be competing with himself at that point, and it’s not helping the companies.”
Priming The Pump
Award-winning maker Lucas Burnley appreciates the help of friends in establishing a firm footing for collaboration.
“In general, I’m a big fan of pulling on my network,” he said. “If you have someone you can reach out to for an introduction, that’s always a strong move. If you don’t have someone to make an introduction, you might be able to ask around and at least figure out who you need to talk to. Regardless of how you get your foot in the door, I highly recommend going to a knife show and trying to set up a meeting in person.
“A design is only one part of a collaboration,” he continued, “so bring your ‘A’ game and think about what other value you can provide for the company. I was introduced to Boker by Jens Anso and Jesper Voxnaes, and Ken Onion put in a good word for me with Columbia River Knife & Tool. I’ll be forever grateful for those introductions and the relationships behind them. I’ve been able to pay it forward a few times, and hopefully I’ll be able to do it many more times in the years to come.”
Les George’s V14 dagger design for Spartan Blades was the BLADE Magazine 2014 Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year®.
In Burnley’s experience, contracts provide compensation most often in the form of monthly or quarterly royalties based on a percentage of sales. One-time lump sum payments are also seen; however, the income generated depends on the goals of the two parties involved.
“I want my designs to run until my grandkids are old enough to thank me for my good decisions,” he laughed. “If a model is selling, I want it to keep selling. On the flip side, I will routinely ask what models we can kill if they aren’t pulling their weight.
“One caveat here is that if a design is still in production, I want to get paid for it,” he concluded. “Some companies will offer a contract for a set period of time but have the option of continuing to produce the model. I view this as somewhat akin to a one-time payout. If it works for you great; just make sure you are paying attention.”
George specifically limits the number of companies he works with in order to give the relationships the priority he believes they deserve. Consistency, he says, is huge. Real, solid collaborations are not “get-rich-quick schemes.” He remembers getting his first collaboration check in 2014 totaling a whopping $6.
“A design is only one part of a collaboration,” Lucas Burnley observed, “so bring your ‘A’ game and think about what other value you can provide for the company.” His Tuna Compact framelock design for CRKT is one of his latest collaborations. “A design is only one part of a collaboration,” Lucas Burnley observed, “so bring your ‘A’ game and think about what other value you can provide for the company.” His Tuna Compact framelock design for CRKT is one of his latest collaborations.
Times change—and checks change with good business practices, commitment, follow through, and most of all a process from contract to design and product that proves profitable for everyone.
Remembering Mike “Whiskers” Allen, known for his innovative hidden bolster automatics and collaborations with Pro-Tech Knives.
Mike “Whiskers” Allen, affable award-winning custom knifemaker and knife designer, passed away on November 8 after a short illness.
Nicknamed for his full bushy beard, the Malakoff, Texas, cutler started making knives in 1984. He made folders mostly, specializing in automatics. He suffered a stroke in 2015 that affected his right side and eyesight, so he had to retire from knifemaking. He designed a full line of autos for Pro-Tech Knives, including the BR1.7 LTD “Whiskers” Design, which opens via a nifty hidden bolster release and debuted at BLADE Show 2025.
Whiskers also made miniatures as well as swords. He was known all over the country for his reasonably priced, one-of-a-kind knives. He was a member of The Knifemakers’ Guild and the Professional Knifemakers Association (PKA) and carried Knifemaker’s Emeritus status in the Guild. He also served as PKA president during his last few years of making knives. He won at least one custom knife judging award at the BLADE Show, which he and his wife Denise attended on a regular basis.
Remembering Others The Knife Industry Has Lost:
Betty Dowell, Driving Force Behind Knifemaker Ted Dowell, Passes
B. R. Hughes, Pioneering Writer And Bladesmithing Teacher, Passes Away
Knifemakers From Around North America Came To Auburn, Maine For The 2022 New England Bladesmithing Symposium
The 12th annual New England Bladesmithing Symposium brought nearly 100 knifemakers and enthusiasts together for the first hammer-in since 2019.
The event ran from July 15-17 in Auburn, Maine at the New England School of Metalwork and featured classes and workshops galore. Throughout the weekend there was something to scratch any itch you may have had about knives.
Master Smith Lin Rhea presented a tutorial on how to make his dynamic X-Rhea knife. There were workshops on everything from how to build out your knifemaking business to forging recurves.
It was a brutally hot Saturday in the Pine Tree State, yet it didn’t dampen spirits, particularly for the main event– the Battle of the Bladesmiths. The 2-hour competition to pushed four makers to their limits, and drew the largest crowds and interest.
Learning From The Best
The classroom at the NESM is covered wall to wall with tools and other metalwork made by past students just like this.
During the afternoon I was able to drop into a few of the classes. The one I got the most out of was led by Master Smith Christoph Deringer.
Derringer class about the anatomy of the knife was a joy, particularly the care he gave answering questions. His wry sense of humor even out, like when he called flux a crutch pertaining to forge welds. In that particular case, he suggested simply listening to the metal and letting it guide you when you forge weld, no flux is needed.
He taught everyone a neat trick for adding patina to a blade, as well. The crux, you hang the knife above a piece of heated copper. Heating the copper causes it to emit gasses that rise up and patina the blade to an almost bronze color.
A Successful Weekend
It was a big weekend for the school, gathering makers from the Northeast, Eastern Canada, and even as far west as California. For NESM director Dereck Glaser, it was a successful weekend, particularly given the COVID-related lapse in the symposium the past few years.
“The school, in general, draws from around New England,” Glaser said. “I’m excited to see more Canadians here, to be honest. We can’t forget we have a whole other country on our border. I can’t be pulling students out of the Atlantic Ocean so Canada’s a really good option.”
It’s important for anyone with even a passing interest in knifemaking to visit their local school and learn. Not only can you save yourself toil and trouble, but supporting the broader community of makers helps it survive and thrive even in the lean times.
Journeyman smith Mace Vitale runs a workshop on handle shaping.
“It saves exponentially the number of years,” Glaser said. “Indebting yourself to a week and about $600 could potentially save you 3-5 years of trial and error on your own. The amount of compressed skill and support you get in 4-5 days of a course, answering those questions that’ll take 3-5 years to figure out on your own.”
Glaser said that even with the uncertain economy, he believes the future of the school and knifemaking is bright because the passion is boundless.
“The fiscal issues we’re having is making it rough. It’s 90+ percent an enthusiast kind of hobby and craft for most people,” Glaser said. “Where inflation and cost of living’s gone, everyone’s seeing a toll in the crafts. We’re even seeing it in the welding, which is an employment-based skill. But on a whole, I think the energy is still there. The love for it is greater than ever. A lot of people did a lot of things to better themselves in it through the pandemic, so I think coming out on the other end I think people are kind of stronger.”
The Passion For Knives
A nice bit of camraderie. Two of the battle contestants Leo Potter (in the hat) and Jeremy Yelle share a fun moment ahead of the contest.
As informative and enlightening as the classes were the attendee’s conversations. Everyone was excited, whether it was to learn from a particular smith, show off a piece they made, or for the battle at night, everyone was open and welcoming.
A Previous winner of the Battle of the Bladesmiths, Emiliano Carrillo (owner of Sun and Stars Forge), was particularly poetic in what he said about the process of making his own steel.
“When I started the smelt earlier in the day the sand runs through my fingers, and by the time the day’s done it’s a lump of material that can be turned into something,” the owner of Massachusetts-based Sun and Stars Forge said. “It goes from being this throwaway material to something that’s actually useful. I think that’s crazy. It really is alchemy to me. It’s addictive. You do it and it works and you do it again and again and it breaks your heart, and then you have some successes.”
The day ended with the battle. Four young smiths were tasked with turning a one-foot bar of 1084 into a complete knife in just two hours. You can read all about the contest here.
In total, the symposium was absolutely worth the trip and should be on your checklist if you’re a serious maker in the Northeast U.S. or Eastern Canada.
To learn more about the New England School of Metalwork, click here.
Dedicated in honor of the “Father of Modern” damascus—William F. Moran—the Moran Bladesmith and Artisan Academy is now a reality.
William F. “Bill” Moran, Jr., the first American bladesmith to successfully forge damascus steel blades and a founder of the American Bladesmith Society (ABS), was honored on October 16 in Middletown, Maryland, with the dedication of the Moran Bladesmith and Artisan Academy. Under the auspices of the Moran Museum & Foundation, the Academy is an impressive structure that stands less than 100 yards from Moran’s now idle knife shop.
The weather was virtually ideal as a large crowd assembled in front of the building. Director Nancy Hendrickson, mistress of ceremonies, welcomed the audience and introduced Robert Wilson, president of the Moran Foundation, who opened the proceedings with a prayer and gave an overview of the activities leading up to the dedication.
Mrs. Hendrickson next introduced the speakers for the afternoon: John Miller, burgess of Middletown; Jerry Donald, district commissioner; Jay Hendrickson, founder of the Moran Foundation and past ABS president; Joe Keeslar, past ABS president; Johnny Perry, past vice president and director of the Moran Foundation; and yours truly, a founder of the ABS and author of Master of the Forge, a Moran biography.
Jay Hendrickson uses one of Bill Moran’s favorite knives to cut the ribbon officially dedicating the Moran Academy. Looking on from left are Robert Wilson, Nancy Hendrickson and the author.
Following the oral presentations, a ribbon cutting done with a Moran knife was conducted by Jay Hendrickson, Robert Wilson and Gordon Conner, Foundation vice-president.
Mrs. Hendrickson closed the ceremony and the group enjoyed a round of refreshments that featured a cake cutting. The assemblage then toured the new building, which contains an office, classroom, museum and gift shop, and a large room where forging, grinding and related skills will be taught. The Moran shop, which is in excellent condition, will be a museum and a working smithy. A knife show was held October 15 in the space between the Moran Academy and the Moran shop, followed by an auction conducted by Robert Wilson.
FATHER of MODERN DAMASCUS Moran unveiled his eight damascus knives a half century ago at the 1973 Knifemakers’ Guild Show in Kansas City, Missouri. The knives were the hit of the show and rekindled interest in bladesmithing, which was a dying art form in America at the time. There were only about a dozen practicing smiths back then, including such notables as Bo Randall, Rudy Ruana and, of course, Moran. Under Moran’s leadership, the ABS was formed in 1976, with Moran elected president, Don Hastings, treasurer, Bill Bagwell, secretary, and yours truly, director. Moran, Bagwell and Hastings were the first three American smiths to successfully forge damascus knife blades.
Bill Moran hammers away in his knife shop in this vintage photograph. The shop stands about 100 yards from the new Academy. The knife is the ST-24, considered one of the finest Moran knives ever. (Images from William F. Moran, Jr.: “Forever A Legend”)
As the meeting broke up, Moran turned to me and said, “If we play our cards right, Bill, one of these days we could have 25 members.” Today, of course, the ABS membership is many times that number and has gone global. The Moran Academy stands as mute testimony to the fact that Bill played his cards very well indeed. Almost single-handedly, he preserved the art of bladesmithing not only in America, but around the world.
Author’s note: Jay Hendrickson, Hughes, Keeslar, Moran, Randall and Ruana all are members of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame® and the ABS Hall Of Fame as well.
The often wavy hardening line running laterally and roughly midway from one end of the blade to the other on some knives is the hamon (pronounced ha-MOAN). Most if not all blades with genuine hamons are forged and differentially hardened. The wavy line serves as a demarcation point between the softer spine for toughness above and what extends down to a hardened edge for enhanced cutting below.
Steve Sando: Classic Hunter
Steve Sando used a coffee patina to color the hamon of the 4 3/8-inch blade of 26C3 carbon steel on his classic hunter. Steve’s differential hardening of the blade resulted in a Rockwell hardness of 62 HRC on the edge and 40 HRC on the spine. Blade grind: flat. Handle material: Afzelia wood. Overall length: 9 1/8 inches. (SharpByCoop image)
Kyle Hanson: Tapered Full Tang Hunter
Not merely W2 but “Oldass W2” tool steel is the canvas for the hamon on the blade of Kyle Hanson’s tapered-full-tang hunter. Handle material: 5,600-year-old bog oak. Overall length: 8.25 inches. A leather pouch sheath (not shown) by Kenny Rowe accompanies the knife. (SharpByCoop image)
Geoffrey Baze: Chef’s Knife
ABS apprentice smith Geoffrey Baze opts for W2 tool steel to showcase the hamon on the 9.5-inch blade of his chef’s knife. The contoured bird’s beak handle is Tasmanian blackwood. (Jocelyn Frasier image edit)
John Doyle: Dress Classic Gunstock Model
While not unheard of, folders with blades sporting hamons are not all that common. John Doyle does the deed on his Dress Classic Gunstock Model with pocket clip. The 3.25-inch blade is W2 tool steel and the handle frame is African blackwood with koa inserts. Lock: linerlock. Liners: jeweled, anodized titanium. Closed length: 4.125 inches. (SharpByCoop image))
Peter Pruyn: Boning Knife
Like many makers who differentially harden their blades, Peter Pruyn used the clay-coating method for his small boning knife. The 5-inch blade is flat ground from 1095 carbon steel. The blueberry crumble resin-based scales are from Voodoo Resins and the bolster is copper. Overall length: 10.5 inches. Peter’s price for a similar knife: $450. (SharpByCoop image)
Eliott Robinson: Fighter
An apprentice to ABS master smith Sam Lurquin, Eliott Robinson nails it with the hamon on his fighter’s upswept recurve blade of U10A carbon steel. The bird’s-beak handle is Tasmanian blackwood. Respective blade and overall lengths: 5 and 9.5 inches. A quality inlaid sheath (not shown) by Jeremy Guillaume completes the outfit. (SharpByCoop image)
Brion Tomberlin: Coffin-Handle Bowie
The hamon of ABS master smith Brion Tomberlin’s coffin-handle bowie dissects the 8.5-inch W2 tool steel blade almost perfectly. Blade grind: flat. Handle material: ironwood. Overall length: 13.25 inches. Brion’s price for a similar knife: $2,200. (SharpByCoop image)
