Bladesmiths

[mahtay]

Hi all,
new to the site as a posting member, but have been looking for a while.

I am in SEQld and looking for a bladesmith.
I wish to actually do classes, but for now I need to hook up with one.

Any ideas?

Many Thanks
mahtay

[Mike Blue]

Mahtay,

I don't fault your desire, but might I suggest spreading out the things to learn first then easing into blades. Find the local blacksmiths group and introduce yourself. They may even have a course to introduce all the needful things to know. There's nothing wrong with telling everyone what your goal is, but break down the variety of skills into smaller bits so you don't get overwhelmed. Just learning to start and operate a fire without burning steel is handy to know. Then how the metal moves at what temperatures. Practice by making a simple tool set (tongs, punches, hacks, hot cuts, hardies) (and I should mention Tool Acquisition Disorder as a warning) which will help later when you move toward blades. You'll also need some heat treatment basics. See, when you break down what's involved there are a bunch of things to know.

Good luck

Mike

[MickR]

You could look up Waylands Forge. I believe they're SEQ based. There are others around, but I don't recall their names. Why don't you slip out to the Abbeystowe Medieval fair (this weekend coming I believe) and talk to the Blacksmiths out there. Just be wary of a blacksmith bloke who might be there, whose name is Steve Quinn. He took my down payment on a commission job and failed to deliver. Never responded to attempts to contact him and never refunded my down payment. Something may have happened to him though, I wouldn't know. He may have gone out of business or something.
Anyway there are about three different 'smithies that operate at the fair, go and spend a day enjoying the festival and talk to the 'smithies while you're there.


Mick

[mahtay]

Thanks guys,
Mike, I have no doubt that Tool Acquisition disorder is going to be a problem, and be sure I have the perfect antidote (cold beer after forging!)
But at the moment I have a niche-market small hand-sharpening service going that is a little bit more popular than I thought it would be. Part of the service is a written report on any faults with the knife that may need repair. Of course they all want me to organise the repairs and the most common things that I have no idea about are handle repair/restoration and twisted blade straightening.
I will take on board what you have said because it is really hard to find any bladesmiths around-I wish I lived in America where they know how to advertise themselves!
Black siths here I come-blame Mike and Mick!!!!!
Cheers guys and keep the ideas coming!
Mahtay

[mahtay]

You could look up Waylands Forge. I believe they're SEQ based.

The only guys named this were in England. Any other clues?
Cheers

[MickR]

Sorry mate, that information was a few years old now. I have one of their business cards here somewhere. Obviously no longer current. What is it about handle repair that has you defeated mate? I only ask as I've just not three days hence finished a handle repair (as well as a re-profile of a cracked blade and resharpen) on an old half tang Vitorinox butcher knife. It wasn't worth the effort as there was a bad patch of rust that affected the blade and a small section of the edge, but the owner wanted me to do what I could, so I did. He was happy with it, so I suppose, in the end, that's all that matters.


Mick

[mahtay]

Cheers,
the rivets are coming apart or have fallen off on some knives. The handle wood is coming off the tang and gunk is building up inside.
I don't know where to start-pull em off, clean and put back on? Belt the bejesus out of the rivets to put them back in?
As i said-no clues and can't find any info online. Any advice or links would be much appreciated.
mahtay

[MickR]

Ok. New rivets might be able to be had from the AKC AKC Mailorder (Australasian Knife Collectors). I've just had a quick look at the website, and couldn't find them on there, so just shoot them an email or give them a call. Keith and Joan are both very nice people. You can most definately get new scales for those knives from the AKC.
If you want to try and save the scales already on the knives, you're going to have to drill them out. Centre punch each one in the middle and use a smaller size drill bit to start with. Or use a drillbit about the same size as the rivet head and shallow drill just the head of the rivet, then get a drive punch onto the rivet shank and push it out with a few judicious taps of a hammer. You may end up having to destroy the scales anyway. They may have been fixed on with epoxy as well as rivets. Let me know how you go. Adam G will also be able to give you advice if he is around. He is making knives more regularly than I am and may have improvements on my own methods.
If I'm around and you feel like dropping in for help with them, let me know. I'm just over the bridge from Redcliffe. Not too far away from you I don't think. I'll PM you my details if you want them.


Mick

[mahtay]

Please do Mick, it would be good to get in contact with someone nearby and in the know!
Cheers
mahtay