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Farrier Business takes me to Menlo Park near Stanford University in California, It looks like 2006 is going to be a heavy load…I got 2 things going for me, 1) I’m determined and 2) Bull Headed. I’m sure my Sweeti Thinks I’m Crazy.
*(Note from Sweeti~No, I think I’m Crazy and you have 3 things going for you. 3) the backing of a good woman.)
Farrier Business keeps me busy, I’m starting to think of the 2006 OKCA Blade Show. I’ve printed 4 pictures from the web of a German Rapier being built, I just had to do it.
I sure could have used about 20 more pictures of the steps of the steps in between. But after several try’s and destroyed pieces over several days. I finally did it, Determination or just Bull headed, whatever you call it was success to build on. ~is anything ever truly mastered?” I think not”
As I work on Blades with Pattern welded designs such as Lucifer’s Lace, X&O’s, Viking constructed Blades, Etc. I test the steels, I use the swords and Knives in Hoof Knives. I use them daily, Some Damascus, Some single alloy, m2, 15n20, 1080 and Etc. I do prefer 15N20.
Rodeo season for my brothers~they usually come to stay at our place over the 4th of July, with a group of guys that compete in the same Pro Steer wrestling events with the Columbia River Circuit.
I thought this year I would make a private competition among the group. The fastest time receives the Cable Bowie knife, It was fun to do.
Sam Mackenzie out of Jordan Valley, ID Won, My Brother Carl was pissed. I don’t expect he’ll be traveling with Carl next year.
The rest of this year, when time would allow I was working on Mosaics, and patterns on blades. Also, working on Rapiers and Sabers. I really want to increase my skills on the hand forged intricate hilts. They look so good when the turnout, especially with the wider Battle blades that still have edge cutting capabilities. Not to mention the folded steel patterns that can be part of such a blade.
Lot’s of people came to the show, So many different people to meet. Both Sweeti and I enjoyed the show. Lucky for me I have a large family and my cousin Justin Seiders came by to “save the day” and buy one of my first skinning knives. (I recently thought I should call him and trade him for a more recent piece.)
When everything was over I couldn’t help thinking of how much work I needed to do to achieve the level of quality and artistic originality to stand out at the show with expert craftsmanship of individual makers.
Now the time lapses in between my stories.
Extensive Blacksmithing~Farrier Jobs for customers built over 2 Decades, But that’s another story. Maybe “Memoirs of a Horseshoer”
It’s been a long time since I have updated, So much has happened and labor spent on an endless experience of creativity, Learning, success & failures.
I will begin at winter of 2005.
My first knife show in Eugene, Oregon. Without a clue of how much preparation goes into a presentation of your pieces. ~It was just a little to late~instead of taking time on a few finished pieces I thought “oh hell” I’m taking everything and so I did. I figured everyone gets to see where I started.
So, with the support of my Sweeti, I made my first journey to the OKCA (Oregon Knife Collectors Association) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon.
My first Rapiers, a Nordic Sword, Some Skinners and some Bowies were in my inventory, not to exclude a couple of axe’s made from logging cable.
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Now practicing guards for a cutlass type blade, And working on single alloy steels. Testing in the fashion of the "Journeyman Bladesmith test", A rope cut....on a free hanging 1" manilla rope in one swipe. Chop through 2, 2X4's for toughness. Then shave hair on the arm for durability, Then put the blade tip in a vise for a 90 degree bend for a break test. It is not to break more than half way thru the blade. 5160 worked great for this.
This is what I used on a Cutlass given to Linda's adopted Moms husband Gary Shattuck, A three tier guard with a bronze pommel, 5160 blade (Spring Steel) this blade felt really good in your hand.
Fall 2004
A Las Vegas trip was planned, Linda's son Jeremy was to marry his fiancee' April at Mt. Charleston Lodge. During the visit he showed me a knife he liked to skin with, but it was too long. So I was to make a wedding present, A ladder patterned Skinner for Jeremy and a Damascus Bracelet for April. With a severe topographical etch.
Linda's son Carl received a Skinner for birthday present, Which is from the same billet as Jeremy's and also Linda has a small skinner out of the same billet too. It worked out good that way I think.
Winter 2004
Able to forge the cable....
Elk hunting with my Dad in the Blue Mountain area, I picked up a piece of 1-3/4" type 1 general purpose cable a few years ago. I planned to forge something from it after laying it in my scrap pile, James (James Cox from the Farrier supply) decided to make a blade from it.
I hesitated to do anything with it because I didn't know if I would like the pattern.~ Being just 1 alloy of steel, But after seeing the blade profiled by James, I liked the pattern.
This piece of cable I decided to forge was laying in the mountains for years. This will be my attempt at an Ax and hatchets. The huge knot was forged into 1 large plate of steel, it looked like it wanted to be a double bladed battle axe. I seen one in a video game. So I figured I would run a drift thru the top of the plate, form a hole for a handle,This cable doesn't like that. It looks like it wants to be two axes.
One took the shape of my first battle axe, Next took the shape of a throwing axe. The patterns revealed, I look into them, I'm posessed...I have to make a Saber too.
Spring 2004
Coming up on Fathers Day
I decided Dad should have a gift this year. We usually give each other a beer for a few days when I visit or vise versa. This year is different, So I wanted to give him different examples of Damascus, Steel constructed into a "D ring Bowie/ Machete, 100 layers of 01,&1084 steel, twisted for the blade, Nickel silver and carbon steel with a butterfly pattern (X) on the outside of the "D"ring guard and ladder pattern on the inside. Nonmanipulated for the pommel. This was the last blade done before the up and coming event.
Summer 2004
The long anticipated Hammer In, 3rd annual, Held at Bronks Knifeworks, A symposium I heard about at the Eugene, Oregon Knife show (O.K.C.). These guys were Master Bladesmiths so I already had a list of questions, Linda and I both attended...You get more info. with 2 people asking questions and listening. Because what one of us didn't get the other did.
We have arrived in Bothel, Washington for the "Hammer In"
(A Bladesmithing Clinic). I have to say that everyone I encountered and engaged in conversation with were meaningful to me and Linda as well I'm sure.
For the sake of compacting my scribbles to a minimum, there were 3 demonstrators.
Ed Caffrey M.B.S. , Lyle Brunkhorst, and Michael Bell
That left the biggest impressions. My eyes danced around the Bladesmith shop of Lyle Brunkhorst who put this event together, whether in collaboration with the others I don't know.
I had not seen a Bladesmithing shop before...They(Lyle and Ed) used a 30 ton hydraulic press for welding a basic billet of 80 thin layers of steel, mainly 15n20,1080, and or 1095. This is a superior Damascus combo after formed into 1 piece.
The press can contort this bar or billet and manipulate it into many types of designs. Commonly referred to as "Mosaic Damascus".
Ed Caffrey was up next with his insight and experience in this trade proved invaluable to me in every aspect. With fantastic examples of his labors, I was really trying to be careful of what I asked because I had so many questions. I really wasn't sure which ones were stupid questions, Good thing for me, every question was answered and they didn't even kick me out.
This was good!!
Michael Bell was up next with Oriental Blade construction (Katana- Shinogizukuri style)Cable, Heat treating, and composite construction. His son Gabriel also exhibited the Tanto knife.
I could write a page on every stage of moves I seen him make. His demonstration will prove to be very useful to me.
One other person I spoke with was Tom Ferry...His quest for patterns through many manipulations and multitudes of billets was very interesting to me. He showed me a dagger and I don't have enough words to describe it except it was truly, a masterpiece.
My head was swimming in so many directions with the possibilities in my own quests, Tom seen this and said "this is what I do with mosaics,
You just do your own thing."
With those words, At the end of the Symposium Tom Ferry had just refocused my perspective on this event. I learned a good many things from everybody.
The money and time was well spent and was so worth it.
Thank's guys!
