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Lost Art: Made By Hand

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Nov 18, 2011.

  1. 62rebel
    Joined: Sep 1, 2008
    Posts: 3,232

    62rebel
    Member

    Model T springs were favored stock for making knives....


    craftsmanship is definitely NOT off topic.
     
  2. echale3
    Joined: May 13, 2011
    Posts: 26

    echale3
    Member

    That's a pretty cool video. I've done a few stock removal knives (that's the process the guy in the video uses), and doing a passable job, much less to the level this guy does, is a painstaking process.

    I've been what I like to call a semi-professional bladesmith for probably about 10-12 years, making knives with a forge, hammer, and anvil. I specialize in making knives and axes styled after 17th/early 18th century pieces and doing reproduction work, but step out of that motif from time to time.

    From the time I first took a hammer to a piece of hot steel with the intent to make a knife until I could repeatably make what I envisioned in my head from something that wasn't already a knife-shaped object was a period of several years. They guy in the film wasn't kidding around when he said it took time.
     
  3. Retro Jim
    Joined: May 27, 2007
    Posts: 3,854

    Retro Jim
    Member

    Ryan , I love watching the video ! It's incredibly interesting watch a real true Craftsman at work ! I knew a fellow that was making knifes and they were very nice . He used deer antlers and other bone material to make the handle . There is an awful lot of labor in making a good quality knife . A true art and I hope it will never die . this great country was built on making things by hand and we really need to make that turn back to when things we use were made by hand again ! Yes you will pay more but it will last you a life time and be passed along to your children .
    I did sign up for there videos to be sent to my email address .
    Thanks again for a great article !

    Retro Jim
     
  4. BStoltz
    Joined: Mar 30, 2009
    Posts: 123

    BStoltz
    Member

    Pretty awesome video!
     

  5. We have a lot in common. F&I War erea for me. Maybe I have seen some of your stuff?
     
  6. echale3
    Joined: May 13, 2011
    Posts: 26

    echale3
    Member

    Maybe so--I used to do a lot of trekking, demonstrations and reenactments in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and a little bit in Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. I was the "Spike" in "Spike's Knives".

    I also used to build flintlocks and do all the decorative woodcarving and engraving for Narragansett Armes in Indianapolis, IN, before it got sold and went downhill in flames.

    I did portrayals from F&I period to about 1790, mostly frontier trash in the later period, but I had a moderately well-to-do merchant setup for my F&I stuff...

    I got out of that for the most part when I was going through a divorce a little over 7 years ago.

    You ever do any trekking/reenacting down this way back then?
     
  7. jdustu
    Joined: Sep 1, 2008
    Posts: 728

    jdustu
    Member
    from Detroit

    Freaking killer. Inspiring Vid.
     
  8. No but I am sure we know some of the same folk. Gerry Barker was in the club I belonged to in college.


    Ryan, please keep up these entries, they rock!
     
  9. LabRat
    Joined: Jan 10, 2008
    Posts: 1,551

    LabRat
    Member

    I have a hand made knife , made for my 21st buy a friend of the family ...
    21 years later it still holds its edge and I have never sharpened it , not once .
     
  10. You know, that's cool...
    I just was looking at this last night:

    <iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/32113233?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=ffffff" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p>Handmade Portraits: The Sword Maker from Etsy on Vimeo.</p>
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 1, 2014
  11. Rogue63
    Joined: Nov 19, 2010
    Posts: 228

    Rogue63
    Member
    from New York

    Really great post ,I am a machinist by trade retired now.I have made several knives over the years and never considered selling any of them.I love makeing tools and useing.It is impressive that there are still artists out there makeing hand built items.I think that is the essence of the Hamb.Joe
     
  12. hotrodchevy
    Joined: Jan 20, 2009
    Posts: 127

    hotrodchevy
    Member

    great video thanks for shareing
     
  13. notrod13
    Joined: Dec 13, 2005
    Posts: 1,020

    notrod13
    Member
    from long beach

  14. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

    Thank you.
    I'm sending this thread to my film-maker nephew, Ben.
    I respect people that want to master their craft.
    Very well done films.
    Bill
     
  15. Just watched the video and read these posts.... it really was inspirational. I'll be having my teenage son watch that one. Seems that creativity, passion, and craftsmanship are the common binders for lots of us that enjoy making stuff! Thanks Ryan.
     
  16. Thanks for posting the film.I have made at least 50 knives but none reasently[got into hot rods] Got me thinking about it again.
     
  17. echale3
    Joined: May 13, 2011
    Posts: 26

    echale3
    Member

    Yeah, we know some of the same people, I've been at Gerry's camp plenty of times. Last I knew, he was still on that farm down around the KY/TN border, and doing a farmer interpretation at events here and there.

    He's a character, that's for sure. Was he running around barefoot back when you knew him? IIRC, he's got some skin condition from his time in VN that makes wearing shoes extremely uncomfortable.
     
  18. Mr.Rose
    Joined: Nov 16, 2006
    Posts: 6

    Mr.Rose
    Member

    Dig the video. Definitely an inspiration for how I want to live my life.
     
  19. ThirdGen
    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Posts: 451

    ThirdGen
    Member
    from Wales, ME

    Glad your bringing this back. Another great motivational story. Thanks Ryan
     
  20. amitygravel
    Joined: Dec 26, 2009
    Posts: 19

    amitygravel
    Member

    Unfortunately I can't view the video but I bet I can dig where he's coming from.
    Nothing like feeling the heat radiating off of a glowing chunk of steel as it comes out of the forge and then pounding away with the Little Giant power hammer.
    Kick on the BurrKing and yes , eye protection is a must.
    Been doing it since 1985.
    Here's some of my most recent.
     

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  21. I learned a lot from him in a short time, hell I think he was barefoot at our winter New Years Rondy!


    Nice to see so many folks that do this as well on the HAMB. I must say that I am not surprised, building a car,flintlock or knife with your hands are all similar exercises in my mind.
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2011
  22. cool37
    Joined: Jan 20, 2009
    Posts: 1,872

    cool37
    Member
    from SoCal

    very cool! These guys are amazing!
     
  23. enfieldjoe
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 839

    enfieldjoe
    Member
    from Eustis, FL

    Great video and talent, but SAFETY FIRST...need the safety glasses.
     
  24. LOWBLAZERO1
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 435

    LOWBLAZERO1
    Member

    cooking isn't my forte (hell, i once burned ramen noodles, in the microwave)
    but those are some fucking beautiful knives.
     
  25. I also am not able to view the video due to my FlashChat crashing every time I try to view something.But no matter.
    I have been collecting knives of all types for about 58 years now and I still marvel at the workmanship that goes into them.One of my oldest is a Persian jambiya that dates to the early 17th century and the workmanship is fantastic. I have folding knives that range in size from 1/2" long closed to over a foot and anywhere from one to twenty blades.
    One of my most prized is a folder made by a knifemaker in Wyoming Rhode Island named Jason Williams.It was his 14th knife and was made when he was 19 years old.A pic is enclosed.
    I bought my first knife at 10 years old and still own it;along with about 2,500 more.I've had several knives custom made for me and whatever the knifemakers charged was not enough to compensate them for their work.
    I remember reading a story about a maker named Buster Warenski(sadly deceased now)who made a replica of the infamous King Tut dagger out of solid gold.Took him two and a half YEARS to make(!) and he nearly had a nervous breakdown doing it.He had to learn so much about how to work gold without destroying it(it works hardens worse than aluminum)and a process called "granulation" whereby you make tiny little spheres and fuse them to the surface.Drove him nuts.
    Sorry for the rant but I am always fascinated by stories about knifemaking.
     

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  26. 62dartman
    Joined: Feb 24, 2010
    Posts: 174

    62dartman
    Member

    Excellent video, and definetely relative to what we do here. Thanks for sharing.
     
  27. poprockcrusher
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 123

    poprockcrusher
    Member

    and a helmet , rollcage,seatbelts, nomex firesuit , training wheels , a condom , vitamins , driveshaft loop , firesystem , alarm , respirator too !!!!
     
  28. nightctix
    Joined: Sep 28, 2010
    Posts: 1

    nightctix
    Member

    I haven't taken the time (yet) to read the comments on this article so I don't know if the majority appreciate this "off topic" post or not. With that said, and having been an amateur knife maker for over 40 yrs. as well as a hot rodder for that same amount of time I can tell the mindset of the two is exactly the same. Thank you for taking the step outside the hot rod box to offer this information.
     
  29. He Said Fuck:eek: Cool vid. I'm a retired metal fab guy so I dig this stuff. All I kept thinking was no safety glasses.
     
  30. I saw it a week or two ago and really liked it.

    It appeals to the same part of my head that the HAMB does -- the part that likes awesome, dedicated, focused, metal artistry.

    Thanks for sharing it here and reminding me one more time why I love the HAMB.

    .
     

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