A trio of Nicaraguan Blades a la Burt Foster

mike deibert

mike deibert

Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
378
So you all may remember Burt Foster's thread a while back showing the dragon blade that he and I worked on while he was in Nicaragua. Well, this thread is meant to show the other side of Burt's time in Nicaragua. Burt actually spent the majority of his time working with two of my apprentices teaching them the finer points of blade smithing. Burt took the boys all the way from a raw coil spring to a completed knife. There was only enough time in the week for Burt to finish his demo piece while the boys brought theirs to point of only needing guards and handles fitted. After Burt left the boys and I had some jobs to finish and it wasn't until recently that the boys were able to finish their knives. I think they turned out really great and I'm proud of the boys for remembering all that Burt had taught them. Thanks Burt for the time, teaching and knowledge you've invested in these boys!
All three were forged from recycled 5160. The knife in the middle was done by Burt and has a Brazilian Cherry Handle. The first and third knives have handles of purple heart. These knives were made with hand tools only (except for a drill when opening the guard material) Here are some pictures of the completed knives.

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Knives by Ramon, Burt and Jaime respectively

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a close up of the guards

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...and the reverse side
 
neato!:):thumbup:
 
Burt is just the bestest, greatest maker in all the X-tian land.

He's my hero!:thumbup:

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Wow! Those are outstanding! Superb fit and finish, wonderful design and ergonomics. You must be very proud of the boys because they did REALLY well.

And hats off to Burt. I've seen him teach, I've learned a lot from him myself, and I can attest to his natural abilities (and contagious enthusiasm) with eager students. It was a wonderful gesture on his part and it seems he made a very positive impact during his time in Nicaragua. Just awesome
 
wow, I wish Burt would come out and teach me.

very nice work.
 
Wulf said:
Wow! Those are outstanding! Superb fit and finish, wonderful design and ergonomics. You must be very proud of the boys because they did REALLY well.

Hey Wulf, on behalf of the boys, thank you. I'll pass the kind words on to them. Yes, I am proud of them. Forging decorative iron is one thing but bladesmithing is a whole new level and these boys have really come a long way in the 5 years they have been with me.

Thanks,
Mike
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for all the compliments gentlemen. I'll make sure to tell the guys about all of your kind words. They will be very encouraging to them.

I probably should have posted picture of Burt teaching the boys before I posted the knives. I'll post those pics soon.

Thanks again friends,
Mike
 
Here are some pics of Burt teaching the boys. It would have made more sense to post these first but you'll get the idea.

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Getting the forge ready and talking basics with the boys.

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Burt and the boys working the 3/4 inch coil spring into a blade blank with a Nicaragua Power hammer.

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Burt showing the boys some of the finer details to look out for.

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Jaime sanding his blade.

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Ramon and Burt checking the guard.

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Three blades ready for handles...


Thanks for looking,
Mike
 
Mike,

Man, their knives look great! We both call them "boys" but both really are men in every sense of the word. I am still amazed at the skills and the attitudes of both men.

Just as an aside...If anyone here has had the experience of teaching what they know to a willing and eager student in the U.S., take the joy you get from that and multiply it times 5 for a student in a place like Nicaragua. This is not a hobby for these guys. This is a chance at a livelihood for themselves, their wives and kids. These two men, Ramon and Jaime built 40 very simple knives for a buyer in the U.S., and the money they made is enough for each of them to build a house of his own! The thought that they could work on a knife like the ones pictured for a whole week, totally by hand, and be able to sell that knife for $100 U.S. is almost too much for them to imagine. But considering that the average Nicaraguan makes like $5 a day, you can see the possibilities for these guys to make knives and for that to earn a real living.

Be sure to tell them that Beto says, "Estes cuchillos son los regalos que ustedes pueden dar al Rey de los reyes." (I've been home a while - I said that right didn't i?!?) :D

Ramon will know what I mean.
 
Thanks for the pics Mike. And thanks for what you (and Burt) are doing for these men, super cool!
 
Eli- Thanks for the kind words.

Burt brings up a good point about teaching. I also noticed another thread here on mentoring. In my experience I've been able to see first hand the effect that teaching and mentoring can have on a young man, a school and even a village. Jason and Burt have each come to where I am as well as a few other blacksmiths. The result has been amazing and so many lives have been changed, minds have been developed and encouraged. I know it's the same for many others as I often read on Blade forums of the awesome people who take the time to teach and mentor in the area of bladesmithing. What an impact you (mentors and teachers) are having in the lives of your students and the next generation of craftsmen. I just want to say thank you to all those who on this forum who have taken the time to post WIP's, give advice, walk people through processes and critique newbies like me. Your kindness is inspiring to me.

Mike
 
Great work by the students, great teaching by Burt and Mike - hats off to you both.

Roger
 
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