ABS School?? Opinions Please

Michael J. Spangler

Michael J. Spangler

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Oct 8, 2003
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I looked over the web site for the ABS school, so you guys think its worth it? I really wanna start dedicating a lot of time to knives... school is done and nothing is holding me back. It seems to be a pretty possitive thing. Thanks for your opinions guys

Mike
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
I looked over the web site for the ABS school, so you guys think its worth it? I really wanna start dedicating a lot of time to knives... school is done and nothing is holding me back. It seems to be a pretty possitive thing. Thanks for your opinions guys

Mike
Click to expand...

Michael, if you figure out how to get the ABS to respond to you please let me know! :confused:
 
Oh, they respond eventually...just seemingly not til after your next birthday..... :D

Michael, ABS school has to be a great thing. Please, though, if you go, develop your own style of design and not theirs. While there's nothing wrong with the designs they teach, a lot of people end up making the exact same style of knives. Everywhere you look, you see too many people's fine work looking like clones. I, personally, don't like that.

There, I said it....wail away on me. :D
 
couple of thoughts, Mike:


1 - funny you guys mentioned the turn-around time...just got an email reply from Jan today (turned in my application 2 months ago...:D)

2 - I will be there this fall - at the least for the hammer-in and the Intro class. It is worth every penny as far as I'm concerned.

3 - Yes, they teach certain styles, but I've heard from other who have attended that developing your own style is encouraged. I'm one of those with "my own style" - one that currently does not include 10" bowie knives in it...(no offense to bowie knife makers - just got other ideas in my head - no comment DanG!)...so I'm banking on the idea that no matter what, I'll come away with (at the least) some good techniques on fit and finish, forging and grinding, etc. from true professionals and craftsmen, and even if I don't agree with all of it, I'll have lots to think about. ;)

4 - Networking - what better way to hob-knob with those makers you only ever read about, than going to the school where they teach?

5 - I happen to actually like hangin' out with Jerry Fisk. :p



Ok, that last one was a bit unrelated.....but it's true anyway...:D
 
YES. Do it.

You'll learn more in the class than you will in a year on the net or reading books.

I don't know that they teach "styles" in the intro classes. My teacher taught forgeing and his philosphy of knifemakeing.

I picked a maker I liked and went to the class's he was teaching. That was Wayne Goddard back in '95.
 
I would really LOVE to attend one or more of these classes. Alas, it probably won't be happening anytime soon. The money wouldn't be that hard to come up with, but I don't see myself having 2 weeks off of work in this lifetime(at least before retirement).
 
their fall or spring hammerins. I've attended one some time back and meet Fisk, Moran, and Fitch to name a few and although its not a hands on class so to speak, you might get a feel for what to expect and meet some of the people who would turn up as instructors. I learned a lot of good things at that meet. I'd add that just because you make a fabulous knife doesn't automatically make you someone who is a great teacher as well. I meet Dunn at that hammerin and would love to have had a class with him as I found he was a great teacher and I got along with him well. That last point is to say "there's some pretty big egos out there"....

regards, mitch
 
OH YEAH, when you go, don't forget to eat meals with the teacher. I learned as much after class as I did in class.
 
Don't get me wrong, guys, I would go myself were I well enough. I think it would be a MARVELOUS time, and would teach so very much. I forged my first blade in '87 I think, but realize how very much more there is to know. I doubt, though, that they'd let me "forge with an oxy hose stuck in me nose", which is what it would take to try to keep up. :D Still, I may go someday just to "hang out". Yer right, Daniel, nothing better than hanging with a bunch of people you can learn from.

Perhaps it is simply that people freshly out of the classes tend to make what they were taught, or what they saw done so well. And perhaps it's because of what I see in print or on the forums and especially at websites that say "I attended the ABS school two years ago". Too many tend to look like a lot of others. I do know that everyone who first cracked Loveless and Barney's book made their version of the drop point, so maybe it's the same thing.

If they encourage creativity and diversity, then I stand corrected, and learned something new today.

Just a crabby old man here who likes to see different stuff from different people........ :rolleyes:
 
I was going to go but I didn't because of the ammount of time away. And then when you get home you need tools and there not cheep. I'd get some tools basic ones then if I still had the fever and money go.
Or go out to Bob Wearners for the weekend you'll come away with a knife you made and a one on one with a real knife maker and a good idea of what it will take.
Peace
Bob
 
Hi,
The ABS school is really a good educational experience.
I taught there for many years. Its good to see folks go home with a head full of new ideas that develope into new knife creations! There is much history about knives in that area for all to take in!

If you do go to the school, go down to the corner store and get the BBQ. Its home made every night. They smoke it for several hours... um um.
 
Thanks a lot guys..... keep bringing on the good opinions! I really think i wnat to go, now i just need to start figuring out pricing, airplane tickets, hotel pricing etc.
 
The ABS school isn't the only one out there, ya know.
There is a place in sw Pa called Touchstone that gets a lot of ABS guys for instructors.
Jim Batson does classes along with some others.
MS Ray Rybar is doin' a class in a couple weeks.
bruce
 
found it....

http://www.touchstonecrafts.com/

Looks like they have a class on damascus and on forging knives.

THE DAMASCUS PACKAGE
Raymond Rybar
June 28-July 3

BASIC DAMASCUS & KNIFE FORGING
Bill Fiorini
July 26-31
 
BD Is right,
Another great school is the North Carolina Knifemaker Guild school.
The NRA sponsors the class's.
The prices are excellent .
Great talent teaching also.
 
We are still planning on a few forging and heat treating seminars in my new shop. I would like to ask: What do you feel would be a fair price to charge, per day, per week and for personal instruction?
Take Care
 
Hi,
You should go. Bradshaw/Fuller were my instructors. Bailey will show you a dozen or so styles. Bruce adds quite a few more. They encourage students to develop their own style. As Mike said, new students tend to copy what they first see. In our class I saw bowies, daggers, drop points, a chef's knife, and mosaic steel being made by students. A surprising number of folks come back every few years. Had a Dad bring his son.
We learned to properly profile the edges of whatever we made, and then tested them on the rope, 2x4, and bending. We worked with 5160 and 1084. Coal and gas. Each day has at least 2 critique/question sessions.
It took me 3 years to get there and it was worth it.
It is a good jumpstart....Ken
Edited to add: Darrell is too modest. I took his powdered damascus/patterned mosaic steel class 3 years ago at the North Carolina (Montgomery Community College). I still use what he taught me. They even issue CEU's. I am a teacher also and required to get CEU's every year. You should have seen the look on the Academic Dean's face whan I turned mine in. I teach Cisco CCNP and other computer stuff.
 
Not sure what to tell you about price, Ed, but I'd like to see shorter classes taught. 2 weeks is a good learning experience (full immersion) but probably too long for most folks. Wonder how much you could get done in a 2 day workshop? Maybe even offer more specialized courses...?
 
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