I cannot speak highly enough of Andre as a person and his work. He is a master in his craft and a gentle person always willing to teach if you are willing to learn.
Andre's website is being redesigned last time I spoke to him. It is a slow process though.
Here is a video of Andre's workshop I shot some time ago.
[video=youtube;S9XBbGiSrHQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9XBbGiSrHQ[/video]
The below information is taken from the Knifemakers Guild of South Africa, but it is somewhat outdated to my knowledge. Andre is now the IKBS approver in South Africa due to his development and refinement becoming quite world renowned at this stage.
"André, eldest son of Tommy and Stienie Thorburn was born on May 12, 1956 in Johannesburg. He is part of an artistic family, people who can and want to use their hands and talents to glorify their Creator. He grew up on a farm outside Warmbaths, where he learned to think for him self, and work with his hands.
After school he trained as a pastor, married Marietjie and became a family man. In 1989 while pastoring a congregation in Newcastle he met Roelf Swanepoel who introduced him to the art of knife making. He sold his golf clubs and club cart and built his first belt grinder. After a few months they moved to Cato Ridge where he had to find out and sort out knife making all on his own. He sold his first knife in 1990 to a friend and became a full time knife maker in 1996.
He became a member of the Knife Makers Guild of Southern Africa in 1995. He believes that custom knives must be excellent in form and function, therefore he also conducts knife-making courses to help new knife makers excel.
He sold many knives to overseas customers (on prime internet sites such as Knifeart.com) and since 1999 attended knife shows in Europe. Paris (France) Bern and Lugano (Switzerland) Solingen and Munich (Germany) and Gembloux (Belgium) in 2001 he also became a member of the German Knife Makers Guild.
He specializes in fully engraved hunters and folders that echoes African touches and with precise mechanisms. He adds detail to his knives with very fine file work on blades, spacers and liners. He uses exotic handle materials such as: Mother of Pearl, Mammoth ivory, Arizona Desert Ironwood, Maple and Amboine burl and other stabilized woods as well as the local Giraffe bone (stained and stabilized), Warthog tusks, Hippo ivory and Buffalo horn. Blade materials are: Damasteel from Sweden, 12C27 Sandvik from Sweden, 440C (N690) Bohler from Austria, BG42 and high quality Damascus made by e.g. Darryl Meier and Etttoré Gianferrari a local Damascus artist who has won several prices for his exceptional work. He uses only Titanium liners (anodized or plain) and Teflon shims on his liner locking folders. He also colours some of the 304 stainless steel bolsters. Engraving on his knives is done by Helene van Wyk and Scrimshaw by Sharon Burger and Melody de Wit.
Being a full time knife maker he sorted out systems in his workshop to enable him to produce art knives and functional working knives in a short time. He supplies the local market with hand made knives as corporate and promotional gifts where the company logos and clients names are etched on the blades.
In November 2003 he won the Best Folder Award at the IMA 2003 in Munchen Germany."
http://kgsa.co.za.s100527.gridserver.com/members/andre-thorburn/
Andre also one best tactical knife at the recent USN Gathering show with his collaboration piece between himself, Andre van Heerden and Tashi Bharucha
). I can only assume that something happened with the hosting and he has yet to sort it out.
