- Joined
- Oct 19, 2005
- Messages
- 19,830
I am very proud to announce that Allen Surls of WAS Knives has graduated from my apprentice program this week. Allen has worked his tail off and come a long way in the time he has been here. It is a great source of pride to have helped him with this. My apprentice program is not about someone becoming a Master as I am nowhere near this level. It is about spreading knife enthusiasm and teaching basic knife skills. By graduating from my simple program it means that Allen has learned to design and produce a knife as good as I can do it. Neither him, or myself are masters, or even journeymen level makers and this is no but the goal for myself and for Allen is to make a good looking and hard working knife, cleanly made and well designed. This week he presented me with a knife, and as you can see below, it is a beauty. I requested one of his 'Loveless' style designs, but without the metal guard. The knife is light and comfortable in the hand. The plunge is properly done, the scales are fit without gaps, the edge is centered, the tang is tapered, there is filework on the spine, the scratches on the bevels are consistent and run in the same direction, and the pins are finished properly to the level of the handle material.
