I travel a good bit and enjoy finding knife makers when I travel. I have to admit I haven't had the best luck with this. Usually internet searches point me to knife stores that sell generic stuff. Or tourist type knife makers that are not true artisans. I know that is being judgmental and I dont mean it that way. If you hammer a blade out of a leaf spring and take pride in it I am all on board. But if you dont know about what your heat treat or your steel then I lose interest. But to me, the more craftsman/blacksmith/artisan/down to earth the more I enjoy the experience of meeting them. Whats the best way to find these makers in a particular area?
I have really only had two good memorable experiences do this. One time I was in rural north GA and tried to find someone GOOD to sharpen a few knives. I ended up at this guys house in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. He had shop in his back yard full of unfinished projects, some mistakes and some successes. He sharpened a few knives for me and spent a hour or two talking. I wish I had let him make me something and mail it to me. He was "just a back yard" kind of guy but you could see he knew his way around a piece of metal. He had a unfinished blade that he was playing with heat treats on. He literally hammered it threw a piece of bar stock steel with no chips or rolling on the blade. I also remember he had made a small "sword" for his son. His sone went and got it to show me. It was amazing! Maybe had a 18" blade on it, didnt look that impressive but once in your hand it just felt amazing. Made you want to go fight goblins and dragons. It was a great experience meeting the guy.
2nd successful try was a work trip to rural Argentina. Found a local guy on Facebook and started sending him messages. I ended up sitting at his kitchen table and talking for an hour. He also forged his own steel in his back yard. I believe he was mostly self-taught just out of the enjoyment of crafting knives. Mostly he made traditional Argentine knives. I left with one knife for my father in law (now back in my possession) and one on order. We talked a few times about the small knife I wanted, what blade thickness, handle material and so on. A month or so later he shipped it home to me. His stuff wasn't perfect, not 100% as exact as some other knives I own. But to me that is part of the joy of a true handmade knife. It is 100% a user, I broke down my first elk with and use it around the kitchen non stop.
This is the little knife he made for me. I have put a lot of wear on it from a kydex sheath i made for it. It has cleaned a lot of trout along with that elk. still takes a nice edge.
I have really only had two good memorable experiences do this. One time I was in rural north GA and tried to find someone GOOD to sharpen a few knives. I ended up at this guys house in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. He had shop in his back yard full of unfinished projects, some mistakes and some successes. He sharpened a few knives for me and spent a hour or two talking. I wish I had let him make me something and mail it to me. He was "just a back yard" kind of guy but you could see he knew his way around a piece of metal. He had a unfinished blade that he was playing with heat treats on. He literally hammered it threw a piece of bar stock steel with no chips or rolling on the blade. I also remember he had made a small "sword" for his son. His sone went and got it to show me. It was amazing! Maybe had a 18" blade on it, didnt look that impressive but once in your hand it just felt amazing. Made you want to go fight goblins and dragons. It was a great experience meeting the guy.
2nd successful try was a work trip to rural Argentina. Found a local guy on Facebook and started sending him messages. I ended up sitting at his kitchen table and talking for an hour. He also forged his own steel in his back yard. I believe he was mostly self-taught just out of the enjoyment of crafting knives. Mostly he made traditional Argentine knives. I left with one knife for my father in law (now back in my possession) and one on order. We talked a few times about the small knife I wanted, what blade thickness, handle material and so on. A month or so later he shipped it home to me. His stuff wasn't perfect, not 100% as exact as some other knives I own. But to me that is part of the joy of a true handmade knife. It is 100% a user, I broke down my first elk with and use it around the kitchen non stop.
This is the little knife he made for me. I have put a lot of wear on it from a kydex sheath i made for it. It has cleaned a lot of trout along with that elk. still takes a nice edge.
