JS Testing

mike deibert

mike deibert

Joined
Jul 2, 2009
Messages
378
Dear BF Friends,

It's been a while since I've posted here. Starting a vocational school has kept me very busy and my hands have been way too clean due to much administrative work. I've decided to set a goal and to focus more heavily in bladesmithing. My goal is to pass the JS test this coming June in Atlanta. Having a goal is always something that has helped me to better myself mentally or a physically. My objective in posting this for all to see is that it will help hold me accountable. To be certain preparing for this test has been more than taxing mentally and physically. I don't mean to be dramatic but I'm finding the artistic side of me struggling with the high attention to detail needed to pass this test. There is a very good chance that I may not pass, that too is messing with my head. Living in Nicaragua I just don't have person-to-person access to other blade smiths let alone mastersmiths. This past December I sent three knives to Jason Knight and Burt Foster for review. They were very kind and helped me to see the things that I need to change in order to make knives that will pass the JS test. I'll have to use the critiques from those three knives to help me make the next five. (Those three knives will not be going to Atlanta so I've started over again.) I did, however, pass the the performance part of my test last summer with Burt. Having that behind me is nice but these final five are much more challenging.

Until now I've caught myself thinking "If I don't tell anyone I'm taking the test, no one will know if I don't pass the test". Well, that can't happen now. You all know I'm giving it a shot. Y'all will know if I succeed or not come this June. Anyone else out there testing this coming June?

Thanks for sharing in my anxiety,
Mike
 
Mike,
Definitely heed the advice you've received and best of luck. Will you be posting some pics?
Tad
 
Mike,
I extend the best of wishes for your test. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Lin
 
duly noted, I expect great things
 
Thanks for the encouraging words. Tad, I'm guessing you'd like pictures of the knives and not pics of me squinting through a magnifying glass looking for flaws right? Ha Ha. I haven't completed any knives yet. they are at various stages. I'll post pics as soon as i can. Lorien, you going to Blade?

I should mention my goals for even further in the future. Currently I have two apprentices who are helping me teach welding and blacksmithing. They are also good blade smiths. My hope is to help them become the first Central American ABS Journeymen Smiths. I don't know when we can make that happen but how can I do that if I haven't gone through the process myself? Well I'm in it now and no matter what happens I'll have some great experience to bring back for all of us.
 
GREAT Mike!!!

Thanks for sharing your intention and being willing to share your process with us. I'm not sure how far you're willing to go with baring your soul, but...

If you're willing, we'd be grateful to see photos of the three study knives and Jason's and Burt's critiques and suggestions. Maybe you'd be willing to share that? Maybe in the Maker's forum, if not in the custom forum? Many of us could learn a lot from that! Just a thought.

All the best, Phil
 
Mike I wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing you in Atlanta. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
Brion
 
All the best Mike and by the sounds of it you are on the right track getting critique and advice. I'll be interested in seeing your presentation pieces when they are revealed. Good luck in Atlanta.
 
Phil,

I'd be happy to share the first three knives and their critiques. The pictures are not the best and will not reveal all the trouble areas but I'll try to write as best i can to describe what Jason and Burt suggested that I change.

IMG_8426.jpg

This pic is of the three knives together just to show proportion.

IMG_8424.jpg

Full-tang Hunter
By the time this blade made it to Jason and Burt the wood (unstabilized Guayacan) had dried, and shrunk to reveal the full tang all the way around the handle. The blade had too much of a belly and needed more of a point. The hand-rubbed finish had some problem areas as well.

Lesson Learned: more point to the blade, more time on hand finishing, buy stabilized wood to avoid shrinkage.

IMG_8419.jpg

Large Chopper
This knife had lots of little things that needed attention. As in the full-tang knife, this blade had a large belly and not enough of a point. You may notice some tiny dark dots on the blade. This is due to the wax in the sheath stitching that stained the blade. The ricasso area is too wide. I believe it measures a little over 1 1/2 inches. Burt suggested this area be no more than 1 1/4 inches. I used copper for the guard, which I love (even when it gets a nice patina) but it is suggested that I don't use it for the test. Since it does oxidize unevenly sometime I can see how this may appear sloppy. Guard to handle transition needs to be a smaller radius and move more into the guard and less into the wood. My handle pin was domed and peened. I didn't pull it off very well for a test of this caliber. Thong tube was not neat and clean where it met with the wood. The wood I chose for this was not a good choice for this test.

Lesson Learned: again, less belly in the edge area, more narrow ricasso area, no copper in the guard, cleaner pin/thong tube, better choice of wood.

IMG_8421.jpg


This integral was probably the most liked of the three. The only concerns for this piece were a small divot in the handle wood and the spine was rather thick making this one look and feel a little "chunky" in the hand. Burt thought this piece was the better of the three and may pass with a little more attention payed to those two areas. If it gets down to the wire and I still need a back-up I may try to fix this one.

Lesson learned: less chunk in the blade thickness to give a more elegant look, check for details in the wood finish.


I hope this has helped. I would welcome any other concerns or critiques that anyone may have in regards to these three.
Thanks for looking,
Mike
 
Mike, if every knife maker had your humility and provided their own critique of their own work, (especially based upon feedback from real pros) this would be a place more in keeping with what the seasoned forumites refer to as 'the good ole days'.

When you do this, you open the door to others in general when it comes to learning how to give productive feedback to those who need it, helping them to ask the right questions for the answers they need. Good for you man! Kudos.

Now, I been thinking of this test of yours. I, like you, have taken many tests over the course of my life, and the one piece of advice that I would give to my younger selves would be for them to maintain their sense of humor, and ruminate on the text covering the back cover of the best book in the universe- 'Don't Panic'!

Now, granted, I am not particularily successful in a financial way, but I do ok enough to keep my family thriving, and I'm happy with my choices. Whether or not you pass this test, I know you'll be doing ok and that you'll be happy. I think it's a given that you will always be making knives, JS, MS or plain ole MD. It seems to come from within you, which is one of the reasons I think you're cool. Real is real.:thumbup:
 
Wow Mike! I am deeply grateful for your sharing and candor. It means a lot to many of us aspiring bladesmith.

Another lesson you must have learned, although did not state: don't store or ship your presentation test knives in sheaths. I've also heard it suggested not to include sheaths as part of the presentation at the judging as they would also be judged.

I understand all the suggestions/recommendation, although not sure I would have expected ones about your stalky blade profile and tip. I understand it and even agree with it. It's just I guess I would have thought it acceptable as it seems it would fall within the realm of maker's aesthetics. Glad to hear stuff like this.

I'm wondering how you feel about just having a month and half or so to pull everything together. Seems kind of tight?

Thanks again for sharing!

All the best, Phil
 
Mike,
Having gone through this last year, the best advice I can give is to think "smooth flow" and do everything you can up until time to go--then relax. Once they're shipped, don't dwell on it and just enjoy the show.

Tad
 
Very Inspirational! thank you for sharing, this is very helpful in a kind Critique. If this is what the "Good Ole Days" were like, I agree we need more. Good luck and Great Work!
 
Phil,
Yes, I forgot to mention the sheath lesson. I will not be making any sheaths for my JS knives. That way I won't be tempted to sheath one of them and potentially contaminate the blade. How do I feel with only a month and a half left to go? Pressure! I was really hoping those knives I made and sent out would be worth something. As it is I have 5 that are in various stages by none are complete. I am stressed to say the least.

Lorien,
One thing I failed to mention is how much all the WIP threads, namely yours and Nick's, have helped me to become a better maker. For that reason I feel compelled to share what i can. I appreciate your encouragement!!!!! Bring two cow bells. If I pass this thing we can celebrate together. I'm buying the beers!
Mike
 
You're off to a great start - best of luck. I quite like that little integral - definitely my kinda knife.

Roger
 
Last edited:
Mike,
Jason and burt have been my mentors also. They will not lead you astray. I passed my JS in January. The only things I will add to the list is to bring an emergency repair kit (fine sand paper, flitz...), I found a scratch on one of my knives at 10:30 the night before the test, and try to have a backup knife, number 6, I changed my lineup at 1:30 in the morning. Look forward to seeing you at BLADE. My wife and I shoot a little traditional archery also. We liked that Flu-Flu, the wife wants to know what you shoot and what you shoot with. Work hard and be honest with yourself you can be your own hardest critique.
 
Looks like good work and overall good advice, and it's great to have makers take the time to give advice to those that aspire to join the ranks of the ABS JS and MS members.

I do have to say that the comments about too much belly and not enough point and the ricasso beeing too wide kind of get my ire up. That seems very arbitrary and dependent too much on personal aesthetics for me. It's one thing to have a standard on fit and finish and quite another to say that the profile doesn't suit the taste of the person looking at it. Is the ABS going to disqualify a candidate simply because he put "too much" belly on their blade? Another knifemaker that saw this thread and talked with me about it commented that if that's the case, they should issue standard accepted profiles for testing so we're sure our own personal creativity doesn't get in the way. :eek:

Maybe it's overblown, but of the handful of knifemakers that I know personally, they all have a problem with the mentality of "A knife must be made this way." There are too many different tasks knives do, too many makers, too many cultural backgrounds, and too many personal senses of aesthetics to narrow it down that much.

I can see some of the fit and finish issues from your pictures, Mike, and I know you'll work hard to make sure they don't show up on your test knives. I hope I can meet you at Blade and congratulate you on recieving your stamp. :) I think you have darn good looking blade profiles. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top