Knifemaking Mentor - Did you have one?

i can for the most part thank the makers here for my learning
a book or 2
and i think i have only been to one makers shop J. Neilson's mountain hollow
i have talked to many makers at shows too but only when they have the time as i dont want to cut into there sales. good times are after the show with a drink just chatting it up
 
I was influenced by a maker near Thunder Bay - Tim Ross back in the 1980's. This kind person gave me a load of information to get me going, and a full tour of his well equiped shop. This got my knife blood all pumped up, and the next thing was good shop equipment arriving by courier, while I was still intalling lighting and workbenches for my new shop.
 
All you guys here on the forum have taught me a lot! I thank you very much.

As for hands on training and hours of questions and answers, that goes to Ed Kalfayan. Mr. Kalfayan has taught me things I would've never found out on my own.
Ed Kalfayan is awesome! Very nice and patient guy.
 
Well, Johney Stout, Harvey Dean and Dwaine Dushane (I have their instructional videos)
I am book-media-internet-desktop craftsman and knifemaker. :D And I learn from all of you, guys. Thanks.
 
My mentors are two guys from the Arizona Knife Collectors' association. Rich Hale and Jim Yarby. Every time I go to either one's shop I have an "aha of course" moment. Although everyone in the club is a help from materials to general encouragement.
-Todd
 
Six years ago I was coming home from late season duck hunting with a friend and we stopped by Mike and Audra Draper's. Two days later I spent the day watching Audra making damascus and forging blades. At the end of that day Audra said, "You want to make one?" I've been in their shop staying out of their way and watching ever since.

I've spent more time in Dave Banks and John Strohecker's shop and I've been around Bill Lyons there. I'm an apprentice to all five of them and I sweep a mean floor.

The forums are my downfall... how can a person not learn from the depth and experience of the forum knifemakers... I maybe should be in the shop doing it but I'm here doing another thing I truely love doing... there is no question that cannot be answered. What an amazing thing.

Mike
 
I'd like this thread to stay alive for a while longer. If for nothing other than to say "Thanks". Thanks to all the folks for the time & effort it takes to post tutorials, answer questions and give away secret methods and tools, techniques .......... the list goes on.

My "metalworking skills" were all learned through an apprenticeship in mold making and machining over the past 30 yrs or so. I'm separating metalworking skills from knifemaking skills for a reason. When I first started to make knives I thought :o I knew everything I needed to know. I mean how difficult could it be to grind a blade ??? WOW !! Was I wrong !! It was a humbling experience to say the least. For many years in fact ! I'm finally getting my sh*t together as far as knifemaking skills go. Thanks to ..................

Like so many have already mentioned , Thanks goes out to " fitzo " for his technical answers, his design suggestions, his loaning of instructional tapes. I could go on & on & on with this guy. It would indeed be a long list for the things this man has helped me with. Fitzo, IMHO, should get some kind of BladeForums Award for all the help he dish's out :thumbup:

Thanks goes out to Kevin Cashen :thumbup: Need I explain this one ?? ;)
Thanks a LOT my friend !

Thanks goes out to Bruce Bump for his awesome tutorials and his willingness to always help. From the most basic of skills to the most technical, it seems you'll almost always find a response from Bruce in a question thread.

Thanks goes out to " Bladesmith " :thumbup:. As I'm sure you all know ........... he almost always knows something about everything ;)

Thanks goes out to Nick Wheeler :thumbup: Always willing to help !! Tutorials, answers to questions, design (especially design) . This would be a very long list too !

Thanks goes out to Don Hanson :thumbup: In a single sentence he completely changed the way I make knives, definitely for the better !! I don't remember exactly the post or thread, it wasn't even my thread, but it went something like this .......... whats so hard to understand ? Forge, grind, heat treat and finish grind. It was a "keep it simple" moment that I'll never forget. Thanks Don :thumbup:

Man, I'm sitting here realizing that I could probably write thanks to so many of you guys for the help you've provided over the years. I'll be coming back to add to this a little later. Right now I have to get out to the shop and make some knives :D

Thanks goes out to the BFSB (BladeForums School of Bladesmithing)
 
Speaking of tutorials, there were two that really helped me out when I started hand filing and dremeling my first knives. They were the groomsmen knives by silver_pilate and some video tutorials on Jared Todd's website. I kept logging on and going through the steps when I wasn't getting the desired results. Thanks guys for the help you gave me without evenknowing. Those how to threads also helped me out alot. Advise from barkes, leavitt, patrick knives, bladsmth, Rowe, galaddium, salvati, pj, wheeler, Ind George, jsmithknives, birddog4, Oniell, Accridsaint, Rob, Troop was priceless. Man If I missed anybody forgive me there are just to many awesome knifemakers here that have shared knowledge with me. Thanks to all.
I apologize for any mispelling of name, I hanen't had my coffe yet.

-frank
 
I'll confess that sometimes I log in just to see if the asian redneck is harassing the portugese biker or vice-versa. (not meant to be slurs, I assure you, gentlemen). :D
But there's also almost always something useful going on, too.

Even when you just pop in for a giggle, like Cosby said, "If you're not careful, you just might learn something!"

-JT
 
James_Terrio said:
I'll confess that sometimes I log in just to see if the asian redneck is harassing the portugese biker or vice-versa. (not meant to be slurs, I assure you, gentlemen). :D
But there's also almost always something useful going on, too.

Even when you just pop in for a giggle, like Cosby said, "If you're not careful, you just might learn something!"

-JT
Click to expand...

I heard that Bubba!!! It is Mr. Portagee Biker to you sonny.:jerkit::jerkit::D;)HEHEHEHEHE!!!
 
No close on shop mentor
Or any class here on Long Beach California
Subscribe to this site it’s the best move I make
Towards learn to Macke knifes

thank you All
 
First I learned from books and mistakes.. Strictly stock removal. Then Bill Burke and Ed Fowler showed me the ropes on forging. Then most recently, I did some time in Chris Reeve's shop. Talk about a crash course on fit and finish.

Now I just need to do something with what I've learned. :(

Rick
 
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