My Opportunity to Teach-

N

Nic.

Joined
Dec 8, 2014
Messages
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There is so much about knife making that I don't know, but I am more than happy to pass on the knowledge that I do have! I was recently contacted by a local highschool shop teacher who asked me if I would be willing to come in to one of his shop classes and teach knife making. He said that having an 18 year old come in and teach would be relatable to the students (also me being a female knife maker) maybe even get some of the girls interested in shop class. So yesterday I went and taught knife making! I kept it pretty basic- I have a tendany to get very technical, but made sure to keep it simple and interesting. We discussed knife design basics, some grind types, and went over some shop safety. I had a few blade blanks cut out of mild steel and brought in my 2x42- and high grit belts so no one ground their fingers off- and each student got to try to grind a bevel. We covered handsanding (they couldn't believe someone would spend hours doing such a booring task) and did a basic heath treating demonstration. They were fascinated by file testing thevheat treated blade and feeling the difference between hard and soft steel. I also etched a clay quenched blade- the look on their faces when I pulled the blade out of the acid was priceless. The shop teacher also loved the whole thing and now wants to make knives;).
It was a really neat opportunity- I hope more young people will be interested in the craft!



 
Congrats on a job well done - I've always enjoyed teaching myself.... You did a good job there, and kudos to the shop teacher for thinking of doing this. Hand sanding boring? Naw, just have to get in the "zone" and relax. A good way to work off tension.

Ken H>
 
That's great! I'm amazed that they let anything resembling a knife anywhere near a high school.
 
Thank you for teaching and sharing. It is only by those who are willing to teach that the craft survives.



Many don't know this, but fifty years ago there were only a handful of custom knifemakers left in the USA. Around 1970, a small group of them were sitting in a motel room discussing this plight ( I am sure a bottle of bourbon and cigarettes/cigars/pipes/snuff were also present ;) ) They figured the ages of the makers they knew of, did the math and decided that within 20-30 years there could be none left. They decided to start a teaching group and called it the American Bladesmith Society. They were so encouraged by the initial number of people who wanted to learn that one of the original group stated a few years later, "I bet by 1990 there will be over 100 bladesmiths in America," .... Boy, did he ever underestimate how much it would resurge. At last check, I believe we have around 5,000 active knifemakers on Bladeforums, plus about 8,000 active members directly involved with knives. In the whole country, there could easily be 50,000 or more knifemakers.

One result of this teaching attitude is the knifemaking world's current love for damascus. It did not exist in modern knifemaking until 1973, when Bill Moran and the nascent ABS passed on what Bill had figured out. In 1974, there were exactly 5 people making damascus. By 1975, it was up to 10. Before long most experienced custom makers were making and using it. Today, we have new makers here on Bladeforums who successfully try it in their first months of knifemaking. You can't look in a magazine or knife book without pages of damascus knife photos. None of that would exist without the sharing and teaching attitude of many knifemakers ...all before YouTube and the internet.
 
Ken H> said:
Congrats on a job well done - I've always enjoyed teaching myself.... You did a good job there, and kudos to the shop teacher for thinking of doing this. Hand sanding boring? Naw, just have to get in the "zone" and relax. A good way to work off tension.

Ken H>
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Thank you. I thought it was fun, I enjoyed it! I personally find hand sanding relaxing as well, but apparently they didn't:).
 
E.Carlson said:
That's great! I'm amazed that they let anything resembling a knife anywhere near a high school.
Click to expand...

We're in rual Northern California, we do things a bit different up here:). The kids were allowed to bring their pocket knives to school and we taught them how to sharpen them.
 
Stacy-thanks for the history lesson, that's really neat, I didn't know that
 
Great job, It is so important for students to be exposed to things like this!!
 
Very cool Nic! You have come a long way in a short time. Good to see you passing on the knowledge.

-Clint
 
Well Done !

Looks like a lightduty sort of building, Is that a charter or private school ?
Might better explain the politics of allowing knife making.

Btw,
I am from Republic of Jämtland, & Very much relate to your State of Jefferson, Sadly I dont expect it will ever come to be.
 
Thanks Marc-folks have taken time to teach me and get me to where I am-it's my pleasure to pass that knowledge on!
 
Lieblad said:
Well Done !

Looks like a lightduty sort of building, Is that a charter or private school ?
Might better explain the politics of allowing knife making.

Btw,
I am from Republic of Jämtland, & Very much relate to your State of Jefferson, Sadly I dont expect it will ever come to be.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a charter school..they have a pretty neat little shop!
Ah, yea, I really with it could happen- but don't think it will either. Sounthen Ca loves us for our water and other resources too much to let us break away from the state:).
Jamtland- is that Swedish?
 
Good job! Very cool. I always figured you were in VA. Use to go to Red Bluff all the time for The Californios.
 
IIRC, The State of Jefferson was a proposal in the early 1940's to make southern Oregon and northern California a separate state. I believe the war took away the political will to make any split in the states. I seem to remember something about it being taught in school in the 1950.
 
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