- Joined
- Jan 9, 2008
- Messages
- 588
Over the last two years or so, I have been taking classes at Dave Lisch's Studio Four school. I took classes on blacksmithing, blade grinding, heat treating, kitchen knives, integral bolsters, forging, damascus and mosaic pattern steel, from Dave, and other great makers like Bill Burke, and Mike Quisenberry.
Just recently I completed a course on moaic "damascus" and another on making a stag handled bowie utilizing the billet from the damascus class. The ensuing blade is the culmination of these classes, and any practicing I've been getting at my own home shop/forge.
Dave is a great bladesmith, and an excellent teacher. I have really learned to respect his willingness to allow me to flounder, but not so much that I destroy somethinng so much that it can't be fixed, usually by him! Its a process somewhat like what I do at home except my home shop scrap bin is full of my failed blades, and at Daves, he is there to share with me his process and methods to help me avoid that.
In the process of making the bowie pictured below, I asked him to grind the long clip for me as I had never done that before, and I didn't want to figure it out myself on a blade that I spent three days on the billet alone! It was a good choice! He was also there to help with the more challenging asects of the grinding.
The next one I make in my own shop all by my lonesome. I hope I was paying attention!
Here are some pictures that are more of a testimony to the school rather than my own talent.
If anyone wants me to post a few pictures of the build just let me know.
Sorry for the poor shots. Need to get me a light box.
Just recently I completed a course on moaic "damascus" and another on making a stag handled bowie utilizing the billet from the damascus class. The ensuing blade is the culmination of these classes, and any practicing I've been getting at my own home shop/forge.
Dave is a great bladesmith, and an excellent teacher. I have really learned to respect his willingness to allow me to flounder, but not so much that I destroy somethinng so much that it can't be fixed, usually by him! Its a process somewhat like what I do at home except my home shop scrap bin is full of my failed blades, and at Daves, he is there to share with me his process and methods to help me avoid that.
In the process of making the bowie pictured below, I asked him to grind the long clip for me as I had never done that before, and I didn't want to figure it out myself on a blade that I spent three days on the billet alone! It was a good choice! He was also there to help with the more challenging asects of the grinding.
The next one I make in my own shop all by my lonesome. I hope I was paying attention!
Here are some pictures that are more of a testimony to the school rather than my own talent.
If anyone wants me to post a few pictures of the build just let me know.
Sorry for the poor shots. Need to get me a light box.
