Who would you want to apprentice with and why?

Bailey Bradshaw- the guy does it ALL- fixed, folder, engraving, firearms, and on and on and on.
 
Hey Fellas,

You guys all remind me of when people start conjecturing as to who they were in their past lives. Everyone always was some famous person of great accomplishment. Not me, I think I was an Irish washer woman in one life and whore in Portugal in another.

All these big names in making are just too lofty for me...and my skills are not of sufficient caliber to merit their wasting their time on me. (I'm not saying that yours aren't, just mine.) Also, I'm so new I don't even know all the fine folks you good folks are talking about.

I've had the good fortune of being hosted by four different makers in their shops: Indian George, Dan Pierson, Patrick Randall and Eric Fleming. I hope each of them would be open to having me back some day.

The fella who has put up with me the most is good ol' Indian George. He has had me at his home two summers running for a few days at a time. I give him a few bucks and buy a tank of propane. He sets me loose with his press and feeds me like nobody's business. (It is nobody's business, because I'm curled up in a corner of the yard on fire. It all works out alright though, because his dogs like to piss on folks so they put it out! Come to think of it, that's probably how IG's whole dog piss thing got started.)

You know who I would really like to hang with? Jim Viall in Montana. Okay the hunting might have something to do with it, but I just think it would be flat out fun and I'd learn a lot. I'd also love to learn how to put some of those take-downs of Karl Andersen's together.

Truth is, I'd flat out be thrilled to hang with many of you good folks!

All the best, Phil
 
Jeez Phil, it would be my pleasure. You can come on over anytime. I will teach you all I know about making knives and then that afternoon we can go fishing.
 
I heard my name mentioned here. Thanks guys for putting me in the list too. Actually at some point in time I do want to take one or two people at a time for a couple days and help them with anything they are having troubles with. A real apprentise would be great to have here but dont they need a paycheck? I could use a manager more.
 
Hey Bruce, apprenticeship can take any form you want them to if someone else agrees. I ran an apprentice program on my farm. Thirty hours a week of work for room and board (farm food), daily lectures, demonstrations and all around good times and back breaking sweat making labor! Had as many as twelve folks at a time, usually 6-ish, for 3-6 months each. It was my favorite aspect of my farming, once I developed an adequate application and screening process.

They were hard on tools though. It was extremely rare any of them passed muster to run the tractor equipment, especially considering our average grade of 12-15% :eek:. Farm truck windows and light lenses took a beating. Hand tools disappeared all the time. It just got to be that I started to factor in replacements as part of operating costs.

One time a young fella was driving my 1 ton flat bed up the hill and stalled. He panicked and put both feet on the "breaks" (right foot on the accelerator, left on the clutch). Of course he immediately started coasting backward back down the hill. He didn't come to a stop until the truck took out a 12' foot tall hibiscus hedge, sailed over a 3' stone retaining wall, flattened an anthurium garden and finally came to rest by bottoming out on another stone retaining wall. The poor guy couldn't even walk or talk for sometime.

By the time I stumbled across the scene his body was still looking for its blood as he was whiter than a can of crisco. The poor fool was additionally scared I was going to kick his butt off the farm. Surprisingly outside of having to patch up the fellas esteem, drag the truck out with the tractor, rebuild a couple lengths of stone wall and grieve the loss of some several decade old hibiscus all was okay.

I guess we were lucky to make it through all the years of working with young, and/or otherwise newly experiencing folks, with all of our limbs and body parts attached and whole. We had lots of fun growing hundreds of tons of healthy food for folks. I'm sure bladesmithing and knife making apprenticeships can be rewarding too.

Jim, thanks for the invite. If I ever get anywhere close to your neck of the woods I'll take you up on it.

All the best, Phil
 
I also appreciate being included on the list - thanks!
Good thoughts Phil: I supply food, a place to live and materials to make knives, they supply labor for the ranch and shop maintenance. Some days it is all ranch stuff, others all knife work. So far it has worked very well.
 
Since there was no mention of whether the smith had to be living, I would opt for 1300's Japan, Sagami Province. I would like to have studied with Goro Nyudo aka Masamune at the Soshu school of sword making.
His swords are considered the epitome, of the art of sword making as it was practiced in Japan for over a thousand years.

All of Masamune's swords, that are known to exist in Japan today, are property of the government and are considered national treasures.

Goro was the man:thumbup:

Fred
 
ib2v4u said:
I will teach you all I know about making knives and then that afternoon we can go fishing.
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Ha, ha, ha! You thought I missed that humble statement of yours, didn't you? Well, you may be gifted enough to teach ALL that you know about knife making in a morning, but it will take me at least the morning and afternoon to learn it...or maybe a decade of Sundays (and all the days in between)!

Ed Fowler said:
I supply food, a place to live and materials to make knives, they supply labor for the ranch and shop maintenance. Some days it is all ranch stuff, others all knife work. So far it has worked very well.
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Wow, now that's an apprenticeship I wish I could be a part of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Does anyone know what's up with Dave Kelly? This thread keeps making me think of him as I've always deeply admired his work. I see he hasn't been online for nearly a few months now.
 
Rick Marchand, Christof Harper, Andy (Fiddleback), and Steve (Coal Creek). I still haven't made a knife yet, due to lack of space to set up shop, but those guys are who I want to emulate (sp?) when I finally do get set up.
 
Darrell Markowitz. He makes Nors age and viking sword replicas and all kinds of layered blades along with sculptures and functional wrought iron work.
 
Mace said:
Crhistoph Derringer...:thumbup:
Mace
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Oooh yeah, Christoph would be a good one to shadow too.:thumbup:


Carolina River Rat...... I'm flattered... you can come up to the shop or pick my brain (not much to pick I'm afraid), anytime.
 
Those are some mighty fine makers but I think the king is Raymond Richard. His blades really appeal to me as well as having an essential essence of knife.
 
I'd take any maker with halfway decent skill and a good shop who lives local and would let me come help out a few times. I'm not picky.:)
 
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