Knife Makers interview series

[Greenbeast]

Yes it's good to see another smith's hoem away from home.
I'm pretty close to getting my place organised enough for pictures

Perhaps, Owen, as you've said to me a few times the knowledge is just very specific.
I could be wrong but it's almost like saying 'i'm surprised more blacksmiths don't shoe horses'

[owen bush]

Will?

[raisedbybrocks]

Yay, sorry, I missed that last one, i'll dig out some pics in a bit. I have someone in mind to interview although haven't seen him on here for a bit, I'll drop him a pm and see.

[raisedbybrocks]

Ok, some early days.
I dug this old knife out of a draw. the edge is folded all over the place and its bent in several places, so I guess I never got it properly hard I made it before I could even blacksmith very much maybe 12 years ago. It is actually damascus of some sort, I can only tell by the flaws. I think it was wrought and spring steel. Got a bit of a patina. I went all out on the handle too.

I think I made a few choppers and tools after that but no pics.
An important one for me was the kitchen knife I made at Owens, but I can't find it. It looks horrible but I learnt allot doing it.
From there I explored san-mai in various types of knife.

Some no flux damascus

Some more

Carving knife damascus and w2

My first prototype kitchen knives

Santoku ,san mai

Some sort of japanese machete type thing.

One of the first complete Santoku, with a bought in handle.

About now I had started to get a bit more adventurous with damascus. This is a slightly wrong feather pattern on a Seax.



I started to think a little harder about profiles and my grind and geometry based on testing in the kitchen. Here is a batch in damascus and san mai damascus with my first handles. I also sold all this batch at a local cider festival market, except the little one which I gave away for my blobby comp.



All bearing my dragon eye hot stamp mark, for no particular reason other than I had it.
This one looking allot more like a Chef knife, my brother now owns this one.


About this time T.B.London came for a weekend workshop at mine. That boy know his kitchen knives. Over the weekend we both made progress. Tom had already owned one of my early Santoku and had commissioned a Damascus Petty. It was very nice working to the design which he had thought out very well.
This weekend we made a knife each, A 260mm Gyuto based on Devin Thomas's ITK profile and a large 300mm Suji.
Tom brought a huge bag full of Kitchen knives for inspiration and another bag full of sharpening stones. Not sure where he put his spare clothes.
Here is the Gyuto blade we made next to an ITK

And the Suji half way through grinding.

These were the first knives I switched to using a convex grind. Still keeping everything very thin with lots of taper.
I fitted a handle to the Suji more suited to a small sword. This one went on a Journey around the States for feedback from chefs and avid home cooks on the Kitchen Knife Forum.

To be continued......

[Greenbeast]

I always thought the suji looked so impractical (even though it's lovely), but i'm no pro chef.

I'd like one (or more) of your knives one day.

[raisedbybrocks]

That one is a bit impractical, the handle is so long it pokes you in the belly on the slice. But no, they are pure slicers, I see a 270-300mm slicer as a kitchen must have. You have to try one to know how ideal they are for certain tasks. I will pull my thumb out and do some pass arounds on here soon

[owen bush]

that is one hell of an almost year in knife making. I think you have packed most peoples first decade in there.

[owen bush]

so the floor is open for any more questions from Will.....
and then its over to him for the next Victim.....

[raisedbybrocks]

Ok, some recent work.
A trio in Damascus W's pattern







My first Stainless Damascus clad Gyuto/Blue paper steel core.






Big Suji in random damascus clad and an 01 core.






Turbulence pattern Petty with damascus fittings.






Feather Pattern Gyuto with damascus fittings.








Lots of challenges to come. I have a few Feather pattern Orders to finish and some more experiments in stainless for orders next month. An immediate challenge will be making the Butterflies pattern in a perfect san mai with blue paper steel in the middle. In theory I know how i'm going to do it.

[raisedbybrocks]

Sorry Owen I got carried away

[owen bush]

yup I think that just about sums it all up . great work Will.

[raisedbybrocks]

Thanks mate. I think Mistakes has been key. Lots of mistakes, lots of learning. Its the only way.

[smokepole]

Will, I have said it before and it bears repeating - you have a very real talent and an exceptionally good and humble approach, not above having a laugh at yourself and your mistakes, learning and moving forward all the time. Thank you, I have thoroughly enjoyed this interview and also the opportunity to see some of your work. Mark my words, you will be famous indeed before too long.....

[John N]

Great stuff Will, amazing journey in less than a year!

Whats your thoughts on the 'learning curve'?...your stuff has moved on in leaps and bounds in the last 3 months, and taken on an elegance that was only hinted at in your early pieces. So - given another year where will you be? where do you want to be?

edit,

and do you think you will do a feather blade the other way round, with it flowing from the tip

[polecat]

stunning blade!
Really enjoyed that snapshot into your work Will.