After what could of been a disaterous start to Jack's annual hammerin as HM Immigration decided to make entry difficult for the guest lecturer, Dr Mike Blue, and only after Mike promised not to teach anything, the Hammerin finally got under way...
It has been reported on the knife forums by a close acquaintance that tragically, Mr William F (Bill) Moran died yesterday (11th February 2006). Mr Moran was diagnosed with cancer in 2005.
Bill Moran became a full time knifemaker in 1960 though he was making knives long before. Bill made the first modern damascus knife in 1973. He became known as the father of modern damascus and in the true spirit of knifemaking, shared his knowledge freely. Bill also popularised and gave his name to the convex (or Moran) grind. It's for good reason Bill was known as the father of modern knifemaking and his name is truly a legend amongst knifemakers the world over.
Anyone watching rapidboy's work will have noticed he's been producing some stunning stuff over the last couple of years. Of particular note is his leatherwork, but he also does some outstanding things to otherwise plain looking knives. Read how he turns a plain old WS micarta handles woodlore, into this...
Read the full tutorial in the tutorials & howto section...
Wilkinson Sword have announced closure of their sword & knife making factory, the roots of this historic British company...
Quote:
FACTORY CLOSURE
Wilkinson Sword Ltd regrets that after very careful consideration of all alternative options the Company has made the difficult decision to announce that it intends to close its specialist sword-making division in Acton, West London. As a result of falling demand over many years, we have been left with no option but to consider ceasing production of the high quality specialist sword and knife products made by Wilkinson Sword at the end of September 2005. If you have any queries before this date please phone +44 208 749 1061 or for US Callers 1-866 THE SWORD (1-866 843 7967).
It's unknown at this time if or how the closure of the Acton factory will affect the manufacture of the popular Dartmoor survival knives, Fairbairn-Sykes commando knives or the Ray Mears branded Woodlore knife.
Well the competition was won and the lucky recipient of the Surefire L1 and Spyderco UK Penknife was ELThompsono - well done. Even more amazing "El" cracked all the puzzles in no less than 41 minutes, amazing. Most of the staff here took 2 to 5 hours to beat it - and that was with help.
Many many thanks to Edgar Brothers for thier support and for providing the prizes.
If you want to play the competition, you can and it will remain active indefinitely. Obviously the prizes have gone, but it's still fun to play (you will need to be a forum member though).
Keep your eyes peeled on the forums folks, we have a stunning competition comming soon. A real teaser that'll get your brain working.
The prize (actually prizes, cos there are two) is a Spyderco UK penknife and a Surefire L1 Lumamax with red LED - both dontated by the sponsors of the competition, Edgar Brothers.
UKPK pic shamelessley stolen from Cones.
This will be a big one, I've put a ton of work into the competition to make it exciting and it'll have you racking your brains.
Remember, watch the forums for a heads up - the competition will start tonight, the 23rd of May at 7pm GMT - on the dot!
One of the perks of owning a site like this, is every now and then you get sent something a bit special, something that stands out from the crowd. Thanks to Edgar Brothers, the UK distributor for Night-Ops, we just got hold of a prototype Gladius to review.
This torch has impressed the pants of everyone who has seen it so far. Even though this is a pre-production prototype, it has left us jaws hanging, with it's sheer range of functionality and simplicity of use.
Top marks to Night-Ops for a stunning debut torch.
Well done to BritishBlades members Hellz, who won the BRK&T ELK and to MarkP who won the BRK&T Fox River. Congratulations guys, the knives are on thier way to you via Royal Mail Special Delivery - enjoy!
A big thanks also to Mike Sterwart, CEO of Bark River Knife & Tool and Joe Echols of Extreme Outdoor Gear for donating the competition prizes to the forums. Thanks guys.
Keep a look out for the next competition, it's a bit special. Actually, it's more of a game and fun to play in it's own right, especially if you like solving puzzles and mysteries.
Compact, strong, lightweight, and versatile two person hammock, the Bushkit Pro Pod was designed with the adventure traveller in mind, but is equally at home on a boat, at the crag, or in the garden. £64.95
Features:
The main hammock is made of a strong nylon with a water resistant, technical coating.
Measures 3 x 2.5 m when fully open.
All seams have been triple stitched.
All high stress areas have been webbing reinforced.
Product spec:
Sturdy well designed bag with a quick dry perforated flap inside which allows a damp pod to dry out.
Steel grip buckles for easy adjustment and no knot tying.
Lightweigh climbing karabiners add strength and make clipping in and out easy.
Watch the Commons at 7:30pm Good Friday, I'll be setting a competition to win a couple of super little knives from BRK&T. Both are brand spanking new (never cut anything), complete with sheaths and boxed - straight from the factory. An E.L.K with black and green micarta handle and a Fox River in antique ivory.
Two competitions, one for each knife. Open to subscribing members only.
Keep your eyes peeled and you might win yourself a nice little easter pressie. ;)
Just to remind you, I'll be posting the competitions in "The Commons" on Good Friday, the first at 19:30hrs, the second at 21:00hrs.
Finally, an interesting diversion, for those interested in primitive firestarting techniques, we have a tutorial for a piece of easy to make kit, dredged up from the past. The Tinder-Tube, an alternative to charcloth...
Worth a look, if for no other reason than because It's something I havent seen reported anywhere else.
The BritishBlades Bookshop
...is now online and active.
About the bookshop:
In conjunction with amazon.co.uk, the bookshop is a new feature, basically a "wish list" of relevant books, that you can click on and buy through BritishBlades.
How it works:
The Bookshop is in conjunction with Amazon.co.uk, so all our books are actually bought via them. The bookshop is hosted locally on our server and we control what is displayed, to make the content specific to our site. But at the end of your shopping, when you go to the checkout, you will be taken to Amazon. BritishBlades does not actually take any cash from you, the stock, purchase, shipping and so on is completely handled by Amazon. However, a portion of each sale goes to BritishBlades.com as a referral fee. All books bought through the BritishBlades Bookshop are at the same price you would find them if you purchased them through Amazon. So, as there is no financial penalty, you might as well get em through BB and pass the referral fee down to help support the site - at least that's how it works in my deluded head.
Two new articles added today. A Windmill lighter review under the "brights and gear" reviews section and a mini photon stove tutorial, in the "gear" section of the articles menu.
Swedish knife manufacturer, Fällkniven, For sale!!
A shocking piece of news was posted on the Fällkniven forums this morning, by the owner of the family run company, Peter Hjortberger...
Quote:Dear friends,
as a result of continous bad health because of two heart attacks this Fall, I have decided to try and sell the Fallkniven company.
It's all too bad since the company really is on top with new exciting products and a growing international sale.
Interested companies are invited to get in touch with me for receiving further information. We're about to make the inventory list within a few days and will be able to supply serious buyers with adequat information.
Since the inventory is large and fresh, the molds and tools etc are little used and with a good, worldwide reputation, I understand that a bid as low as 2 million US dollars won't be the winner.
There won't be any sale out or discounted quotes - if we don't get a serious bid, we will sell the products at standard quotes till the stock is zero.
I wish that you true knifenuts bring this message out over the world, the sooner I get a solution upon this matter, the better for my health.
BritishBlades would like to wish Peter all the best and a speedy recovery. We know whatever he decides to do with the company, will be in the best interests of all concerned, though hearing that ill health is the cause for trading such a prominent and prestigious company, is never good to hear.
Fällkniven are a family firm, with roots deep in the soil of Norrbotten, Sweden. They have been hunters and fishermen for decades and know from personal experience how a knife should be. The firm started operations in 1984 and today is acknowledged as one of Sweden's foremost knife specialists. They began to develop thier own knives in 1987 and today this is thier principal activity.
If you have US $2m plus for a going concern, contact Peter Hjortberger at info@fallkniven.se.
A detailed and very professional project. Andy Gascoigne's home built heat-treat furnace is a must read for anyone contemplating building thier own heat treatment furnace.
See the before and after pics....
A very professional job and an excellent tutorial. Thanks Andy.
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The Night-Ops Gladius, review of a prototype.
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Swedish knife manufacturer, Fällkniven, For sale!!
