2010 trip to USA
After having to cancel at the last minute on going to Blade show 2009 I was really hanging out to getting clearance to fly after my leg operation and 2 weeks before Blade 2010 I was able to breathe a huge sigh of relief and make final arrangements.
Bad weather managed to delay one of my connecting flights from Dallas so after a combined 28hrs from Perth I was able to get horizontal in Atlanta. Set up for the show starts Thur so was able to gain entry and start sniffing out the few pieces of handle material I was particularly chasing, stag and walrus. Thank god my nose was working well after all the flying.
Fri thru Sunday were of course show days and although crowd numbers appeared up there, people were obviously being very careful with their money and this year I only sold 3 knives, however at least I sold some. My leg was not happy being on concrete all day and was blowing up like a balloon so had to park up pretty early most nights, although I did manage to help Shawn McIntyre and his partner Amanda celebrate her birthday along with Tommy Gann and his partner.
As per previous years, I always arrange shop time with US makers and this time was lucky enough to score a week with both Bill Burke M.S. and Bruce Bump M.S. So after flying back across the US to Boise, Idaho with Bill I firstly wanted to learn a bit about forging 52100 and then testing it so I could establish for myself a baseline with this material. I got to forge out 3 blades, 2 being Pronghorn’s (when in Rome.....) and a large bowie.
One of the Pronghorns was then given the full treatment, as much as one can cram into the time we had anyway, and then used to cut, slice, chop and subjected to all sorts of mistreatment till I broke it. At least now I can confidently attack the large box of bearing rollers I just happen to acquire from work.
The other thing I wanted to learn at Bill’s was some more of the process of pattern development in damascus so in between heat treatment cycles on the 52100 I stacked up a couple different billets and started welding. After formation of “W”s and a mistake on my behalf, (pay attention Bruce) I chose to “Ferry Flip” one billet which also gave me the opportunity to learn how to TIG weld, thanks Bill. The other billet got all sorts of treatment which ended up forming a loaf which yielded 12 folder blades as seen opposite.
Unfortunately my week with Bill was up so this BB left that BB’s place for the 5hr drive up to the other BB’s place in Walla Walla Washington. I had discussed with Bruce the possibility of doing a “Feather” pattern Damascus billet and also making a slip joint folder. At the time Bruce had a couple of WIP’s (work in progress) threads running on a couple of knife forums and I was lucky enough to see and handle 1st hand these wonderful pieces being constructed.
So once again I welded up a billet and started building layers. Paying attention this time I ended up with 3 blades out of my “feather” billet which you will see shortly. Still procrastinating as to whether I do a set of 3 knives (fighter, hunter and folder) or single pieces.
As I already had some folder sized pieces from my billet id done with Bill, I selected one of them to use on my first slip joint. Bruce was constructing his “feather” pattern slip joint with the “feather” shield at the same time so basically it was “do as I say...and do” at the same time and 3 days later, after raiding Bruce’s mammoth ivory drawer, I had this little beauty all finished. A few nervous moments peining pins but all good so I was no doubt one happy camper.
In between slip joint class we slipped over into Oregon to visit Robin Seivers aka “wildcountry” on knifedogs. com forum that did the carved sheath for the “Winding Feather Bowie”. Now this guy knows his leather and is a hell of a nice fella as well. Makes some nice tooling as well, thanks mate.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, I had to come home. After being back at work for 1 day, stuck behind a computer, I sat there reflecting on just how much I had learnt, the fun I had and the friends I had met and realised how lucky I was to have spent the time with Bill and then Bruce & Kaye and their families. In fact it was that good im heading back in November for more fun and frivolity, and some serious bladesmithing at Bill’s and then to also catch up with Bruce and Kaye along with my other tutor/buddy Ed Caffrey M.S. at the Rocky Mountain Knife Show in Boise, Idaho.