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What is san mai?San Mai is a term used to describe laminated steel, a sandwich of blade steel in the middle and cladding of some sort on the sides. The cladding can be another blade steel or something that will not harden, the point is more that when the finished blade is etched, the different materials will contrast. The difference when working with San Mai is mostly about making sure you expose a similar amount of core steel on each side when grinding, and that final step of etching the …

Or how to get into leather working with a simple leather knife sheath.How to make a knife sheath is another whole area of knife making with tools, techniques and ways to make it as simple or as advanced as you want to. Leatherworking is a whole craft in itself, and there is lots to learn if wanting to make high end leatherwork - but it does not have to be all that complicated.Here we are going to make a simple "slip sheath" for a chef knife, showing the tools and supplies used in the process. Th …

Australian Knife Making Awards 2024: Join us!Beginner-friendly knife making competition Held each year in MayFree to enterGet feedback on your knife - become a better makerLive streams with more detail + Q&A + GIVEAWAYSPrizes and trophies to be wonWhen is the AWARDS held?The AWARDS are held in May each year. The knife can be started any time but has to be completed in the month of May. Beginner-friendly?This is for all makers wanting to take part.The Best Knife From Kit catego …

MTM #27 Stacy Hall, SLH BladesBorn in Shepparton, Victoria 51 years ago, I enjoyed living in a small country town with plenty of space to run around. Or at least Shepparton used to be a small town, it has gotten a bit bigger over the years since back then. Today we live in Mooroopna which is not far off “Shepp” and maybe 180 km north-west of Melbourne. One of the perks of living in a smaller town is having a shed at home for knife making so my commute is pretty good these days.Metal w …

By Bjorn Jacobsen, Jan 2024.If you have been doing knife making for a while, you possibly have come across some of the amazing photos of Baker Forge & Tool steel. The knives usually have a black core with stunning patterns on the sides.Coy Baker and his team have become one of the best known specialty steel makers in the world for knifemakers, operating out of a shop in North Carolina for a few years now and they just keep getting better. A few years ago Riley and I met Coy and the …

By Bjorn J, January 2024Silver Wire InlayHave you ever wanted to try wire inlay in a knife guard for added effect?Wanted to etch a piece of steel and have something show up as nice and shiny against the etched surface?Then this article is for you!** Disclaimer: This is a bit of a backyard blade smithing article and not “proper” silver wire inlay – far from it. But it works with very little specialty tools and I wanted to share it in case anyone else wanted to have a go as well. **What is neede …

Australia’s new iron age - 2023 National Blacksmith Survey ExhibitionIt’s more of a THUMP than a bang as 250kg of falling weight with the timingof a snare drum greets the awaiting glowing hot 3” solid steel bar. The steel,manipulated by years of dedication, to form part of a completed work forAustralia's inaugural National Blacksmithing Survey Exhibition.John Wood – Exhibiting ArtistBlacksmiths around the country are lighting furnaces, forges, and electric induction heaters toput the final …

This was a special knife build for me due to the history of the handle material and for making a knife for a family member. Here is the story of how it came together..Lilla Stugan – “the little cabin”My prettier half Marie is from the south of Sweden. Her uncle Tommy and aunt Eva live in Rörum just outside Simrishamn, a beautiful little city by the sea with rolling green hills, old buildings and a history spanning back to at least 1161. It is a popular tourist destination in summer and …

Want to improve your knife making?Want to spend 2 days at Tharwa Valley Forge with hands-on lessons?Want some time with high-level makers talking through your knives with tailored help for your knives on what to focus on next?Then read on..What is Knife Camp?The Australian Knifemakers Guild again this year held a very succesful Guild Knife Camp at Tharwa Valley Forge the first weekend of December.Knife Camp is one of the main ways the Guild work to help makers improve their knifemaking …

The team at Tharwa Valley Forge held the 2023 Canberra Knife Show on Sunday 3rd December 2023.The show itself is held at the Cuppacumbalong Homestead part of TVF, a historic homestead in beautiful settings by the Murrumbidgee River, just outside of Canberra. The weather was a bit mixed this year with some short showers during the day but mostly it was a sunny, pleasent day for all. The makers on the lawn were in the shade - and dry - under a big gazebo while talking to the crowds and s …