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Meet The Maker: Julian Roche from Roche CutleryMTM #25 by Bjorn Jacobsen, September 2023Julian Roche is a maker from Western Sydney really starting to turn heads in the Australian knifemaking community. Exhibiting this year at Sydney Knife Show for the first time, he had some amazing knives on the table. Julian also took home a trophy from the 2022 Australian Knife Making Awards in the Best in Show category. Here is a bit about his story as a maker and some photos of his work.My origin sto …

Meet The Maker – Jake Summerell from 116 Blades MTM #24 by Bjorn Jacobsen, June 2023Jake is a maker from Bega, NSW that over the last few years really has made people sit up and take notice of his work. As recent as the Melbourne Knife Show in May 2023 Jake won not one but two awards – Best Forged Knife AND Best Kitchen Knife. At the 2022 QLD Knife Show he took out the coveted Best Damascus Knife. Jake’s engineering background hel …

By Bjorn Jacobsen, April 2023I met Billy during the Master Class of the 2022 Blade Symposium. What a guy! Going with Jamie and Pierre to the master class I knew it would be fun already, but Billy certainly added to the group laughs! From what I picked up during the week, I knew Billy had quite the story. Working through a difficult period of his life and using his passion for making to find both new energy, and new people to call friends. We are grateful to Billy for wanting to share his s …

Meet The Maker: Bobby SmithBy Bjorn Jacobsen, 20.01.2022, Meet The Maker #18Bobby Smith is the man behind Shifty Blades, based in Katunga in Northern Victoria. With a big beard, often in a hat and sunnies, Bobby is an easily recognizable maker and so are his blades, specifically the pocket cleavers he has made a name for himself with.Speaking of pocket cleavers; we don’t want to steal any of Bobby’s thunder here – let’s just say that during the interview a new design was discussed and …

Meet The Maker #15: Ian StewartBy Michael Masion, Australian Knife Photography, Thursday 29th of July 2021.I’m sure a lot of people reading this would have met Ian Stewart already at any of the numerous knife shows or hammer-ins and knife making symposiums held around Australia. Others may have met Ian on the social media pages, where Ian often shares his tips, tricks and techniques as well as work in progress (WIP). However, few of us know his amazing story and his fascinating journey …

Meet The Maker #14: Luke Berkelmans from Makesmithby Riley Burns"If I were passionate about cooking I would make kitchen knives but to be honest I live on cereal and beef lasagne, I hate to cook” is how Luke started our interview which I feel really set the tone for how the rest of this is going to go.On the other hand he said he rides a motorcycle on trips away for days at a time and embarks on journeys around Australia so bushcraft, camping and utility knives were a much more comfortable …

Creative Man: Meet The Maker Series - Luke Andrew ColeBy Riley Burns, 11/11/2020Luke Cole is a Brisbane based maker in his late thirties who has been a trade qualified jeweller for twenty years but his love for knifemaking began in his home town of Tamworth in northern nsw where he joined the local blacksmithing club while in high school. Luke’s interest in knives began with looking at historical knives and looking through his father's antiques collection and those of friends. He made his first …

Meet The Maker: Riley BurnsMy name is Riley Burns and I run Burns Bespoke Crafts, Bespoke Crafts Photography and with the help of Jamie “Sausageman” Bishop and Toby “Fire and Steel” Murrill the Hunter Valley Hammer-In. You may have also seen me in the blue shirt behind a table at a show working for Creative Man.Riley at Iron Fest 2019, here helping a bloke who had come all the way from Canberra with some tips on how to get into knife making.I’ve also been lucky enough to attend, teach …

Next up in our Meet The Maker Series is David Talko-Nicholas. We're big fans of David's work and his simple approach to knife making, so have a read of his own relatively new journey...Age: 43 I grew up fishing and diving and then worked as a commercial diver and dive instructor for years. I’ve always had a knife close to hand and on one or two occasions saved my own life with one. I also love to cook so I appreciate a decent chefs knife. These things coupled with a love for making pretty …

Back and fresh from the Holiday Season, we've our second of the Meet The Maker series.Ben McKenzie has been making knives for only a couple of years, but has most definitely seen the light and is now teaching knife making to Year 9 students as well making his own. It's an interesting journey, and one many of you will find an inspiring read! Ben McKenzieAge? 40Why did you start making?I am a Design Technology (Woodwork/Metal/Electronics etc.) teacher having taught in Public and Cat …