Handles and guards class

[bjansen]

I am heading to Troy Ohio for an ABS handles and guards class with Kevin Cashen.  I am meeting my buddy and fellow tradganger Thadius out there and we are going to have a great week in the shop learning new techniques. I think this is going to be a great experience and have been looking forward to it for some time.  I needed to bring 4-5 finished blades ready for handles and shown below are what I am bringing.  I actually started all of these more than 9 months ago back in New Jersey before my move to WI.  I am taking two small hidden tang hunters (nearly identical), one full tang blade, one skinny hidden tang fighter and a medium sizes hunter. I will try to take some pics when I am out there and post some good ones when I am back.


 

[bjansen]

The middle blade I thinned down this am to remediate the plunge going all the way to the spine...and to correct a sloppy etch.

[D.Ellis]

That top blade with a thru tang extension would be a back country do it all knife. Right up my alley!

That sounds like fun.......looking forward to the update.
Darcy  

[Steve Nuckels]

Very nice blades!

I'm sure you will have a great time!

Looking forward to seeing the finished work

Have fun

Steve
---------
Potomac Forge
Member, W.F.Moran Foundation
ABS AP

[Lin Rhea]

As someone who has opportunity to teach the ABS handles and guards class, I commend you for having several blades ready. The different types of blades and the various construction configurations will enable you to get the most from the class.

[NittanyRider]

Great looking blades, Brad... looking forward to the finished products!

[KSCATTRAPR]

Very nice blades, I like them all but REALLY like the second little drop point from the bottom. Excited to see them all done, have Fun!

[Thadbow]

Class seems to be flying by faster than I would like...  
Yesterday was mostly about design and today was a little more hands on.

   


Getting started...

 


More to come...

[NittanyRider]

Looking good, Thad!  

[Lin Rhea]

Keep the pictures coming.

[bjansen]

 

[bjansen]

 

 

[Thadbow]

On Wednesday, they told me that there is an open forge night and we could come in and work on whatever we would like until 10:00

I asked if it was possible to have one of the volunteers assist us in forging a set of blade tongs.

Steve stepped up to the plate and said he would give us a little demo, but I don't think he realized what he was in for.
 
The small group we had for the handles and guards class all showed up  along with a bunch of other members.
 
Steve put on a great demonstration going through all the proper steps it takes along with some pointers on efficiently moving metal with each hammer blow.

When class was over, everybody got to try their hand at making a set of blade tongs with a lot of the volunteers walking around helping everybody out.
 

[bjansen]

Here is a picture of the majority of the blades the class worked on this week.

 

[Doug Campbell]

Very cool stuff guys, sounds like a load of fun too.