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Knife making course

Where Can I Find  Knife Making Courses In South Africa?

Introduction

In the rich landscape of South Africa, there are many options for those looking to join the world of knife-making. With a wealth of expert bladesmiths scattered throughout the country, eager to share their knowledge and skills.

The opportunity to learn this ancient craft is within reach. Through platforms like Facebook and other social media channels, aspiring knife makers can look at all the courses, ensuring they find the perfect fit to begin their journey of craftsmanship and creativity. So, are you on the hunt for knife-making courses in South Africa? Let me assist you in the meantime by sharing my information on knife making courses

Can I Take A 2-Day Knife Making Course?

In Benoni, Gauteng, Stefan’s 2-day knife-making course is just what you are looking for. This course offers a comprehensive experience where participants craft their own knife along with a custom leather sheath from start to finish. By the course’s conclusion, each participant will proudly possess their own fixed-blade knife, valued at over R1800, ready to showcase to friends and family.

This learning opportunity provides instruction in fundamental knife making techniques. Students will gradually advance to more intricate projects as their skills and confidence as knife makers develop. Experience in knife making becomes essential for tackling these more complex tasks.

This makes this course accessible to beginners!

With a maximum of one student at a time, participants receive personalised attention and guidance throughout the course. Located on the East Rand of Johannesburg, Benoni offers a convenient location for attendees to immerse themselves in this hands-on learning experience.

The fixed blade course encompasses all necessary elements for success, including tuition, access to tools, workshop consumables, safety gear, and all required materials such as the blade, handle material, bolster, liners, and pins. Additionally, participants are treated to lunch and refreshments, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable learning environment.

Topics covered over two days include knife design layout, heat treatment of steel, hollow grinding, handle fitting, chemical logo etching, and leather sheath making. Each aspect is meticulously taught to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to create their own high-quality knives.

Can I Do A Bladesmithing Course In KZN?

Yes, there are Bladesmithing courses for you to learn more about this exciting craft in KZN. Offered by De Wet van Zyl of Darkwing Blades, it provides a unique experience of hand forging your own knife. With step-by-step instruction, participants take home their very own hand-forged knife, valued at over R2000. These courses typically accommodate no more than five people and include all necessary tools, safety equipment, and materials, as well as lunch and coffee.

Whether you choose an online course or prefer a hands-on approach, these knife making courses in KZN offer an exciting opportunity to learn a timeless craft from skilled artisans.

Who Offers A Survival Knife Making Course In Cape Town?

In Cape Town, you will find a hands-on course that allows participants to create a survival knife with their own hands. Learn the practical skills and start making your knife.

Based in the Western Cape, Boswa Survival was founded by Herman Roos in 2007, establishing itself as an internationally accredited training academy. With a track record of training over 4300 students in outdoor survival and adventure courses, Boswa Survival offers a comprehensive range of programmes catering to beginners and professionals alike.

What Are The Methods For Knife Making?

Knife making involves creating a knife using one or a combination of these processes: stock removal, forging to shape welded lamination or investment casting. Common metals used in knife making include carbon steel, tool steel, and stainless steel. Read more about stock removal and the forging process. 

Stock Removal

Stock removal knife makers start with bar stock made of hardenable steel. The first step is to mark out the knife design on the bar. Then cut it out using either a band saw or an angle grinder. The knife’s shape is then refined using:

  • hand files
  • belt grinders
  • a flap disc on an angle grinder 

Next, bevels are ground or filed into the blade, and sanding removes all scratches from the steel surface.

Knife Making Process:

  • Design Template: 

Create a paper template of the knife design and place it on the steel substrate.

  • Cutting Out: 

Cut out the knife shape from the substrate following the template.

  • Refinement:

            Use hand files, belt grinders, or flap discs to refine the knife shape.

  • Bevelling:

Grind or file in the bevels on the blade.

  • Sanding: 

Sand the blade to remove scratches and smooth the surface.

After shaping, the steel is heated to its critical temperature and then quenched to harden it. This makes the steel very hard, but also brittle. The blade is then tempered by heating it to a lower temperature (around 200 degrees Celsius) for a few hours, which reduces brittleness while maintaining hardness. 

The tempering process can be repeated to relieve stress pockets in the steel. Some types of steel benefit from cryogenic treatment, where the blade is placed in liquid nitrogen for several hours.

Forging

Bladesmiths, in contrast, may start with bar stock or irregular pieces of high-carbon steel, such as:

  • motor vehicle leaf springs
  • coil springs from trucks
  • old files
  • large industrial ball bearings

The steel is heated in a forge to temperatures between 1100 and 1200 degrees Celsius and then shaped on an anvil using a hammer. To speed up the process and reduce the effort of hand hammering, some bladesmiths use power hammers and presses.

Once the blade is roughly shaped, the process mirrors that of stock removal.

Both methods ultimately lead to the creation of high-quality knives, but each offers a unique approach and experience in the art of knife making.

Check this out:

https://www.kgsa.co.za/Courses

https://www.facebook.com/murrayrobertssa

Can I Choose To Make A Fixed Blade And A Folding Knife?

Choose a fixed blade course when you start off making your first knife. Once you have mastered this, move over to a folding knife course. Let us look at both options of knife making.

Fixed Blade Course

This course is recommended for beginners in the knife making field. You will start with a roughly shaped piece of high-quality stainless steel in the form of a blade blank. You will learn how to design different blade shapes and understand the various components of a high-quality knife. 

Using the stock removal technique, you will utilise a belt sander and other machinery to remove steel from your blank. The course will teach you the entire process, of transforming a piece of unrefined steel into a beautifully designed, high-quality knife.

Folding Knife Course

This course is the next step after completing your fixed blade knife course. It is more challenging because it requires designing a knife with parts that fit together precisely, allowing the knife to open and close smoothly. You will learn all the necessary steps to design and craft a fully functional liner lock folding knife.

For those interested in knife making courses, there is an expert in your area just waiting to share their knowledge with you. Whether you are a beginner looking to start with a fixed blade course or ready to tackle the more complex folding knife course, these classes offer the perfect opportunity to learn from skilled craftsmen. Take the first step in your knife-making journey and discover the satisfaction of creating your own high-quality, beautifully designed knives.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the difference between bladesmithing and knife making?


Traditionally, bladesmithing meant making any blade by any method. Today, it typically refers to craftsmen who use a forge to shape blades, while knife makers often use the stock removal method to form blades.

What steel makes the sharpest knife?

In the knife community, carbon steel is often considered the best for its superior hardness and sharpness. However, it rusts easily because it has a low chromium content. As a result, many people choose stainless steel instead, despite the advantages of carbon steel.

What hammer do you use for forging?

These hammers have one flat face and a peen that is thinned down and set perpendicular to the shaft. The flat face is used for general forging, while the peen is ideal for aggressive spreading operations to widen the material.

Are old files good for making knives?

An often overlooked yet obvious source of quality steel for knives is the humble file. Typically crafted from high-carbon tool steel, files possess excellent qualities for crafting superior cutting tools

What type of steel will not rust?

Stainless steels with high chromium levels resist rust because chromium oxidises faster than iron, forming a protective chromium oxide layer. Adding nickel boosts their rust-proof properties.

Author: Janice van der Westhuizen

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