Just come back from 2018 Australian Blade Symposium.

I attended a lot of classes to improve my bladesmithing techniques,
including 3 classes by Kevin Cashen all the way from Michigan USA learning metallurgical intricacies in steel manipulation.

Joined speed forging competition, where we have to make a viking blade within 20 minutes from a lump of blank steel.
Youngest contestant is about 12 years old, and I think I could the second oldest contestant there

I also got drunk Saturday night bad enough that I forgot what I did that made a lot of people smile/laugh at me Sunday morning. Not too bad hangover the next day, the earth only moves a little when I walk.

My phone run out of battery so I cannot take photos, but here are some taken by my mates.

Wishing you guys are here.

I'd have thought this activity would be saved for the colder months - must be a real sweat raiser right now.

Having said that, a mate from Sydney's been out hunting for a week & from his photo's it looks like there was some needed rain & cooler weather (at least where he was).

I have to say it looks inviting to see dry dirt and sunshine. Glad you had a wonderful time Geland!



Suz

Suzanne wrote:

I have to say it looks inviting to see dry dirt and sunshine. Glad you had a wonderful time Geland! Suz

Yep.

Which is why I'm trying to work out how to spend November through March each year in NM.
I truly love the UK but by 'eck, sometimes the climate gets me down, or perhaps it's the short winter days & NZ would be a better destination...

photo of your completed viking blade please.... pleased you had a great time and had pounding hangover to match the pounding of the hammers.

LOL yeah it was a nice day for forging, about 25c when the event started and when it got to my turn the temperature dropped down to about 23c which is really helps.

@Elvis, I have not got any photos yet, maybe in a few days when it is posted on the net I will post a copy here.
My knife is not finished in time, I have trouble with my elbow and I am not used to forge in a hurry. It was hard work to move lump of unknown steel with strange hammer and tongs.

Sounds like you had an outstanding weekend mate. That course sounds like it would be a great one to attend. I’ve always had an interest in forging but with not having the facilities to do any, the material removal system is much better suited to my knife work. Now all I gotta do is get a belt sander or linisher.

What have you done to your elbow mate...sounds rather uncomfortable. I’m looking forward seeing pics of the knives you forged.

I feel for you Mate...dodgy elbows and wrists have dogged me for years after spell in fish factory...RSI is a mongrel of a thing you never really shake.
strange metal and hammer sounds like a heck of a challenge....

Here are some more photos.
My knife is not one that is finished.

Technically traditional knives like this are made with plain carbon steel that is nice and soft to forge.
On the competition, the organiser thought that changing the steel to alloy type would separate the men from the boys (and the old guys I guess :lol )

I have lots of fun though and that's what counts.

Is that you?!! OMG what a beautiful photo of you!! It's a keeper!!



Suz

That is a great photo of you Gelan!

HAMsome dude, no bacon about that

good stuff Mate.... very interesting knife pattern.
my favourite knife that I used to own many years ago was a green river bushmans friend... a bowie shaped blade approx 8" long with 3" piece out of back of blade...great for all tasks,skinning gutting,sticking pigs. Ive got a giveaway pocket knife that is similar to a gerber gator folder with blade of about 4" that ticks the boxes for me,as does the Svord folding peasant knives....2nd to last deer got dressed up in the tussock with the mini version..3" blade........it got job done but I really missed a longer blade.
last deer got dressed out with a mighty bacho...... elcheapho knife in plastic sheath costs about $15 each and are mora knives with bacho branding....buy a mora and its $60 I own far too many knives but as the saying goes "a man without a knife is like a dog without a diddle"

True mate, you just got to have at least a knife.
I also have plenty of mora, they are usually used as a loaner, rather than give the borrower one of my custom stuff they can stuff up the mora and I would not be mad.

The knife pattern in the competition is actually Viking ladies utility knife, they use these for daily tasks and some protection if required.