Kai´s new innovative caplifter

 When I was at Kai´s the other day, he proudly presented me one of his last works, a caplifter for stylishly opening beer bottles. It´s made of mild steel. The torsion is first marked out at both ends with a chisel.

Then four strands are marked out. One strand is decorated with a hacksaw. Only then does Kai do the torsion work.

While the leaf can do with some refinement, I really fell in love with this technique, and have to try that out myself....! Props, mate!

A Hammer - In with Kai

Kai called some days ago if I was feeling like doing some pounding. Now Kai had just finished his first Damascus blades and had some surprises on hand, so I saddled my steed and  rode over the hill to his place. I was welcomed warmly and with a cuppa strong java, and then we lit up forge. This forge he has built over the last months. And when I look back how he started and where he´s now, it makes me proud to think I had a part in this.

And it was simply good to be there. I have a load of problems with most of the smithies I am working for. It just seems I get mobbed out of everything I have ever attended to (and worked for- for free), and this results in a constant pressure on my shoulders. When I ask new and old acquaintances to mirror my effect on others most respectfully tell me I am "larger than life" and thus give "lesser" men (those are quotes) a bad feeling, resulting in constant efforts to get rid of me. As one of my oldest friends stated "the dumb want to keep themselves company" (not my words) and that I am unusual and so forth. Culprit is, I do not see any effort on Kai´s part to get rid of me. And I do not need to play the psychiatrist either. I guess that´s what you´d call a friend. Thanks, bro, by the way, it is appreciated!

For it was just lighting a fire and swinging a hammer and pounding the steel... making damascus, the damascus for the aforementioned Rus / Varangian Kopis, by the way, and having a lot of rough and good-natured talk.

 

 

Kai had made two bearded axes "Viking style". Above is a shed find, a historical carpenter´s axe... sweet!

 And those are the first Damascus knives Kai made. Above is a skinner blade from chainsaw Damascus. The knife below is made from six layers of file steel and rebar, buffalo horn and yew.

I like the rustic appearance; and what they still lack in eloquence they more than make up for with charme. Props!

 This is the rest of the billet Kai welded.... I guess a new era has begun...;-)

And I look forward to a friendly competition!

...and...psst...don´t tell him, but I´d be glad if he beat me one day! It won´t be too long coming...

New knife by Kai-EDC bush with buffalo scales

Kai has done it again! When I was on a visit at his place recently, he presented me his newest project. 1.2842 steel, blade 76 mm long, Watussi - cattle horn handle glued on with epoxy, but not riveted (not my way of doing things, but beautiful anyway...), 2mm spine, and a leather sheath of natural tanned leather. That´s a cutter!

New knives by Kai...

Kai mailed the other day to announce the forthcoming of some new knives. He tests them severely (all the like smashing ém with a sledge, testing on mild steel rods, letting ém drop on concrete and all that "void-mywarranty" stuff;-). This one´s a demi-integral from spring steel, length 20cm, blade: 9cm, spine thickness 2mm, tested 60HRC. Handle is made from fungus-infested stabilized beechwood.

And one he made for an archer. Spring steel, as above, from railroad screw clips. blade 11,5cm overall 22,5cm
  spine thickness 2mm flat grind, edge angle 25°
Handle is fungus-infested beechwood again.
Overall tested hardness 61 degrees HRC.















Boy, IS that guy making progress. You can literally watch him get better! Check out his imageshack here.