Becoming a Knife maker
I am totally self taught. Finding an apprenticeship in this trade is difficult and generally the secrets are passed from father to son
So as you can imagine, it has not always been an easy journey for me.
But I have learned many things, and perhaps even a few secrets too.
My advice is to let experience be your teacher and don't be afraid of making mistakes.
Mistakes are painful when they happen ,but looking back, they are the times when you learn the most!
I never had an ambition to become a knife maker. It seems the path in life took me this route. I never chose knife making. Perhaps it chose me!
About the
maker.
My name is Alexander Jack, known as Sandy to many. I was
born in Swindon Wiltshire but lived in the villages of Watchfield and Shrivenham
in the county of Oxfordshire for many years.
These days I live on the
Eastern extremities of Swindon with my wife, two mature children and our two
Jack Russel terriers Jess and Elsa.
As a child I developed a
keen interest in the outdoors. Particulary shooting camping and backpacking. These are
pas ttimes I have carried with me right upto the present day. I love nothing more than to get a night out in the woods
or pack my rucksack and walk a long distance trail.
More recently I have been hammock camping in woodland close to where I live and
have been studying bushcraft and various fire lighting skills (at which I now
excell)
I am also a licenced radio amateur and hold the UK call sign G0VQW. I enjoy using Morse code and chatting to like minded individuals all over the world on the short wave bands. I am a member of quite a few Morse code clubs including FOC. I can send and receive Morse at speeds upto 50 words per minute and decode everything with my ear and brain.
I enjoy very much learning about new things, acquiring
new skills and learning to overcome challenges that present
themselves. I believe it is these abilities which have enabled me to acquire the skills to build a knife to a high standard in a comparatively short time.
Back in 1992 I was diagnosed with a type of brain tumour called "Acoustic Neuroma". I was warned that the surgery was going to be invasive and there could be side effects such as facial paralysis and loss of hearing. So I asked the surgeon if I didn't have the surgery what would happen. He just said "You will die"
I underwent the operation and am still here to tell the tale. I still have occasional check ups as the tumour has returned but appears to be quiescent.
It was a difficult time and I live with the consequences of it to this very day.
Now of more mature years I am eager to spend as much
time as I can enjoying nature and feeling the "Pulse" of the earth.
I endeavour to camp atleast once in every fortnight throughout
the year to experince the changing seasons and what nature unfolds first hand. I
also record many of my experiences and upload them to Youtube. I have made many
friends from around the world via this medium and enjoy their feedback
immensly.
The knives I build I also use and am keen to improve and improve some more.
The knife you now see on display is the current model. I think it is going to be pretty damn hard to improve on it any further.
I have always appreciated good quality equipment and have found out
to my costs that you get what you pay for in life. So I try to buy the best I
can and make it last.
I would also consider myself to be a
little old fashioned. I enjoy the bond I form with trusted gear. The designs of
my knives are not what I would call modernistic, but perhaps a little "old
school" but well proven.
I like things that are built to last
like guns, clocks and knives. All made from wood steel and brass. It has been
said of me that I was born out of time!
I am totally self taught. Finding an apprenticeship in this trade is difficult and generally the secrets are passed from father to son
So as you can imagine, it has not always been an easy journey for me.
But I have learned many things, and perhaps even a few secrets too.
My advice is to let experience be your teacher and don't be afraid of making mistakes.
Mistakes are painful when they happen ,but looking back, they are the times when you learn the most!
I never had an ambition to become a knife maker. It seems the path in life took me this route. I never chose knife making. Perhaps it chose me!
About the
maker.
My name is Alexander Jack, known as Sandy to many. I was
born in Swindon Wiltshire but lived in the villages of Watchfield and Shrivenham
in the county of Oxfordshire for many years.
These days I live on the
Eastern extremities of Swindon with my wife, two mature children and our two
Jack Russel terriers Jess and Elsa.
As a child I developed a
keen interest in the outdoors. Particulary shooting camping and backpacking. These are
pas ttimes I have carried with me right upto the present day. I love nothing more than to get a night out in the woods
or pack my rucksack and walk a long distance trail.
More recently I have been hammock camping in woodland close to where I live and
have been studying bushcraft and various fire lighting skills (at which I now
excell)
I am also a licenced radio amateur and hold the UK call sign G0VQW. I enjoy using Morse code and chatting to like minded individuals all over the world on the short wave bands. I am a member of quite a few Morse code clubs including FOC. I can send and receive Morse at speeds upto 50 words per minute and decode everything with my ear and brain.
I enjoy very much learning about new things, acquiring
new skills and learning to overcome challenges that present
themselves. I believe it is these abilities which have enabled me to acquire the skills to build a knife to a high standard in a comparatively short time.
Back in 1992 I was diagnosed with a type of brain tumour called "Acoustic Neuroma". I was warned that the surgery was going to be invasive and there could be side effects such as facial paralysis and loss of hearing. So I asked the surgeon if I didn't have the surgery what would happen. He just said "You will die"
I underwent the operation and am still here to tell the tale. I still have occasional check ups as the tumour has returned but appears to be quiescent.
It was a difficult time and I live with the consequences of it to this very day.
Now of more mature years I am eager to spend as much
time as I can enjoying nature and feeling the "Pulse" of the earth.
I endeavour to camp atleast once in every fortnight throughout
the year to experince the changing seasons and what nature unfolds first hand. I
also record many of my experiences and upload them to Youtube. I have made many
friends from around the world via this medium and enjoy their feedback
immensly.
The knives I build I also use and am keen to improve and improve some more.
The knife you now see on display is the current model. I think it is going to be pretty damn hard to improve on it any further.
I have always appreciated good quality equipment and have found out
to my costs that you get what you pay for in life. So I try to buy the best I
can and make it last.
I would also consider myself to be a
little old fashioned. I enjoy the bond I form with trusted gear. The designs of
my knives are not what I would call modernistic, but perhaps a little "old
school" but well proven.
I like things that are built to last
like guns, clocks and knives. All made from wood steel and brass. It has been
said of me that I was born out of time!
