Ratel10mm

Welcome from a new Aussie! :)

Hi all. Well, we've finally arived in Australia. On the Gold Coast for now, but may move depending on what happens work - wise. I'm really keen to get moving with blacksmithing, having started to learn in the U.K. To this end I have e-mailed the ABA of NSW, and am hoping to attend the demo day at the Hot Iron Muster. I'd love to attend the whole week, but finances preclude that. Still, I hope to meet some of you there. And carrying on from that, is anyone here willing to let me work / volunteer for them on occasion in order to further my kowledge & skills? For what it may be worth, I have various qualifications in engineering, work in refrigeration / air conditioning, and have done blacksmith courses in the U.K. with Bob Oakes, Peat Oberon & Owen Bush. I have also done some bladesmithing & have a reasonable understanding of pattern welding. All the best Matt

Hmmm. 2 pocket knives - a Spyderco UKPK & a Nontron wallet coins 2 diaries (old one & new one - haven't transposed all the old one yet) Miniature propelling pencil various bits of paper keys with BB Photon torch & 3rd. (tiny) pocket knife. I am wearing cargo trousers! ;)

Thought abut it, and even looked into it some Candid, but I found this site way too late to get organised and along with low funds it wasn't going to come off. I didn't even manage to get myself an anvil in time due to various reasons - mostly time & work. :C Dunno what I'm going to do for now other than scour & advertise all around when w get there. However, there are some possibilities for something like that container full in the future. ;)

Thanks guys. I've taken some photos - there's some stunning work here. But it'll have to wait a bit for me to put them up. Thanks for the offer Johannes, I'll let you know if we get there. :)

Hi all I hope it's ok to put this here. We're in the long drawn out process of moving to Australia, and currently are travelling around Europe until August. So I'll be online here even less than I am now! Not that anyone's likely to notice, but you never know. I will return though, with more daft questions and a thirst to learn! For now, I wish everyone a peaceful & productive time. Take care Matt

Especially a Lister! Great find bud, good luck with getting somewhere to store it. :)

Very neat.

Those are very nice Adrian. :)

You need some cone madrils or hardie tools. They look like the sound, a thin tapering cone that you form the socket around to give you the taper that you are looking for.

Hopefully without upsetting or denigrating anyone here, I strongly suggest you visit Don Fogg's forums Don Fogg Custom Knives and also British Blades British Blades. Both places have a huge amount of info & help available for people new to the subject. And Ed is one of the world's leading knife makers, so listen to anything he has to say on the subject! ;)

Simply because there was one high profile case where a local MP got attacked by a nutter wielding a katana-type sword.

Wish I could make that. By the way, the link doesn't work for me.

John N is the guy to talk to for Massey & Anyang in the U.K.

Here's a photo of mine as promised.

I'd recommend anyone wanting to learn about blade smithing to read everything they can find on the British Blades website & forum. Don Fogg's forum is equally useful.

Haven't found any data on mine. Bought on fleabay for

I was given an interesting alternative philosophy on this one Irnsrgn. The chap who taught my tool making class reckoned on drifting the heads of hammers & other tools that needed handles, and then having one handle that he made of Ash to fit them all. He figured that way he had less to carry at demo's. I thought that in principle it seemed a workable idea, but that I'd go for a tomahawk fit so that the hammer / hot sett head wouldn't come flying off!

I wish I could get there, but no chance I'm afraid. Good luck with it.

Hello Jon Jon! I find that I can get a sore thumb & elbow. I suspect it's down to my hammer technique & am looking into adjusting that.

That's a nice trebuchet. It looks very like the one at Warwick Castle. Although they used man powered wheels like a hamster's exercise wheel where you walk inside the wheel to turn it. The photo above looks like the wheels are to small for someone to stand inside?

Phil, a Dirk is a long dagger. Size wise, it (very roughly) goes: Sgian Dubh (in modern dress worn in the stocking top, apparently at the behest of Queen Victoria) Dirk Basket hilt sword hand & half sword 2 hand sword Claidh Mor

Thanks a lot Brian. :)

Thanks Glenn. I had noticed the date, hence asking if it was on this year. Stupidly I hadn't thought to search for it. :(