Our search continues for knifemakers and bladesmiths who we feel stand out among the many. As far as knives are concerned, we were looking for something a little different, but that still exhibited all the qualities one would expect from a fantastic blade. I feel I can truly say that we found a real winning combination when we were fortunate enough to meet Karl Andersen of Andersen Forge.
Mr. Andersen makes knives out of his forge in Illinois. For him, bladesmithing is a profession. All of his work is 100% sole authorship - no factory parts, no processes done by outside sources, nothing except the work done by his own two hands. Karl makes strictly forged, fixed blade knives and 90% of these are made in a take-down configuration (that's the "little different" part). But before we get to the knives, lets talk about Karl.
Karl grew up experiencing the outdoors and all it had to offer. Many of the knifemakers I know, who in my opinion, make the most functional knives, are the ones that grew up using them. It only makes sense! On his website, Karl recollects some of his many experiences, saying, "I was fortunate enough to have been taken along on enough of my Father's outings, that my love for the outdoors was acquired at a rather early age, and hopefully, will last a lifetime. I spent many evenings in the basement re-loading shells for the next day of dove shooting, or the next fox hunting adventure! With my father, I learned that the end of the trip was not the goal! Part of the pleasure was simply HOW you got there! I learned how to hand-craft arrows, sharpen knives, catch my own bait, build a small camp fire, and always, ALWAYS, never harvest what you weren't going to eat! But most of all, enjoy yourself, and get dirty!" I myself would have loved to live this path, but living in New York City, I'd have probably been arrested for doing anything with a shotgun...
Many times in my career as a custom knife enthusiast, I've heard how one knifemaker or another hit that turning point in his life where he decided to start making knives for one reason or another. For Karl it was a magazine he picked up at a grocery
store back in 1996. From that point on, he spent all the time he could learning how to make knives by hand. After what he describes on his website as, "A LOT of trial and error," he reached the point where he could offer his work to others with pride.
Karl moved upward and onward in his quest to make the best knives he could possibly make, and took up instruction in the art of forged steel. In 2004, he graduated from the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing. These are bladesmithing courses offered at Texarkana College located in Washington, Arkansas. The courses are led by members of the American Bladesmith Society, who have attained the rank of Master Bladesmith. At the time, Karl studied under Bailey Bradshaw and Bruce Fuller. Texarkana College is one of the most well-known, well-respected institutions at which to learn bladesmithing. Many, many knifemakers have taken courses there, both ABS members and not. As far as I know, it is probably the best place to start if you want to learn how to forge steel into blades, and as some may know, it is what I plan to do at some point in the future.
Karl's thirst for the knowledge of forging steel was far from quenched at Texarkana. One of the many reasons I personally respect him as a knifemaker, is that he is constantly striving for new knowledge, whether
it be from on-line forums, or from his fellow bladesmiths. Karl often takes the time to attend events where he can learn from his peers and further hone his skills as a bladesmith. In 2005, he attended Ed Fowler's "Seminar of the High Performance Blade. There he worked with Ed Fowler and his instructors, Bill Burke and Eldon Perkins as well as Butch Devereaux.
Karl associates himself with those who are at the top of the game where high performance blades are concerned - and it shows in his work. Bladesmithing is only one aspect of making an awesome knife. There are a never-ending array of skills that a knifemaker can learn to better his work. Woodworking, welding, etching, carving, engraving, hot-bluing, filework, fluting, inlays - and then comes the sheath! Leatherwork, tanning, stitching, wet-molding, dying - the possibilities are endless. Every knifemaker has a different set of these skills. Some are better at a certain area than others. It is this combination of skills and the level of knowledge of each that makes each knifemakers work vary so greatly in style, design and performance. Karl makes sure that his combination of these skills is as diverse as possible and that his knowledge of each is at it's peak. He knows and openly admits that perfection is unattainable. Those who know this become the great bladesmiths of tomorrow.
Other well-known bladesmiths and knifemakers that Karl works with and learns from include Don Fogg, Kevin Cashen, Tim Zowada, and Jim Siska. Karl attends blade seminars at Ashokan regularly. I was honored to be invited to this year’s seminar by Karl. I will do my best to attend. I really can't imagine how great it would be to spend some time out of the city and finally begin to attain some knowledge of bladesmithing first-hand.
Karl is also most fortunate to have become what he refers to as, "a bothersome understudy," of world-class knifemaker, Jerry Rados. Many of you already know his work well. For those of you who don't, Mr. Rados is known for forging some of the most amazing, highest quality Damascus in the world. This is not blown out of proportion - it is simply the truth. The humble nature of many knifemakers like Mr. Rados, keeps their true status under cover. Some have said to me, "it's not the man - it's the knives. But the man makes the knives, and to collectors, his name is already legendary. The name Rados appears on more custom knife sites than any other name. His Damascus is used to make everything from art folding knives to high performance knives like Karl’s by knifemakers and bladesmiths, worldwide. Concerning Mr. Rados, Karl states, "Put simply, Jerry has forgotten more about knifemaking than most makers will ever learn. Jerry has taught me many things in the years I have known him, and they can be seen often in the knives I produce. The one lesson that stands above them all is, in his words, "Every knife you make, make it the best you can!"
You can see now why it is such an amazing privilege and advantage to be instructed in the art of Damascus by Jerry Rados. By learning first hand, forging blades of Rados Damascus with Rados standing right there to approve of every process... It reminds me of the ancient samurai master sword maker and his apprentice. I've spoken to Karl and he is now at the stage where he is ready to forge his very own Damascus! To me, this is incredibly exciting, and I will be the first to obtain one of these knives!
I know Karl's work and it is strictly based on "performance first." As Bagwell stated, "...and I wouldn't buy it if you're looking for performance...” There are different types of knives. Those that are strictly collectible, those that are made to perform and those that lie somewhere in-between. It therefore may be ok to buy a damascus blade that looks great, if you only plan to display it.
Who do you think should be the next featured knifemaker?
To be under the instruction of such a mentor is a great privilege, and Karl knows it. Currently, many of his knives are made using Rados Damascus. One thing many people don't know, and this is quite important to collectors and users especially, is that Damascus is a very personal metal. This is to say that many times, a knifemaker will use damascus supplied by another knifemaker to make a blade, and the blade will end up being inferior to what it should be. Damascus is not only like fingerprints pattern-wise, but structurally as well. The only person who knows the true method of construction and therefore the way to properly implement the steel is the person who forged it in the first place. In the book, "Bowies, Big Knives and the Best of Battle Blades," by Bill Bagwell, there is an article titled, "Steel Yourself." This book is a collection of articles written by world famous bowie bladesmith, Bill Bagwell. In the article, Mr. Bagwell compares the qualities and differences of his favorite steels. He comes to a point concerning Damascus steel and says that, "When handled properly it makes a knife that is in a class by itself. However he also forewarns readers that it is the most likely steel to be mistreated and that will get you ripped off if you're not careful. He offers some advice concerning this situation and states:
Standard KBA Take-Down Assembly for a small hunter. Actually, there's nothing standard about it. Because the knife is made to be seperated and put together, each piece must be made with precision not commonly found in the individual pieces of many straight fixed-blade knives.
I am however, a "performance hungry maniac," and Karl is more than capable of satisfying my needs. There is also no reason that these "performance blades" can't "look good doing it." Karl openly states on his site, "I do not make collector's knives. I make working, every day, useable knives for the outdoors enthusiast." I truly respect this level of honesty and the fact that he does not sugarcoat what his knives are. But I also have to disagree on the point that I feel Karl's work is highly collectible, especially on today's market. Here is what I see.
Today's collector is evolving. Art knives are still hot and personally I feel they always will be - but a growing demand in the custom knife market for good old-fashioned, high performance blades is rising - especially for those with a special touch that sets the knife apart from others (e.g. Identifiable on a table with a hundred other knives, without having to look at the stamp.) I believe that more and more people are willing to spend money for a custom knife. However, due to the Internet especially, today's collectors are becoming highly aware of what a good knife really is, and they want what they're paying for. For a while, I became crazy about Damascus. I remember the first time I saw this amazing steel and I was in awe. I had no idea what it even really was, but I wanted it! I wanted it because it was beautiful, but most of all, I wanted it because it was unique.
Just this past February, I attended the East Coast Custom Knife Show in NYC. It was then I realized... There was so much Damascus that I couldn't tell one knife from another! Everywhere I turned, everywhere I looked, damascus, Damascus, DAMASCUS!!! I suddenly grew a bit tired of it. It was no longer desirable to me because it was no longer unique. It had lost its special place among all the other knives and in my head. I bought a plain. carbon steel bowie at that show, and I couldn't have been happier.
The new rule of formed and applied to my own collection today is that I will only buy a Damascus knife if it is made solely by one knifemaker or by a knifemaker who I know has had personal instruction by the person who forged that Damascus. This rarely happens. Karl Andersen is one knifemaker that I will spend my money on. His knives are made with not only knowledge, but with passion and spirit as well. His take down design is something very special - something that is really rather hard to come by. This design is really awesome because there is no use of glues or epoxy's in the knife. To me, this construction is in a class of it's own, and the Andersen Forge Take Down Design is really at the top of this class.
I had one knife come in from Karl, and I can't say how impressed I was with his work. I now have two more coming in (seen above to the right) and they will be here shortly after this years Blade Show. I can't wait! I may offer one up for sale - I may keep them both! I can't say for sure, but if you're interested, you can see what happens by mid-June, or if you can't wait, you can always email me or give me a call. I may put one on reserve for someone. The knife on the bottom is a big fighter with a gorgeous Stag handle and hot blued fittings. The one above exemplifies Karl's skill on a stunning level. Karl had said himself, that this was, "quite possibly the most complex knife I've ever built!"
Karl Andersen proudly poses with the Andersen Forge Watch-Bear!
Look for these two, awesome Take Down Bowies for sale on KMD in June!
Karl B.Andersen is a man of many talents, showing us that knifemaking is a skill that combines a multitude of others...
There's nothing like the beauty of hand-forged steel. I feel, as a knife collector for over 15 years, who has added and removed every kind of knife imaginable from my own collection, that most of where the beauty lies in a knife is in it's steel. When properly forged, grain structures alone can be captivating. I also feel that because a knife is not a knife without a blade, that it is here that lies the true definition of what a knife really is, and should therefore receive the most attention from the maker. Here, Karl Andersen forges with his heart, soul, and unbreakable attention to make a blade that will soon find it's next lucky owner.
"The best advice I can offer to the man who wants a Damascus knife is for him to insist on several things. First, be sure that the man who is making your Damascus knife made the steel himself. If he didn't make the steel, odds are overwhelming that he won't have the knowledge to properly heat treat the blades. No two bars of Damascus are ever metallurgically the same, regardless of who makes them, and the knifemaker has to have the ability to deal with this. Secondly, ask the knifemaker if his knife will cut a 2A stud in two and still shave. It should, and if it won't, you shouldn't buy it if you're looking for performance." - (Bagwell, 75)
Understand that everyone has different opinions. However, I've read every article that Mr. Bagwell has written and have studied (and used) his knives as well. Through this experience, I've formed the opinion that what he says can be trusted. I advise you, the reader to form your own through your own research. I also highly recommend Bill Bagwell's "Battle Blades" book as a great place to start learning about a slew of various knife related subjects, from construction to methods of use.
1) All is quiet at the forge5) The Finishin Bench9) Working on a blade
2) See the glow in the forge in the back?6) At the ready! 10) Finishing a blade
3) Anvils at the ready!7) Forging a blade11) Making Progress!
4) The Lathe and Mill 8) Checking Specs12) Lucky new owners get ready!
