Knifemaking

 

Course Description: 

During this weeklong session, each student will transform a bar of steel and slabs of handle material into a beautiful and functional knife. This class will expose students to the processes and techniques in stock removal knifemaking.  Content will include: Types of steel, both high carbon and stainless; pattern selection and design blank cutting and profiling; free hand hollow grinding and tang tapering; mirror and satin steel finishing; guard assembly and soldering; the fine art of fit and finish; sharpening and trademark etching. There will also be discussion on the basics of heat treatment and cryogenic treatment of blade steel, sheathmaking and basic leather works, and shop equipment, grinders, buffers, and shop supplies and necessities. We will encourage all sorts of “knife talk,” the free exchange of ideas, and the sharing of technical advice. All skill levels are welcome. If you have taken this class in the past, or have some experience making knives, more advanced techniques will be added for the benefit of those students.

Biography: 

Mitch Jenkins made his first knife at age 13. He was very fortunate to have one of the top knifemakers in the world as his scoutmaster. Steve Johnson, or SR Johnson as the knifemaking world knows him, invited Mitch to clean out his shop once a week for pay. That quickly turned into cutting out blanks, grinding profiles, and later grinding tangs and blades. Since then, he has made and sold hundreds of knives and his knives are in private collections around the world. He regularly attends custom knife shows in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and various international sites, this year Finland and Italy. He has been associated with The Knifemaker’s Guild, The Professional Knifemakers Association, The Oregon Knife Collector’s Association, Corporazione Italiana Coltellinai. Mitch currently runs Service Learning and teaches ESL classes at Snow College and continues to put in full-time hours in his studio.

 

Website: www.mitchjenkinsknives.com