thank you very much for the kind words dave
but it is a two way street, first for someone to offer advice , the learner/student must wish to listen ,which you have done very well
the early days dave ,pretty bloody embarrassing from this end mate
i told dave about a master blacksmith that does videos for the masses
he does not do courses but shows how to forge objects(and hammer control) and also does not edit mistakes (if a mistake is made he will show you how to repair it, or over the shoulder and start again if it is not salvageable,)don't worry i have a bin full of hickups we just give them a few hits somewhere else and call them something else ,that's blacksmithing
but i forgot to tell dave that his videos are in three levels of competence, beginner, intermediate trade
dave was forging a item and could not work out what was doing wrong
where the bloke was forging 8 to 10 items a hour dave was only doing 3 to 4
he could not work out what was the problem
a email to me, a phone call to dave and it was sorted
the technique dave was adopting was wrong he was watching the intermediate video on how to be a profitable blacksmith ,not the learner vids on how to forge my poo poo
so a slight adjustment to the technique and dave was off and running
a few years later and a few a few lessons in WA on Go Mia steel and we have dave where he is today
all the Go Mai knife making mate is what i would call top grade although i have never ventured there
i have never been interested in forging what i would call fancy knives and i have never delved into that sort of knife making
basic smithing is my calling card but that's me
but you have nailed it dave
you done the course in WA, then came home to your gear in the shed
we both know that you don't have all the high tech hardening/tempering ovens (the good old toastie oven does well mate even for heating a pie on a cold day
) and heat regulated gas forges for forging the go mia
but you came home bit the bullet and are doing it all by eye (without a dark box ,you know what i mean, or have you made one )
so i would say well done dave
, bloody nice knives mate you have nailed it
very much looking forward to the next knife dave congarats mate
grumpy