A Boy and his Bowie

Calvin Robinson

Moderator Christian Forum
Late last winter I got a call from a stranger , he told me that he heard I was a knife maker and asked if I would help his 12 year old son make a knife. I told him I would be happy to. When they came over they had a 10" damascus Bowie blade that they had gotten from Smokey Mountian Knife Works. The boy wanted me to help him put a gaurd and handle on it. The boy and his 16 year old brother are home schooled so his brother would bring him over and we would work on the knife about 30 min. to an hour at a time. I made a gaurd from brass, mortised two slabs of ipey for the handle and bolted it together with brass corby bolts. These sessions were usualy two to three weeks apart. During the summer I didn't hear from them at all but when I was driving home from the Guild show the other day I got a call and he was ready to come over and finish the knife. This past Wednesday he came over about two o'clock and told me he could stay untill it was time to go to church that night. Well I finished the shaping of the gaurd and handle and then he sanded and sanded and sanded untill he had it like he wanted it and then I buffed it. Here are pictures of the boy and his knife.
 
Nice knife and a good kid. When's he starting another one ?
It's nice to get the young ones involved. I can't even intrest my grandsons (4) in what I do unless they get another free knife that I made. My grand daughter, age 12, has already been at the grinder and shows intrest in beating some hot steel. I love that kid.....actually I love em all.

Rudy
 
That is a great storie and the only way to get the young ones of the streets and do something constructive with there lives.
 
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