[h=1]1 Kings 19:11-13King James Version (KJV)[/h] [SUP]11 [/SUP]And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
[SUP]12 [/SUP]And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
21 years ago as I was working to make an build the 5 required knives to present at the Blade Show for Mastersmith, something happened. I was forging a billet of Damascus for the art dagger and every time I finished the forging and began grinding the billet would have a flaw in it, fatal throw it out/under the bench flaws. Only the billets forged into dagger blades had flaws. I forged billets into other type blades and all came out fine. Same steels,same process,same everything. After 5-6 times I sat down, and asked God what was going on here. Why only the dagger billets were flawed and not the others. And then came that still small voice asking me the same thing HE asked Elijah, What are you doing here Craig? Why are you working so hard to impress men? I had no answer to give in that situation so I said 'Ok God, what do you want me to do?
So I resigned from the ABS, sent my JS stamp back and while I still made knives for several years (and actually sold more than before!) knifemaking was no longer at the fore front. In the time since God has taken me around the world to places I never thought about going, from Pacific Islands to Alaska and all over the US. And I wouldn't trade those travels and the people my wife and I have met and got to know for all the hand forged knives in the world. And now the desire to once again forge hot steel is once again in my bones and I look forward to what God is going to allow these hands to create. The skill in these hands come from God, these hands are only translators, he reminded me of that 21 years ago.
Have a blessed day!
[SUP]12 [/SUP]And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
21 years ago as I was working to make an build the 5 required knives to present at the Blade Show for Mastersmith, something happened. I was forging a billet of Damascus for the art dagger and every time I finished the forging and began grinding the billet would have a flaw in it, fatal throw it out/under the bench flaws. Only the billets forged into dagger blades had flaws. I forged billets into other type blades and all came out fine. Same steels,same process,same everything. After 5-6 times I sat down, and asked God what was going on here. Why only the dagger billets were flawed and not the others. And then came that still small voice asking me the same thing HE asked Elijah, What are you doing here Craig? Why are you working so hard to impress men? I had no answer to give in that situation so I said 'Ok God, what do you want me to do?
So I resigned from the ABS, sent my JS stamp back and while I still made knives for several years (and actually sold more than before!) knifemaking was no longer at the fore front. In the time since God has taken me around the world to places I never thought about going, from Pacific Islands to Alaska and all over the US. And I wouldn't trade those travels and the people my wife and I have met and got to know for all the hand forged knives in the world. And now the desire to once again forge hot steel is once again in my bones and I look forward to what God is going to allow these hands to create. The skill in these hands come from God, these hands are only translators, he reminded me of that 21 years ago.
Have a blessed day!