Jake Engler hammers one out

[Bruce Bump]

I was privledged last week with a two day visit from Jacob Engler of Houston Texas. Jake is a professional ferrier and has the best hammer control I had ever witnessed. He is renowned in his field and shoes horses from working horses, Race Horses to Clydesdales. Next month he is leaving for Japan to demonstrate his skills to a ferrier club there.

Jake came here to learn knife some making skills. He has made a handfull of knives from mostly stock removal methods and just wanted some tips on guards and handles mostly. After looking at his truck and inspecting some of the specialized tongs he forged I quickly decided stock removal isnt living up to his potential. Jake is born to forge knives to shape.

We talked about styles that he could call his own and we drew some pictures of forged knives that take a certain amount of skill with the hammer to pull off. He showed me a couple of small bowies that he forged to shape but I pushed him into a full tang style with a forged in index finger rest. I drew it on paper and Jacob hammered it out.

Here is Jakes fathers truck. Jakes truck is still in Houston.
Notice its all business. I like this belt grinder.

 

[Bruce Bump]

This pair of tongs was made by jake and handed to me as a gift. Its one of 6 pair he made in the same day. He claims they took him 30 minutes to hammer out. Whew! I could make these on my grinder and mill in less than 3 days.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Here is a slide show of the knife he forged with my humble guidance. I kept thinking I wish I had those skilled hands. I had this bar of 5160 laying around so we used it.

 

[Bruce Bump]

There was some cleanup grinding and back in the forge for a slight tune up on the tapered tang. After heat treating the bevels were ground and polished to 2000 grit and etched quickly in weak ferric cloride. We picked out some nice amber dyed elk slabs for the scales and Jake drilled the tang and pinned them on.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Here the finished knife. I like it. I like it allot. Nice work Jake and thanks for the visit.

 

[JSteiner]

Cool! I have never seen that "underhand" stock holding technique before!

 

[murphda2]

Wow, great set up he has on that truck and amazing work on the knife! I love the tongs as well. Does he have a website where he sells his tongs?

 

[Bruce Bump]

Wow, great set up he has on that truck and amazing work on the knife! I love the tongs as well. Does he have a website where he sells his tongs?

Hi Murph, I doubt he uses a web site in his farrier business but he might have. He makes all his own tongs and might make you a set. I hope he checks in here, you can ask him.

 

[Denny Eller]

Thanks Bruce and Jake!

 

[D.Douglas]

Thanks guys. That was very nice picture sequence. Inspirational i might ad also.

 

[Stew]

Neat knife and I gotta say, his tongs have styyllllle!

 

[jake engler]

hi there Bruce, just wanted to stop in here and say hello and thank you for having me at the shop. i had a great time and learned a ton, i have not had time to make any more knives since i left, but plan on making a few this weekend. i like forging them out its pretty fun. Bruce i cant thank you enough, ill stop in the next time im in town. if you need some tongs just holler i have a few lying around, and can make any size you like.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Hi Jake, Thanks for stopping in and giving me your first post

It was fun and educational those two days for me too. Feel free to send all excess tongs to my house.hehe
Seriously I bet you could take orders, they,re that nice!

Show us some knives when you get some finished.

 

[Mike Turner]

Not sure how I missed this one Bruce but dang nice to see another farrier banging out a blade, hope he makes more in the future.