Legacy of a Legend
We may be tempted to think of the master as someone who stands on the apex of their craft creating virtuoso works of art at every hands turn. The true master is this and much more.
The true master is not only an accomplished technician, craftsperson and artist. The true master also has the capacity to nurture the aspiring student, to convey a love of their chosen discipline to others, to convey their skills selflessly, and to find innovative ways of accomplishing age old tasks.
Invariably they do not extole their skills because the true master is also a student and realises that there is always more to learn. They do not hoard their secrets to the detriment of art in the hope of personal vainglory or gain. Rather they rush headlong into the fray of life and give their all without thought of return. These are the hero's of life and of art. These are the True Masters. They are a rare breed and usually, they are unique individuals.
One such unique individual is Bob Engnath who has given himself tirelessly to the greater good of all. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know Bob will count our blessings for the world of knives is now greatly impoverished by his passing.
This gentle giant is no longer with us but his absence will not go unnoticed. Nor is the light he cast over the world of knives dimed. The fire he started can never be extinguished, as we will redouble our efforts to carry on his work in his absence. Big men cast long shadows and Bob's shadow will color our lives for generations to come.
If the measure of a true master is judged by the number of his apprentices as well as the quality of his work then Bob is the greatest Master of all time for he leaves behind a legion of makers who will judge the quality of their character by the standards he set. Bob's legacy is evident not only in the blades he made during his lifetime but also the blades we will make in his memory now that he is gone.
We all miss you Bob. Many of us will never make a knife again without thinking of you.
You have made your mark, not on the many blades you ground,
but on our souls.
Bob is a master of form and proportion.
Here in a series of emails he details the thought processes
that go into shaping a blade. His intimate understanding of form is immediately apparent and with repeated reading most instructive.--) And
here
he pursues similar topics.
Blades "N" Stuff.
Here in one place is a source for, materials, tools and techniques to make
anything from a small sheathknife to a full size sword with an authentic
yakiba or hamon. In 78 pages he covers everything and I mean everything
of essential relevance to the knifemaker including a lot of advanced tips
and shortcuts. No matter how rudimentary your tools Bob's manual will convince
you that the knife of your dreams is within your grasp.
Included in this $5 mine of info are ----
Drawings of a plethora of blades that are well worth study in themselves
for they are a form of blade shape primer.
Instructions for making an etching machine for logos etc.
Chemical etching of homogenous, clay tempered steel.
Hardening and tempering info.
Descriptions of common steels.
Polishing with wet or dry emery.
Buffing.
Workshop safety.
Drilling out the hole on a stick tang.
Habaki casting.
Handle wraping
Knife making step by step
Making a kydex sheath.
Different strategies for making the
grip.
Hidden pins for scale tangs.
Making decorative pins.
Pin setting jig.
Descriptions of how to work all the usual handle materials.
Fitting and soldering the guard.
Tips on making your grinder compliant.
Selective tempering with gas torch and water bath.
Etc, etc,etc.
Fri Jul 3 05:34:05 2009
Last modified on 11/01/2008
Filesize: 6,280/engnath.html
