Back to São Paulo I tried to put what I have learned into work and in hope that this time the knife could earn the right to be called so. After six months it was made. It had brass and Ipê wood handle. Its blade was made from steel taken from a granite-cutting blade. It was totally hand filed and that was in 1990.
I started then to show it around to friends and the first offer came rather quick, but I meant not to give it away or sell it, so I had to make others to sell on it's place and since then I have never stopped making knives increasing my technical skills, building proper machinery looking for new resources, all to make sure the next blade would be better than the last one.
From almost two years I have been forging, improving quality after the seminary that took place in my shop directed by Mastersmith in November, 2001. From that on I have become a full time bladesmith, specially to the forged blades.
I must confess I am less inclined to hi-tech models than to traditional ones, hence my affinity to the forge and all the creativity that a forged blade can bring.
On this same seminar I became a ABS Member having the goal to become a Journeyman Bladesmith and latter a Mastersmith, knowing that the way to make that true will be long and will require constant study of new techniques always improving the quality of my blades and connecting the use of fine Brazilian natural resources to the best techniques in world custom bladesmithing.
I use only steels suited for forging like 5160, O1, 52100, 1070, 1095 and pattern welded steel made by myself. For handle materials I use several kinds of iron woods, horns and synthetics. I have also been several times on the best Brazilian knife shows and my exports are primarily to the USA and Europe. |
