Carter Cutlery

In this comprehensive 5-day course, the students will gain mastery over several very important bladesmithing skills and complete their own Damascus steel knife. Upon completion of this course, the student will have a very comprehensive understanding of Japanese bladesmithing and be able to independently forge knives.

Hands-on techniques will include:

• Selection of steel specific to Damascus steel knives
  
• Forge maintenance Lamination techniques
  
• Forge welding
  
• Traditional annealing techniques
  
• Scale removal
  
• Cold forging
  
• Straightening
  
• Quenching
  
• Tempering
  
• Grinding
  
• Polishing
  
• Acid etching
  
• Low-temperature silver soldering
  
• Attaching handles
  
• Sharpening
  
• Hand-sanding to completion
  
• Construction of a leather sheath
  

Lecture topics will include:

• The Philosophy of Japanese Metallurgy
  
• The Five Criteria for Superior Cutlery
  
• Expose on Laminates vs. Homogenous Steel Blades
  
• Advanced blade sharpening and maintenance
  
• Man-made Sharpening Stones vs. Natural Stones
  
• Pronunciation of Japanese Blade Related Terminology
  
• Slide show presentation of bladesmithing in Japan
  

Prerequisite to this course are any one of the following: 101, 102, 201, 202, 500.

Travel and lodging are at the student's expense.