Mark your calendar for this year's hammer in at Chad Cunningham's ranch south of Baird, TX for October 20, 2018. There will be demonstrations, vendors, and opportunities to have your knives judged for the Lone Star Membership ranking.
TKG hosted a hammer in at Chad Cunningham's ranch south of Baird on 10/28/17. There were about 70 people in attendance including both members and non-members. We had demonstrations by Dale White and Bryan Borton, by Bill Poor, by Chad Cunningham, and a few others. Vendors included Terry Dunn with stabilized wood, Texas Farrier Supply with general knifemaking supplies, Charles Turnage with mammoth ivory, Matt Marti with custom forging hammers, and another gentleman who made custom forges. Thanks to Jason Boone for the video. https://youtu.be/5kAtNXT-Kt0
The TKG 2017 FY board of directors meeting will be held Saturday, February 25 at Joe Allen's BBQ, 301 S. 11th St, Abilene, TX 79602 at 6 p.m. We'll eat, then meet. The board will elect officers, set the FY 2017 budget, discuss and set procedures, and plan for future events. Members are welcome to attend and observe. The relevant decisions and conclusions from this meeting will be communicated via the TKG Facebook group, the TKG website, and will be shared at the annual membership meeting in April.
The Texas Knifemakers' Guild is partnering with Kim Sansom of Silver Spur Gun Shows to host a knife show in Abilene, February 25/26. The show is inside the Taylor County coliseum. We will have our own area with all the TKG makers together. Kim will advertise the show through her usual channels, and myself, Bryan, Charles, and Jason will spread the word through our local contacts. Tables are 8ft and $55 each. Kim has asked that you call the office at (806) 253-1322 or email at info@silverspurtradeshows.com to reserve your tables. Just be sure and say "We are with the Knifemakers Guild" so they will [...]
Lonestar Knifemaker Judging Procedure Jason Fry, TKG President This document is intended to assist members in presenting and judging knives presented by persons applying for Lonestar Knifemaker status. Our initial goal is to set a moderate bar, not an exceptionally high one. Many knives with some errors will receive a passing judgment. We want to screen out knives with many or serious errors that detract from the overall quality. The Membership Procedure gives the following instructions. Lone Star Knifemakers will submit three knives for inspection. Knives must be hand made, meaning at a minimum that the maker personally ground and polished the blade and installed [...]
A tradition among knife makers is the knife swap known as a "Knife in the Hat." Each maker who wishes to participate makes a knife. When all of the knives are finished, names are drawn, and your knife goes to someone else. In turn, you receive a knife from another maker. A KITH is a great way for makers to own other makers' works without having to shell out the cash. Another benefit, and perhaps the most relevant to the TKG, is that with our exchange there is an expectation of feedback. You see, it's rude to point out the flaws in another man's knife [...]
Multiple pictures above, click for gallery. The TKG hosted a hammer-in at Chad Cunningham's ranch south of Baird, TX on November 12, 2016. Last year it rained and folks got stuck in the mud, but this year we couldn't have ordered better weather. Around 45 people came to the event, from as far away as Lubbock, San Antonio, and Bonham. The event featured five organized classes or demonstrations. Jason Fry, TKG president and national Knifemakers' Guild member, taught a class on "Fit and Finish." He spoke about the details that separate a good knife from a great one, or a great knife from an excellent [...]
The following is from the most recent national Knifemakers Guild newsletter (November 2016). While the TKG is not formally affiliated with the national guild, we hold many of the same values and standards. Our goal in the TKG is to promote knifemaking, however you do it, but whatever your method, full disclosure is a must. "The Guild recognizes that the term "Handmade Knives" is difficult to define and subject to varying interpretations, but hold that, at a minimum, it requires that a maker personally grind, forge, or knap the blade, and honestly disclose how each component is produced. The real question is how much work [...]
TKG has two events coming in fall of 2016. We are partnering with Silver Spur Gun Show to host a knife show in Lubbock, TX October 8/9. Similar to the April show in Dallas, we'll have a separate knifemaker area inside the Silver Spur show. We have 20 tables reserved, and are still accepting table holders. Contact Jason Fry at frycustomknives@gmail.com for more information. As the TKG is an educational nonprofit organization, we will not be handling the financial aspects of the show. Table fees, etc. will be handled by Silver Spur. The TKG interest is primarily in bringing knifemakers together to share our craft, [...]
The Tarleton State University Agriculture Mechanics department Texas Knifemaker’s Guild partnered June 21-23 to host a knifemaking workshop. Offered as a continuing education workshop for Texas agriculture and shop teachers, the experience was focused on each student building a complete knife during the workshop. They say “Everything’s bigger in Texas,” and this workshop was no exception. 24 Ag teachers, 8 TSU students and employees, and 10 knifemakers made a total of 42 knives over the 2 ½ day workshop. Each participant started with a bar of steel. Knife designs were chosen and then the knives were ground to shape on 11 professional-grade belt grinders provided [...]
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