AKG Melbourne Knife Show | Organisation

AKG Melbourne Knife Show

Address: 33 Ardlie St 3049

Website: http://akg.org.au

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23.01.2022 *** Member Profile *** Check out the Melbourne Knife Show here: https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneKnifeShow/ Jake Summerell First famous for his ability to cook... 2 minute noodles in 90 seconds, Jake has made a happy career change into knifemaking. Jake started his knifemaking journey in 2015, as so many people have, with a course at Karim Haddad's Tharwa Valley Forge. He went home with a new perspective on life and a desire to keep making our species oldest tool. Jake joined the guild in 2018 having been heavily influenced by Adam Fromholtz, Iain Hamilton, Ian Stewart and Jackson Rumble. Jake will be exhibiting at the Melbourne Knife show this year with his collection of forged knives and axes. Not only does stacy forge his knives to shape he also forges his own damascus pattern welded steel and and stainless steel san mai. Jakes axes are generally forged completely to shape with only the cutting edge ground to final bevel and sharpness. He generally uses 1075 steel and the premium martensitic stainless steel RWL34. Jake is based in Bega on the south coast of NSW and is a full member of the guild and is currently working towards his American Bladesmith Society, Journeyman Smith qualification. Jake is a trade qualified fabricator and is studying to become a civil engineering designer. He opens his workshop for guild members and he can be followed on Facebook and on his Instagram @116blades

23.01.2022 MEET THE TEAM AKG President, Terri Parker Please show your support! Terri Parker is a long time contributor to the Australian Knifemaking Industry with a histo...ry of service to the guild. We are honored to have her back on the committee this year and this time as President! Terri's knife making journey started after the 2002 Melbourne Knife Show. At the show she held a sword made by Mr Paul Maffi (pictured) and decided then and there to start making. Drawn to the show by her love of all things sharp Terri soon realized her passion for making her own edged tools. Terri's participation in the industry began shortly after this when she volunteered to run the guilds knife show committee and she was soon responsible for the running of the Melbourne Show every year. Around 2009 Terri became a probationary member and she followed that up with full membership of the guild passing her final assessment in 2013. In over a decade of guild membership Terri has held the positions of newsletter editor, secretary, treasurer and of course Melbourne Knife show organizer. at some points she occupied all of these positions at the same time! Terri's contributions to the knifemaking industry do not stop with her service to the guild, she and her husband Adam also run a successful knifemaking business offering classes at Mount Mercer about 30 minutes from Ballarat in Victoria. They have in fact just built a magnificent new workshop for teaching and knifemaking meet ups and we are looking forward to seeing it get into full swing as soon as the Covid situation allows. Terri has attributed her key knifemaking inspiration to Adam Parker (Now her husband), Peter Del Raso, Maurie McCarthy, Shawn McIntyre, Paul Maffi and Julie Warenski-Erickson. You can meet Terri every year at the Melbourne knife show where she exhibits her work and occasionally at other shows around Australia. There are few people in our industry that contribute as much as Terri has over so many years and we are proud to have her as our President! You can follow Terri on Instagram and Facebook @Terri Parker

17.01.2022 *** Member Profile *** Please Share! Check out the Melbourne Knife Show here: https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneKnifeShow/ Garry Thom Garry is another long-time... second generation hobbyist maker maker, having made his first knife over 40 years ago. A traditional scottish knife called a sgian-dubh. He really did not get serious in knife making however until 2007 when his father passed away leaving Garry with a knife making workshop. Garry joined the guild in 2015 and attained full membership in 2017 with the guidance and support of Karim Haddad. Garry has high praise however for the guild's excellent support network that can provide exceptional responses to questions. Garry makes knives for all markets including kitchen knives and knives designed to be carried every day. Generally his knives are constructed from the powder metallurgy "super steel" RWL-34 using the stock removal method. Garry works out of his shop in North West Sydney and for him his knives are strictly a hobby. He is working hard to make more complicated builds with fewer mistakes. (aren't we all) Garry's father was also a member of the Australian Knifemakers Guild and the most important knife to him was the knife he made for his daughter to cut her wedding cake with. He has made knives in presentation boxes for both his kids and will make a knife for each of his grandkids (18 months old and another due in May) to be gifted to them on their 18th birthday as a way of passing along some family history down the generations. Knives are a wonderful family heirloom, tell us about your heirloom knife in the comments below!

15.01.2022 *** LIFETIME Member Profile *** Check out the Melbourne Knife Show here: https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneKnifeShow/ Peter Del Raso Peter has been making knive...s for around 45 years, he has exhibited at EVERY Melbourne knife show since joining the guild in 1993. and his contributions to the Australian Knifemakers Guild have been recognized with full life membership. It is difficult to put words to the contribution Peter has made to our industry. Having held various positions within the guilds management he is also the state representative for victoria and his skill and knowledge is unsurpassed. Peter however does not just know what he is doing, he is also an amazing teacher that at some point or another has assisted just about everyone in the guild. Assessing people's work, critiquing, advising and mentoring, Peter has been a driving force behind the improvement of the standard of Australian knifemaking that we know today. Peter makes fixed blade knives from a wide variety of carbon and stainless steels. His patterns range from field to collector grade, and he has won countless awards for his exemplary design, fit and finish over his years in the industry. He is one of Australia's most prolific part time makers operating from his workshop in Mt Waverley, Victoria. He can be followed on Facebook under his account "Peter Del Raso" and his knives range in price from $100 to $3000+ When he is not making knives Peter is a ridiculously good fisherman, despite not winning the trophy for best Carp for two years running at the Guilds "Knife Camp" Hopefully we will see that improve in 2020!

13.01.2022 Another awesome knife by Mark Sinclair

13.01.2022 STORY TIME Healing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with CUSTOM KNIVES Tony joined the Australian Army in January 1993 as an apprentice Fitter/Turner/Armourer. He... was just 17 years old. Initially he had wanted to join the infantry but as he was under age his parents had to sign him over and they would only do so if he did a trade. Tony spent the next two years in Army trade school at Bonegilla (just outside Albury/Wodonga). This included the Tafe components as well as armourer and military training. In 1995 he was posted back to Townsville and into his first unit where he began his on the job training. 18 months later after being bounced around a whole bunch of different detachments he received his trade papers and was assigned to his first real unit. If you had something that needed fixing, Tony was your man! In 1999 Tony was posted into his first Infantry unit, 5/7 RAR. The unit had already deployed to East Timor and Tony was soon to follow deploying on New Year’s Day 2000. Tony got off the plane in East Timor to a unit that he had never worked with and in a country that was third world to say the least! For the next 6 months this was his home. Whilst he wasn’t shot at on this first tour it was where he first experienced early symptoms of PTSD due to an unfortunate incident with some locals. Upon return to Darwin he sought out help and was pretty much told to toughen up and soldier on. So as a young bloke that’s exactly what he did. Tony was deployed to East Timor again in 2002 and twice in 2010. He also did an exchange with a British soldier in 2009 to the UK. Towards the end of 2010 he deployed Afghanistan for 3 months to inspect and repair weapon systems. It was in Afghanistan that things took a turn for the worse. In one rocket attack against the Australian Army base his hut was missed by just a few meters. This experience bought back some terrible memories from his experiences on the battlefield over the last decade that he had been trying to supress and it became clear to him that he needed assistance. He again sought help from the Army’s phycological program and was again denied assistance. This time Tony took matters into his own hands and sought assistance outside of the military. Toughening it out was important to Tony as he worked relentlessly to achieve the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1. The highest rank achievable by a soldier without becoming an officer. Using external help to treat his PTSD Tony was in regular consultation with a psychologist and psychiatrist allowing him to continue his service to his country. Nightmares, tremors, sweating and erratic heart beating, aggression towards peers and family, body aches and the list goes on. He was always angry. I knew something was wrong and I couldn’t really explain it. I was a tough soldier and I wasn’t in Infantry so I thought I couldn’t be experiencing PTSD as the psyche suggested. Stepping forward to 2015 and in particular on Anzac Day Tony had a particularly bad melt down, in the week prior he had a dispute at work that had come to blows, the Army house h was living in was falling apart and he was drinking up to ten beers and a bottle of whiskey every day in order to suppress what was going on in his head, and outwardly still trying to pretend everything was normal. This particular Anzac Day eve he had drank his fill and was lying in bed. The rain was coming down outside. The sound of the rain dripping in the downpipes. The noise was infuriating to him like some kind of torture, drip, drip f*!(ing drip all night). At 2am in the middle of the night, in the middle of a storm, Tony climbed onto his roof and began systematically tearing off every downpipe on his house. The next day with the support of his wife Tony went to hospital for immediate assistance. It was at this point that the Army realised the issue was serious. Luckily Tony had reached the pinnacle he had been working torwards. He resigned himself to what was to follow. He was immediately stood down on leave and was not allowed to touch weapons (remember that was actually his job as an armourer). He was not even allowed to drive military vehicles and was ostracized from his team. For the next 12 months on medical leave all he did was drink most of the day. Towards the end of this period he was assigned a rehabilitation manager and was told she was coming to visit. She visited Tony at home and booked him into a course so he was not stuck at home drinking all day. The program was called ‘Meaningful Engagement’. Tony had always had a healthy interest in knives dating back to when he purchased his first plastic handled RAMBO knife with the compass in the handle (admit it we all had one!!!). He looked into making knives and found a place in Canberra that ran courses. Tharwa Valley Forge, run and owned by Karim Haddad who at the time was the president of the Australian Knifemakers Guild. Tony made up his mind. He made a proposal to the young lady from the rehab organization. He wanted to make knives. It aligned with his interests and suited his trade background perfectly. This was Tony’s Meaningful Engagement She laughed at me and said and I quote your joking right, Defense isn’t going to approve someone with PTSD to make knives, you are suicide risk. Tony’s reply was blunt, but to the point: I’m not going to spend a week making a knife to kill myself, if I was going to do that I would buy a $2 craft knife from the bargain shop. If they won’t let me do it they can get stuffed I’ll just sit at home and keep drinking. After some deliberation they decided to give it a try and Tony spoke to Karim at Tharwa who had previously dealt with PTSD sufferers. They put in a submission for approval. To everyone’s surprise Tony was approved to attend a 5 day course in making knives and was soon on his way to Canberra. Tony was staying with his best mate just outside of Canberra and when the time came, he found it very difficult to take the first steps. Fortunately, again Karim came to the rescue ensuring not only did Tony attend but supporting his mate coming along to provide support. . So for the next 4 days and Tony forged and ground 7 knives to completion. At the completion of the course he was hooked and had already ordered his first knife grinder. The Army discharged him in Oct 2016 and he was officially retired. Due to Karim and several other members of the Australian Knifemaking Community Tony now uses his knifemaking as a therapy, away of relaxing and mind control. Tony went on to attain probationary guild membership in 2017 under the guidance and mentorship mostly from Guild member Karim Haddad. In Tony’s own words talking about Karim l think that without him coming into my life, things could be very different Most recently Tony went on to achieved full Membership into the Guild and he credits this to guys like Karim, Kevin Slattery, Steve Filicietti, Peter Del Raso, Ian Stewart, Paul Aristan and many others. Tony still has good and bad days however in his own words: One thing I know for sure though is that if I’m having a bad day either with a knife or just life in general in some way or another the Guild guys and gals are there to help out. You can follow Tony on his Facebook page at "Tony's Bladesmithing Hobby Page" See more

12.01.2022 Special LIVE Stream featuring Mastersmith Shawn McIntyre. When: 8:30pm AEDT, Thursday 15th October Where: Live Streamed on the Australian Knifemakers Guild page..., on the Australian Blacksmiths and Knifemakers Group and on the Knifemaking Downunder Podcast Groups and pages. What is it: Making Knives for Guild Assessment. In this exclusive presentation one of Australia's very best knifemakers will give advice, tips and tricks on what the guild state representatives look for when they assess knives. Shawn will go through the process of making knives that will give you the very best chance of success. Joining the Australian Knifemakers Guild is a great way to improve your skills and push your knifemaking to the next level and this presentation will give you the head start you need to ensure success! Comment below if you will be attending! Share this event with your friends! See more

12.01.2022 A knife being made.

10.01.2022 Sorry everyone, please like and share this post when you see it, but the show is officially off for 2020. Stay well stay safe and see you in 2021

08.01.2022 Something to listen to as we head towards lockdown.

06.01.2022 This week we are out in the bush coming in via Satellite with one of the best blokes in Aussie knifemaking and if we are lucky his missus will poke her head in also!

05.01.2022 GAMECO ARTISAN SUPPLIES COMMUNITY SUPPORT Australian Knifemakers Guild Scholarships and GIVEAWAY! Please help spread the word! With Covid restrictions still in place across Australia and many people making knives at home, and the Australian Knifemakers Guild being hamstrung by the inability to run their fantastic knifemaking events, Gameco Artisan Supplies are offering the following to anyone who wishes to join the guild, upgrade their membership, or to guild members that giv...e their time to help on Social Media. The Australian Knifemakers Guild as it is the peak industry body for Australian Knifemakers and one of the not for profit associations within The Australian Knifemaking Industry. Gameco would like to acknowledge the work that the Guild does in promoting and developing the skills of knifemakers. We will offer 9 Scholarships of payment of the $150 membership fee to the Guild for the 2021 financial year broken down as follows: Three scholarships for the best three new members to achieve Probationary Membership as judged by the guilds state reps. Entrants must have followed official guild membership application rules and the assessment knives must be in the hands of the state representatives by the 31st December 2020. Three scholarships for the best three members who upgrade from probationary to full membership, as judged by the guild state reps. Entrants must have followed official guild membership application rules and the assessment knives must be in the hands of the state representatives by the 31st December 2020. Three Scholarships for the three most helpful guild members on social media as nominated and judged by their peers on a vote held on the guild’s members only group in January 2021. Additionally, Gameco will offer approximately 70 x $50 Gameco gift vouchers for the first people to successfully gain probationary or upgrade to full membership between 30/10/2020 and 31/12/2020. To be eligible all applicants must post about their application and work in progress photos in social media and mention the guild. Gameco trusts that these prizes will offer strong incentive for new members to join and probationary members to upgrade to full membership. We thnk the guild for the opportunity to support the Australian knifemaking community and we look forward to playing a part in advancing the quality of Australian Knives and knifemaking. Gameco will provide the scholarships as payments to the guild. Gameco will provide the gift vouchers directly to the recipient. The guild must nominate and judge all scholarships and provide a list of the recipients of gift vouchers. Stay tuned for more details and comment below if you would like more information. Stay tuned also for a special Knifemaking Down Under/Gameco sponsored presentation from Mastersmith Shawn McIntyre on how guild knives are judged and what to consider when you make your assessment knives. See more

02.01.2022 WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN LOCK-DOWN? Whilst we all deal with varying degrees of lock-down it is great to see our members still working away and making stock in thei...r sheds! Today we are featuring Andrew from Bonavia Blades. Andrew has several on the go at the moment including three Gyutos and a parer. the spalting in the pear wood handles is caused by a fungus that attacks fallen timber. The timber is cut and stabilized with resin to make it impregnable to moisture and to preserve its colour and features. Andrew is also working on a batch of Kiridashis which are a traditional Japanese woodworkers marking knife. These are being made from hardenable stainless steels to help prevent rust. Another one on the go is the 52100 bearing steel boning knife pictured, this one will have a stabilized banksia handle. Andrew is a part time maker and his sales have been greatly effected this year due to not being able to exhibit and sell at shows. Follow Andrew on Instagram @bonaviablades and on Facebook - Bonavia Blades!

02.01.2022 *** Member Profile *** Please Share Check out the Melbourne Knife Show here: https://www.facebook.com/MelbourneKnifeShow/ Corin Urquhart - Niroc Corin started h...is knifemaking Journey in 2002, however it was not until 2012 when working with Gameco he started Gameco Artisan Supplies. Australia's Premier supplier of all things knife related and things got very serious! Corin has worked with some of the best knife makers in Australia and attributes everything he knows to the many hours spent in the workshops of guys like Keith Fludder, Shawn McIntyre, Ian Stewart, Alistair Bastian, Karim Haddad and many many more. Corin has held many positions contributing to the Australian Knife Industry including Treasurer of the Australian Knifemakers Guild, participating on the social media and knife show sub committees and founding member, treasurer, former secretary and public officer of the Knife Art Association. Always working toward building our industry and gaining recognition for the amazing talent of Australian Knifemakers. In 2014 Corin founded the Facebook group "Australian Blacksmiths Bladesmiths and Knifemakers Network" Which now has over 21,000 members. Always a fan of scandinavian knives, these days Corin is best known for his swedish style Barrel knives. Barrel knives are now quite uncommon however in the late 1800s and early 1900s many firms in eskilstuna sweden were making this style. Thomas Gerner and the late Maurie McCarthy were both instrumental in teaching Corin the art of the barrel knife. Corin's Barrel knives are made by hand from materials such as sterling silver, bronzes and Damasteel as well as hand forged damascus. Corin can be followed on instagram @corin_at_gameco but expect to see a lot of random posts as he makes all kinds of things from Hammers to random machining projects. eHe is also reasonably active on Youtube under the chanel "corinkayaker" Corin is also a regular presenter on the Knife Making Down Under Podcast and attends almost all knife shows in Australia with the Gameco Artisan Supplies show truck.

01.01.2022 Shawn McIntyre, ABS Mastersmith and Australian Knifemakers Guild Committee member explains how to build a knife that will pass guild assessment. What the state reps look for and how to achieve it.