Breakfast with Burt Foster

[tippit]

Burt was doing a course at New England School of Metalworks this past week.  I got to meet up with him on his way back home for breakfast this morning.  We talked from 8:30 til 11!  I don't even remembered what I eat but I sure got some good ideas on where my bladesmithing is headed...Jeff

[Lin Rhea]

Burt is a superlative craftsman. His eye for line and flow is amazing. I bet you enjoyed that.

[tippit]

Lin,  
He showed me two tricks which totally fixed my two biggest problems.  I've had 1/2 dozen guys show me their methods and in 1/2 an hour I was cured     It's so neat when you can take another jump ahead.  Great Day!

I've been so luck in having Burt & Jason helping this Lil' Grasshopper...Jeff

[gudspelr]

Wow-would have loved to be at the next table over and even would've paid for your food just to eavesdrop...   .  I really like his knives and everytime I hear someone talk about Burt, it's always about how good of a guy he is.  Glad you had a great time learning.


Jeremy

[Steve Nuckels]

Jeff, was that the course making a knife with just hand tools?

Burt is a great person and a talented bladesmith!  He invited me and a friend to his shop!  Had a great visit!

Steve
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Potomac Forge

[Scott Roush]

Wait!  You can't leave us hanging on what he fixed!!! And better yet.. the solution.

Was it the fact that every time you tried doing a stainless/high carbon san mai integral it exploded? :-)

[tippit]

Steve,
He was teaching the all hand tool course last but stopped in Boston with his family for a day.  I had invited them for dinner but we were just able to hook up for breakfast.  I did get to see his all hand forged & filed blade...very impressive!

Scott,
San Mai stainless to carbon arrows will explode every time     I've had a real hard time getting that rolled convex hairline edge.  When I sharpen mine there is always a little bevel...not anymore!  Plus I was grinding my spine tip bevel with a wheel and having a hard time making side to side even.  Now it comes out perfect without any hand finish.

[Scott Roush]

Hmmm.. Yeah I have that bevel too.  I fondled some of Jason Knight's knives at Blade and I noticed he didn't have the bevel either.  I can do it on my chef knives that have extremely thin edges.. but not as easily on my hunters and campers. What is the trick? Do you sharpen with a slack belt?

[tippit]

Scott,
I use to and a lot of guys do it that way...but I can't seem to get it perfect with even the slightest slack belt. I think Jason does it with the tight slack of a rotary platen.  Burt does it differently...oops got get the phone be right back!

[Steve Nuckels]

If I'm following you on this, MS Greg Neely showed us a technique at my "Intro" course using a tight slack belt (very Fine grit)with the blade near flat on the belt and rotating the spine up quickly using very lite pressure on the edge against the belt.

Steve
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Potomac Forge

[gables]

Tippit, can you try and explain the grinding techinique?

[Scott Roush]

Steve... the way you are talking about is the way I do it.. I use the spot just below the flat platen.  I think the issue is that I often do that last.. when I should be doing before the final polish so that everything blends in....

[tippit]

Burt does it differently.  He uses the hard platen and turns the edge down.  Then stands right over the blade and starts taking angles off the edge.  Finally hand finishing it.  It works well for me but I've changed two things.  I do it on a rotary platen that has some give and round to finish with a Scotch belt.  Works better for me that a slack belt...Jeff

[Scott Roush]

Interesting. Do you do that before finishing the blade???

[tippit]

Yes