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Damascus Cu-Mai Knifemaking, from Start to Finish
In this class we will make a Cu-mai Damascus knife like the one pictured above: That is, a knife with a solid core of mono-steel, clad in a layer of pattern-welded Damascus steel braised on with copper. It will feature hidden-tang construction, a copper bolster/guard, and a tropical hardwood handle.
This class is not for the faint of heart and requires a significant time commitment over multiple very full weekends. But it will feature a small class-size (just two students for this initial offering), and between sixteen and twenty hours of personalized, hands-on instruction.
Along the way, you’ll learn all sorts of things about metallurgy, knife-making, and materials. You’ll also get signed-off on the 2x72-inch grinder and learn how to independently set up both the forge-welding and temperature-controlled forges.
PREREQUISITES: Age 16 and over. Students must be current members of Nova Labs and have successfully taken the Blacksmithing 101 and Metalshop Yellow (101) classes. It is highly recommended that the Student has attended a number of Nova Labs Blacksmithing Practice Sessions before attempting this project.
Schedule:
Day 1 (six to eight hours) • Introduction to Damascus steel and forge welding • Creation of a ~100 layer Damascus billet of steel • Introduction to Cu-mai • Creation of a Cu-mai billet • Annealing the billet Day 2 (four to six hours) • Surface grinding and flattening • Profiling the knife • Rough-grinding using a knife-making jig • Heat treatment, quenching, and tempering Day 3 (six to eight hours) • Final grinding by hand • Hand-sanding • Milling and fitting the guard • Drilling and broaching the handle • Shaping the handle & guard • Etching the Damascus • Final fit & finish
WARNING: This is a long and time intensive event that takes place over three days. Being late and/or missing class may result in not being able to complete the training - at the instructors discretion. SIGN OFFs: 2x72-inch grinder and learn how to independently set up both the forge-welding and temperature-controlled forges (Blacksmithing Set-up).
Instructor Bio: Pat is many things to many people: Blacksmithing Steward, Nova Labs Board Member, Nova Labs Vice President, husband, father, and amateur lawn care technician. Pat has been blacksmithing for eight years and regularly teaches classes for blacksmithing beginners
SAFETY:Must wear cotton or wool clothing – no synthetic materials.
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