[ABS Webmaster]

Haywood Community College announces Handles and Guards Class for June 11-15, 2012

Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina is presenting a "Handles and Guards" on June 11 - 15, 2012. The instructor is Master Smith James Rodebaugh. The class will be limited to eight (8) participants and the tuition for the week is $700.

Contact Howard Tew, Haywood Community College, to enroll or to answer any questions about the class at 828-565-4244 or 4243 or email hctew@haywood.edu.

The primary objective is to complete the handle and guard assembly of a hunting or bowie styled knife by the end of the week. Participants will study handle and guard design as it relates to function, symmetry, ergonomics, balance and aesthetics of the overall project.

Participants will learn the steps of fitting handles and guards for most of the common styles of knives made by contemporary makers -in the classroom. Participants will learn to use tools and shop tricks to allow the student to make accurately constructed knives of most styles and mitigate certain problems normally encountered in this phase of knife making.

For this course the student should have already completed the introduction to knife making course and have at least one completed blade. The student will receive one-on-one guided instruction from the ABS certified Master Smith instructor to finish the knife in the style of the student’s choice.

The course includes detailed information on full-tang and narrow tang knife handles, guards, butt caps, decorative file work, spiral dagger handles, silver inlay work, finished blades, and more. Students will be instructed on how to make a professional looking knife. Participants are expected to possess the skills and knowledge necessary to forge and grind blades before taking the class.

Students are to bring at least one finished blade and handle material of choice to class.

This is the registration Form:

 ABS_Handles_and_Guards_HCC_registration_form_June2012.pdf (106.82K)
Number of downloads: 50

[ABS Webmaster]

Howard Tew at Haywood Community College in Clyde, NC sent me this link today from the Haywood website with more information on the Handles and Guards class, Click: http://www.haywood.e...d_guards_course

[Kyle Farris]

Last week I participated in and completed the Handles and Guards class at Haywood Community College. I want to thank Mastersmith James Rodebaugh for showing me the proper way to build a knife. The whole week was packed with hands on learning and million dollar tips that will greatly improve my knife making. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to make be a knifemaker. Now I have to go practice what I have learned.

[Charles D Persons]

I too had the privilege of attending the "Handles and Guards" class last week at Haywood. It was a great week of learning.
The first day was classroom work setting up the basics for the hands on work of the next four days. If you take this class take good notes and pictures you will find them invaluable up the road. I have had the instructor James Rodebaugh at the Mid American Hammer-in and at the Beginning Bladesmithing class and will not hesitate to take classes taught by him in the future. You all have a good day now - cdpersons