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My Road to KGSA membership (Knife Makers’ Guild of Southern Africa)

A short story of Jean Wilke’s journey to become a guild member at the age of 18years, 2 months.

Written by CJJ (Tube) Wilke

“As Chairman, congratulations and welcome to the guild.”

These sweet & wonderful words meant that I have achieved my most important goal to date. The story below describes my incredible journey to reach it. Most of it was amazing, especially the wonderful people I met along the way, but make no mistakes, there were little bumps in the road. I would encourage any youngster (no matter your age) that is thinking of joining the guild to read this. I hope to motivate you to do it, but to highlight what is involved.

My road as knifemaker started with the reality show “Forged in Fire”. We were lucky enough to see the first episode of the first series. The colour of the steel, the sound of the hammer on the anvil and the skill of the bladesmiths mesmerised me – fate, destiny or providence put this on my path.

For my 14th birthday my dad, uncle and I went for a 1-day smithing course with Dennis Kriel. The first moment I took that red-hot piece of steel out of the forge, the universe sighed: “another soul has found his calling…” I thank God for the talent he gave me to live out my passion…

A couple of weeks later the next set of angels crossed my path. Ettienne and Hantie Vorster and the staff and owners of KMTS. These people became teachers, sound boards, confidants and life-long friends.

At the same time, I met “Tannie Rhoda” Booyens. She was the first to mention KGSA and suggested that I joined this elite organisation at some distant point in the future. Here the far-off idea was formed, even though I did not realise it at the time.

She also introduced me to the names of Neels van den Berg, Stuart Smith, Kevin Harvey and Heather Harvey. At that stage just names, but soon to become the most influential people in my life…

This started when my dad enquired with the Harveys about me doing a course with them, and why not the 2-week ABS-sanctioned “Introduction to Blade Smithing” course? (go big or go home!) The immediate reaction was NO, he is too young, but after Heather spoke to Neels, who knew me well from a course I did with him, I was granted a face-to-face interview at the annual guild show.

I was PETRIFIED to meet them, and totally intimidated by the level of knives and knife makers at the show. Thankfully they agreed to allow me on course – though I still think they curse the day they allowed the “energiser bunny” into their forge…

Fast forward a couple of months to January 2018. I am a wide-eyed 15, almost 16-year-old, alone on the course with 6 adults. In those 2 weeks Heavin Forge became my heaven on earth and the Harveys my life-long mentors. It was also there that the goal and desire to join KGSA and ABS (American Blade smith Society) took shape. In the following couple of months this crystalized into a burning desire to become the youngest person ever to join KGSA, a goal that I chased with the tenacity of a badger on the hunt for honey.

Once again Lady Luck smiled on me. For my 16th birthday we bought a complete second-hand knife-making workshop with more tools than I can ever have imagined. The two-day, 2000km road trip with my dad to go and collect the equipment was an additional bonus and one of my most cherished memories. This also brought me in contact with Gawie and Thinus Herbst. They not only sell machines, but were my go-to sound boards for every KGSA knife I made.

My initial goal was to join KGSA while I was still 16 and ABS Journeyman at 17. One day at a SABA (South African Bladesmiths’ Association) hammer-in, I proudly showed my newest – and in my mind first submission knife – to Stuart Smith and Neels van den Berg. This was the first of the bumps in my road... They were gracious in their comments, but the “nice dude, we can see you are making some progress…” made it VERY clear that my work was not even close to good enough. This is maybe the single most difficult thing to learn: what does a “good enough” knife look like? Frankly, I am still not sure, even though I made 5 of them….

The next year-and-a-half was a search for perfection that I later learned cannot be achieved. You can always do better. I followed some of the best master smiths in the world on social media and came to understand the art of “fit & finish” that is required at KGSA level. And slowly, oh so slowly my skill improved and with it the price I could sell my knives for…

Early December 2019, I went to my desk, sat down behind my drawing board, and designed my first two knives I was now confident was good enough. I made a promise to myself that I WILL be accepted before my 18th birthday and for the next 5 months, this was my only focus. My short-term goal for the December holiday… make at least 3 knives up to KGSA standard. 4am wake-up times, long days in a hot workshop till late in the evenings. Numerous phone calls to Kevin & Heather. Photos of progress, re-do after re-do of small things that was not perfect, is the sum of that December holiday.

By middle January I had 2 knives I was confident in and one chef knife I was not certain of. My dad and I took Stuart Smith out for breakfast as a first evaluation… The man is tough and has an eye for detail, so it was bloody nerve wrecking to say the least. This time, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and he suggested I make an appointment with the Harveys to go through to Belfast to have them look at it.

My dad convinced me, well he bullied me, into making a cut & bend knife as well. Although the cut & bend knife does not need to be a nice knife, the heat treatment, edge geometry, etc, etc must be perfect to pass the test. It was important to me to make a knife that is at a decent standard, as I hate the paracord and duct tape handles I see on some Cut & Bend knives. Once again fate or destiny smiled on me, and the schedules worked out perfectly to be able to do that. I made the knife and tested and tested and practiced and practiced cutting the rope and chopping the wood.

On a beautiful sunny morning the whole family, including granddad and grandma invaded Belfast, with smiling faces and nervous hearts. Please find the video on Facebook… see link on last page , but to say it was damned nerve wrecking is an understatement. It was one of the happiest moments of my life when I passed that one.

Short-lived was my relief as the 2 master smiths took my knives for inspection. NOW, I do not care who you are or what level of knife-making you are at. If those 2 takes your knives for a proper inspection, you sweat bullets… There was good and bad news… 2 of the knives were almost there and a bit of work would see them pass. The chef knife… was a re-do! So, after 6 weeks of work I had 2 knives done, but 2 to go… with the Damascus dagger to come…

On the way back my dad had one of those moments of absolute brilliance that has opened so many doors for me. “If you do not have enough knives for KGSA, what about Cape Knife Makers’ Guild???? A quick phone call to Stan Hohowsky, a mail to Rick Alfonso and three days later my 2 submission knives were on their way to Cape Town.

“Congratulations and welcome to the Cape Knife Makers’ Guild” the WhatsApp from Rick read. It was a Friday afternoon. I had just got home from school and as my phone connected to the WiFi, the message flashed onto the screen. …I think I stopped smiling the next Wednesday…

Let me stop here for the moment. Guys and Gals, if you think joining a guild or obtaining a qualification is not worth much, THINK AGAIN!!! On Sunday we posted the news on Facebook and within 4 hours a call came in form a SERIOUS collector in the UK, interested in my knives. I sold him two knives and the money paid for a wonderful weekend for my dad and I down in Cape Town to meet the awesome guys of the guild. May I encourage any young maker to use Cape Knife Makers’ Guild as a steppingstone to KGSA. The quality requirements are the same, but the fact that they only require 2 knives, makes it less daunting. …AND any excuse to visit the fairest Cape is a good one…

Here I was a full voting member of Cape Guild, but still 2 knives short for KGSA… Saturdays were spent re-doing the chef knife and WHAT a knife this turned out to be! So, 3 were done and only the dagger to go.

I first went to Eric Els to make some Damascus. I learned a lot, but alas, the billet was too small for the dagger.

Next trip to Stuart Smith and more Damascus making under that critical gaze. That was an awesome day and the first time I really spent some time with the great man!

So, there I was, Damascus in hand, all ready to start the last of the submission knives… MATES, let me tell you! A piece of steel that just cost you R2000.00 (out of your own pocket) and a dagger on the drawing board is almost as stressful as heading into the headmaster’s office after a fight…

That was the first and only time I thought of giving up. The mountain just seemed too high. BUT as always, my dad was there. After a motivating word, a hug, a friendly smile and a reminder that an elephant is eaten one bite at a time, I started. NOW, I am a 17-year old white Afrikaans male form South Africa, “en ek bang fokol!” (I fear NOTHING) so contrary to Stuarts’ suggestion of a flat grind dagger, I went with a 50mm diameter hollow grind. This is one of the most difficult grinds I have done to date.

Slow and steady, dad urged and little by little an AMAZING dagger blade emerged. More slow and steady work and the dagger came together. Finally, after months of work, I had 5 knives I hoped would pass the KGSA evaluation. I WAS READY!!!

I had my knives all packed up in a Samsonite case (those really strong ones) ready for a final trip to the Harveys…. AND THEN…. COVID-19 lockdown!!!! There I was, a 17year old, with 5 KGSA submission knives. Armed with the most professional submission document (that mom did ) and I could not get out, nor get the knives to the judges. In fact, I could not even get them to other guild members for an introduction letter…

AND SO, my 18th birthday rolled along, without a party… and me missing the 17year old guild member goal I had chased for so long… Level 4 came and went, still I could not move. FINALLY, at long last Level 3 came and I could courier the knives to Kevin & Heather. Another stressful evaluation, and this time I could not even look them in the eye to judge their thoughts. Thanks goodness, they blessed my submission with an introduction letter.

I felt on top of the world and we rushed to Stuart for another letter and a certificate for the cut & bend test and FINALLY off to Mr. John Arnold, a member of the judging panel to submit my knives!

ALAS dear friends ALAS… Covid-19 was not done with me yet. The judges had a real hard time getting together as they are all in the high-risk category. So, I resigned myself to “what will be, will be” and sat back for a looooong wait.

About three weeks later, on a cold Tuesday night it happened. We were all huddled in my parents’ bedroom when my phone rang… it was John Arnold. I expected him to confirm another postponement, BUT this time I was wrong… THEY

HAD JUDGED MY KNIVES AND THEY WERE GOOD ENOUGH!!!!

I am not able in any way to describe my emotions. So, I am not even going to try! Relieved, happy, thankful all these adjectives just do not describe it. I think the Afrikaans slang saying of “fokken uitspattig!” is the closest I can come… sorry there is no translation for that…

John was really naughty, since Kevin, as chairman, was supposed to phone me, but hell I did not mind, I was just thankful. 10minutes later Kevin did phone and I heard those words I so long dreamt of, prayed for and worked towards… “As Chairman, congratulations and welcome to the guild….”