Tiber Canyon Ranch Holiday Craft Fair 2013

Well it's that time of year again! 

For The the Tiber Canyon Ranch Holiday Craft Fair.

one more weekend to go, so come visit with your family and have FUN!

It has been a really busy year for me with new additions to my shop and new knife designs too.

>>> I send a BIG THANKS to all of you who came out to the first weekend of Tiber Canyin Ranch Holiday Craft Fair and bought knives!
It is a Blessing to me that my knives find loving-homes and are being given as special gifts, so Thanks again to all of you who supported my craft and appreciate my work.

We have one more weekend to go! NOV 3oth & Dec 1st  >>> 11AM-5PM Sat & Sun

I invite you to come out and visit and enjoy the fun times and see all the other amazing talent that is there and to enjoy seeing old friends and meeting new ones.....and of course eating some awesome food that is there when you feel peckish.

Below are some of the knives I have created for this years fair. Some of these have been sold already, but I have plenty of paring knives still and the Beautiful Norwegian Spruce French Knife that so many oogled over is still here, and all the utility knives, the top one will have some engraving on the copper bolster next time you see it as Bill Rice is creating his magic on it this week!

I hope to see you all there!  :)

Please look beyond the images of my knives to read more about all that is happening at this years 

Tiber Canon Ranch Holiday Craft Fair!

Imperial Utility Knives. The Top one SOLD (Thanks Mike!) but the sweet little pink one on the very rare Vintage Eastman Kodak Pink Tennite is still here as of this writing. 

These sweet Tribal Utility knives are a hit! I'll make more for next year. 

The bottom on sold (Thanks Cricket!) 

But the top on in the beautiful Maple Burl is till here as of this writing!

 _________________________________

Annual Craft Fair and
Glass Blowing Extravaganza

Two Weekends

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

November 23 & 24  

and 

November 30 & December 1 

11:00am to 5:00pm

We hope you can make it out to the ranch to enjoy the day browsing the creations of over 30 local artists.

Edible offerings include

award-winning Tiber Canyon Ranch olive oil,

Chaparral Gardens amazing flavored vinegars,

Nibbles yummy cookies and

delicious Tropical Chocolates.

On-going glass blowing demonstrations will take place throughout the day by various local glass blowers.

Artists showing work at this year's show include:

Ceramics:  Eddie Cosko, John Rose & Janice Stone and Paula TeplitzBlown Glass: Chris Anderson & Will Carlton, Rich Lasiewski, George Jercich, and Rubi GlassBook Arts: Michelle Saber

Concrete Planters: Lisa Knutson

Fiber Arts: Lorraine Conlen, Nancy Lehman, and Suzi ThomasHerbal Products: Elfin Herb FarmFused Glass: Melissa Campbell and Rich & Kersti LasiewskiJade Sculpture:Oceans Art Jade

Jewelry: Shannon Len, Rich & Kersti Lasiewski, Margareta Lund, Lustrous Metals Jewelry, Ocean Arts Jade, Maggie Pickering, and Briana SheanMillinery: Cari BourquinMosaic: Sharon CollinsMetal Arts: Harold Collins, Brian Bennett

Metal Engraving: Bill Rice

Hand-Forged Knives: Don Carlos Andrade

Hoops: Briana Shean

Silk Painting: Cathy Orduno, Claudia Wagemann, Beverly Johnson and Eileen Stegeman

Oil Paintings: Debra Sievers

Repurposed Art: Cork Couture, Janelle Younger

Weaving: Ayers Handwoven 

Wooden Furniture: Robin Anderson (first weekend only), Barn Boy (second weekend only) 


Will Carlton and Chris Anderson
Tiber Canyon Ranch
280 W. Ormonde Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 781-0827

Best of Show for Custom Kitchen Knives @ The Caliofrnia Custom knife Show 2013

This is the first time I have received an award for my knives and I felt really Blessed to have had this honor bestowed on me over this last weekend.
_______________

It was really great to see all of you who were there & to visit more makers than I had the chance to at G5.

I invite you to take a look at this Blog post to see much better images of these knives.

I took a poor quality shot today in my shop of the knives and the award.....but just had to share with you all, and give...

>>>many thanks to The USN Crew, for all of your Love and Support,

>>and Thanks and Respect to Dan Delavan of Plaza Custom Cutlery for producing a really fun show!

>>> And Most of All I thank my Mentor Tai Goo for his continued Mentorship, Friendship and support. I would never be making knives if this level if it were not for his teaching me what he knows and being there for the technical assistance and supportive friendship that it takes to make fine knives of any kind. Thanks Tai!

_________________

Blessings of Health and Goodness to All of You !

-DON:)

Two of the Finest Made to Date.....

...Well at least that's how I feel about these two knives.

TO ME these are the FINEST Stick-Tang Chef knives I have created to date.
Why?> Because of how they feel in the hand, the blades themselves, the handle design..... well just everything about these two just came out to be spot-on!

The W2 blades that heat treated out really wonderfully and the handles are a mortised construction of African Blackwood and Vintage Westinghouse Ivory Micarta.
>>>These two knives also represent the adaptation of the Wa-style handle that I tweaked into a new creation in terms of shape that I am very happy with and
will be applying on most of the stick tang knives I will be creating from now on.

I guess I just really like these two knives!

.....and know that they are going to be wicked performers for whoever get to own them.
They will be on my table at the Plaza Cutlery Show (California Custom Knife Show) next month.
_____________________

The blades are on the French knife 9" and on the Gyuto 9.25"
As stated the handles are African Blackwood and Westinghouse Micarta in a Mortised construction, with Matching inlay.
Etched surfaces show the differential heat treatment.
Fairly simple looking knives.......but.....

.............Simple is never simple!

Thanks for looking.

-DON:)

What's been Happening Since G5 ?

...Well I have been getting caught up on some orders, and making some more of the Tribal-Wrapped Chef Knives.

Lately I have been feeling like a vacation would be a fun thing....but only in my mind at this time I guess...

So First off I have two paring knives. one being my very first in Stainless Steel (AEBL aka > 13C26) and one in 1095.
Both of these were for customers, the one in AEBL with the desert Ironwood is going to a couple for their wedding present gifted by friends.
The One in African Blackwood is going to a local customer.

Next I have a variety of chef knives. All with etched surfaces, two with some interesting Hamon lines from clay heat treatments.
The top knives are in 52100, one with a mortised-construction composite handle of desert ironwood with matching inlay and super-kiln-baked maple burl.
Then one with African Blackwood with Honeydew G-10 inlay & rosin-impregnated tribal wrap.
....don't ask me about the "tribal" thing...it just sounds good and is sort of non-traditional for chef knives & I have been liking the look lately.

The two larger knives are both in desert ironwood with ebony inlay and rosin impregnated wrapping.
Each of these knives exhibit some interesting hamon lines.
I included a close-up of them for you to see.
Lots of alloy-banding as Tai calls it in the transition-zones.
To me it appears to, through the forging process and many many thermal cycles, to have developed a bit of a wootz-like patterning.

OK Enough Gab. Enjoy the images.

"knives take time to make">Period.

It was awesome to see who I did at The Gathering! I missed seeing lots of you because I was there solo.

>>>Note to self, do not do shows and sit your table SOLO.

Blessings of Goodness and Health to You All this Holiday Season

-DON:)

Walton Wedding Knife Set

This is a beautiful Set made for the Walton Family for their Pearl Wedding Anniversary.

The knives are forged to shape out of 1095 high carbon tool steel and exhibit walnut handles and pearl inlay. The blades took a particularly beautiful heat treatment line, and the whole package is just stunning! A BIG THANKS to Jennifer and her family:)

Two Honesuki Knives , one in 1095 one in AEBL

Here are two of my version of the Japanese Boning knife called Honesuki.

I expanded on the traditional sized Honesuki (which normally have more like a 5-6" blade) as I felt it would make a great Kitchen EDC-user with tons of potential for that "one knife" in the kitchen.
So on top you see my forged version that is larger,
and on bottom is my very fist stock reduction knife in AEBL stainless.
I made this one for a buddy who has been hooking me up with some vintage Micarta Materials and we did a trade for some handle materials.

The interesting thing about sending off knives to be heat treated, is that, I have the few pattens I work with created for forged preforms.....so I had to adapt the pieces I sent off (I'll post more as I get them ground and finished)
So this bottom knife is more closely related to my original pre-form for forging, but I did add a bit more all the way around to make it a cool knife that to me is more closely related to the traditional Honesuki...but with a wider clip/tip.
I forgot to measure the AEBL piece before I sent it off to Ken,
but the top knife for is:

11 &7/8" OAL with a 7.25" blade that is nice and wide at the heel.
This one with some very nice African Blackwood and Desert Ironwood Inlay

The Knife in AEBL exhibits some cool Westinghouse Black-stripe Micarta and some rare Green Micarta inlay.

I hope you enjoy seeing these images.

-DON:)

SLOW IS FAST

A Big Thanks go out to Dan Malloy, Kanoa Zimmerman and Kellen Keen for visiting my studio on their journey, and featuring my bladesmithing practice in their New Book and film, SLO IS FAST.

They will be debuting the film in this summer and I encourage you to check the BLOG for dates, locations and times of showing and book signing.

This is a fantastic collection of lives-lived-fully, documented through photography writing and film making. I feel blessed to have been a part of it.

again here is a link to the blog and film trailer: 

http://www.thecleanestline.com/2013/07/slow-is-fast-2013-book-tour-dates.html

Tribal Utility/Chef Knives

Well I cam calling them "Tribal" since I did the wrapping on the handle, but honestly, they are quite refined little utility/chef knives!...and actually not all that little either.

Also there is a twist here too, as these are not forged but are stock removal blades. I endeavored to see what a clay heat treatment would look like on a non-forged blade that then, I would do all the stock reduction post heat treatment. I like the results and believe I will make more like this very soon! BUT, Honestly, I have to say that taking the forging out of the equation, did not really save that much time as I thought it might. However......

The results show for themselves. I think they came out really beautiful and highly functional too.
And I am able to achieve a higher Rockwell on them with this process.
These running up at 59-60RC. The blades on all of these are 1095 high carbon tool steel.

These first two are dressed in African Blackwood with Arkansas Chittam inlay and rosin impregnated woven cotton line that has been registered into the handle and tinted to match the inlay. Chittiam is a very rare wood that has an amazing amount of chatoyancy to it.

These knives are (like I said) not so little after-all, ranging from blades that are 5 & 1/8" to 5.25" with Overal Lengths at 10.5" and 10.75".

AND....Last but not least, is the first one of these I made.
Dressed in Bloodwood with Tulip Wood inlay and ronsin impregnated wrapping,
it is slightly smaller at 4.75" and 10.25" OAL. And also, quite pretty:)
 
 I hope you enjoy seeing these beauties.

-DON:)

First Two in AEBL Stainless Steel

Well...I have done one other that you can see in the last post, but I consider these my first two since they are out in the world for sale at Plaza Custom Cutlery. At this time Dan has not posted them to his site but there will be there soon.

I finally got around to getting a grinder. So I figured why not make a few stainless steel knives. I will use AEBL exclusively for a while since it is an excellent stainless steel, and has fantastic performance characteristics.

Here Is a Shallot and a Stick-Tang French Knife. The Shallot is dressed in Tulip Wood and the French in Arizona Desert Ironwood.

I hope you enjoy the images:)

-DON:)

Two Honesuki Knives , one in 1095 one in AEBL

Here are two of my version of the Japanese Boning knife called Honesuki.

I expanded on the traditional sized Honesuki (which normally have more like a 5-6" blade) as I felt it would make a great Kitchen EDC-user with tons of potential for that "one knife" in the kitchen.
So on top you see my forged version that is larger,
and on bottom is my very fist stock reduction knife in AEBL stainless.
I made this one for a buddy who has been hooking me up with some vintage Micarta Materials and we did a trade for some handle materials.

The interesting thing about sending off knives to be heat treated, is that, I have the few patterns I work with created for forged preforms.....so I had to adapt the pieces I sent off (I'll post more as I get them ground and finished)
So this bottom knife is more closely related to my original pre-form for forging, but I did add a bit more all the way around to make it a cool knife that to me is more closely related to the traditional Honesuki...but with a wider clip/tip.
I forgot to measure the AEBL piece before I sent it off to Ken,
but the top knife for is:

11 &7/8" OAL with a 7.25" blade that is nice and wide at the heel.
This one with some very nice African Blackwood and Desert Ironwood Inlay

The Knife in AEBL exhibits some ool Westinghouse Black-stripe Micarta and some rare Green Micarta inlay.

I hope you enjoy seeing these images.

-DON:)