James (J.) Neilson is an American Bladesmith Society Mastersmith who works from his “shop in the woods” in the endless mountains of north eastern Pennsylvania. There, he has been able to develop his long-time interests in knife making and forging into more than just a hobby. The quiet setting and scarcity of neighbours has been the perfect background to allow J. to develop his skills. He puts a great deal of effort into his wares, and he takes considerable pride in the finished products he produces. In this video, J. demonstrates how to build a hidden tang hunting knife with a guard. Expanding on the principles taught in the DVD Basic Hunters, J. spends less time talking about forging and grinding and more time showing how to achieve an excellent fit between your hidden tang, guard, and handle. Some of the topics covered are: Blade Forging, Grinding, and Heat Treating Preparing the Shoulders for the Guard Making, Fitting, and Setting the Guard Drilling, Fitting, and Sitting the Handle Shaping the Guard and Handle Plus, many knife making tips and suggestions Please note: Knife etching is not covered in this DVD.
