Who is Kev Slattery?

Who is Kev Slattery? 

 

 A knife maker, teacher and the president of the Knife Art Association. Since leaving the IT industry, Kev Slattery has become a well-recognized part of the Australian knife making community. This throwback interview was recorded at last year’s symposium for YouTube, so I thought it fitting to share it for the first time with this amazing podcast community.  

 

What we spoke about  

 

• Kev has been a full-time knifemaker since leaving his job as a systems administrator approximately 7/8 years ago. 
• Behind every fulltime knifemaker is a partner with a well-paid job.  
• He got into knife making when he asked his wife for a knife course for his birthday instead of the usual car parts.  
• When teaching knifemaking courses, he does 2 knives so students can learn and then reinforce their learnings. 
• He talks about a way he has chosen to teach his students.  
• Knifemakers don’t make mistakes we just make smaller knives. 
• How to set out his workshop instead of just putting the most recent tool in next. 
• His favourite knives to make are hunting knives, but also makes others like kitchen knives.  
• Getting tips from master smiths at Blade Show and making changes to your knives.  
• Disk grinders.  
• Started out grinding knives on a belt sander.  
• Grinding belt use rotation. 
• How Kev’s pricing structure works.  
• Knife show etiquette and what to expect. 
• When a show spectator uses you Australian Knife Makers Guild Patch as a coffee coaster. 
• Acidic fingerprints on a carbon steel knife. 
• Being a full-time knifemaker, how he manages to get out and keep sane.  
• You start making knives out of scrap steel, people start dumping scrap steel on your driveway. 
• Buy steel, buy a grinder and make knives.  
• You can get a false perception of how good your knives are when you have nice friends.  
• I see some of my old knives and I’d love to get them all back and replace them.  

 

Makers Mentioned  

Dr Greg Emerson  

Bill Burke  

Shawn McIntyre  

Chadd Smith  

Mert Tansu 

Jamie Bishop 

 

Links  

www.kevsforge.com 

https://www.instagram.com/kevsforge/ 

https://www.facebook.com/kevin.slattery.50 

 

Find us at  

https://www.instagram.com/tobyfireandsteel/ 

 https://www.facebook.com/MurrillandSon/ 

 Products and site 

 www.tobyfireandsteel.com 

 Email toby@tobyfireandsteel.com 

TFS Knife Maker Challenge Group 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/711126822742169/ 

Knifeprint Toby Fire and steel affiliate link  

Dave Kurdyla 

Blacksmiths Pub podcast manager   

https://www.instagram.com/dkforgeworks/