Henning Wilkinson, who he is and why?

Henning Wilkinson is an amazing maker from South Africa who is responsible for possibly some of the best Damascus in the world. He talks about his journey in knife making and how God changed his life putting things in place for him and his happiness and brings him to this point. He is a qualified gunsmith and attributes his understanding of the intricacies in knife making to this. Making his first knife at a young age he moved on to damascus and developed a real dislike to stainless steel.

• Henning was taught by his father sand allowed to make his own mistakes as a child.
• He explains why he has such a dislike of stainless steel in his knives.
• Met Carrell Smith the author of a book called “pattern welding and coloring of damascas steel”
• David Dorem “folding knives” book
• His life changed when he saw a picture of Steve Schwarzer’s picture of the hunter and the dog. He realized he needed to rethink his skill and processes.
• When the government changed, and the electricity companies stared load sharing. His family business could not supply the money for his business.
• After praying for a job, he got one which seemed right but quickly realized it wasn’t right for him.
• He tells us about his struggles when working in a well-paid job that was crushing his soul.
• There were a few moments that changed his heart and mind when a customer purchased the contents of his table at a show.
• He won 4 categories out of the 5 he’d entered in the next show.
• The day he decided to quit his job even know he wasn’t sure they could afford it. A customer called him and asked him to make a $10,000 sword.
• He has the drive to create only great things and can’t bring himself to make mediocre knives.
• Talks about when he decided to make a keyhole knife. And the blessing he got with access to an EDM wire cutter.
• How he became an urban legend in his break of not making knives.
• Often has to ask himself “how I made this, how did I do it”? He feels he has to attribute it God.
• How he comes up with his Damascus patterns.
• He often gets his inspiration from sword from history and then puts his own spin on it.
• Doesn’t work on guns anymore as he needs special licensing.
• This is your drinking beer and this your sipping beer (Bjorn Jacobson)
• We talk about how massive the knife making community is in South Africa.
• Looking to do the Paris show depending on coronavirus.
• Hoping that Blade show happens this year so he can beat Kevin Slattery in the arm-wrestling comp.
• He is a member of the South African knifemakers guild for forged blades using the ABS testing system.
• Looking to do an integral sub hilt again soon.
• If you want to push your self have a big project running at the same time as your day to day knives.
• He designs and makes all his knives for what he likes not to impress other people.
• He wants people to push themself to do amazing things. Nothing is impossible.
• Who worked out that cow urine would work as flux.
• Being afraid to waste your time or money is what stops people from growing.
• Talks about when Steve Schwarzer came to visit him in South Africa.
• Don’t not do things because people tell you that you can't.

Links

Henning’s Instagram page

https://www.instagram.com/henningwilkinson/

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