barbudo fabrika gallery

RedbeardRum

RedbeardRum

Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
115
hello guys and gals,

after wandering through a jungle of threads, posts and directions, I decided to introduce myself - here.
if this is a wrong place, please let me know and I'll move the thread somewhere else (I would be obliged if you told me where to).
I'm from croatia, also known as the last wild bit of europe.
you think I'm joking, right?
I'm not. it's the balkans baby :grumpy:

why am I here?
because I make knives (I make other things, too, but it's the knives that brought me here) and I sell knives.
what kind of knives do I make?
one of a kind, naturally :jerkit:
a couple of photos attached.

well, I won't bother you anymore, I'm sure you've got more important things to do beside sitting behind the screen and reading some guy's verbal diarrhea. like sitting behind screen and listening to this beautiful song.

[video=youtube;udSyfCBHoX8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSyfCBHoX8[/video]

* for those of you who find my babbling interesting, skip the video and bring your chair closer.
it all began 31years ago in Vukovar, a small town in the east of Croatia, then a part of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
for most of the hospital staff the day started as working summer days usually start - a cigarette, chirp of birds coming through the open window and a casual chat with a colleague about a gross growth some guy had in his nose.
at one point, an ambiguous whisper started pouring through the halls and rooms, dripping over hardly moving lips.
surprise and disbelief subsided as excitement rose.

it rose and rose even more - and after that it rose more. rose is a beautiful flower but I'd rather befriend a fox. even a racoon.

as some of you probably guessed, it would be better if you listened to music instead of reading further :emot-yarr:

have a pleasant evening, guys :)

sincerely yours,
Mile (aka redbeard rum on british blades, barbudo knives on facebook)





 
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Welcome here, you make fantastic knives. I appreciate their finish and fantasy. They are pieces of art that can even cut.
 
Beauty work. Keep showing your work when you can.



••••••••••••••••••••
People are Strange, When You're a Stranger....
 
hey guys,

I decided to expand this introduction further (as if it was developed before heh).
I hope you do not mind me writing down these few lines, but I reckon it is alright to share with you the 'sweet pain' of what goes on before my knife is made, while it is made, why it is the way it is.
god knows I have a lot of time to think about it since most of the work is done by hand - one can only roughly shape on a grinder, before moving on with files, sandpaper and micromotor.

beside photos, I will occasionaly write down things which define my work or explain some things you might find interesting.

thanks for looking,

Mile


on what makes a good knife, at least by my standards.

it is to be comfortable, no matter the grip, duration of work nor temperature - natural materials (bone, antler, wood and leather) and hidden tang construction wrapped up in smart design enable me to achieve this.
traditional design is the foundation of a good knife - thousands of years of development in every imaginable way, from chopping and hunting to woodcarving, cannot be and should not be overlooked.
I make somewhat unique knives, but I build them on these foundations.

aesthetically, it is to have a fine flow of lines from the tip to the butt with well developed details which also serve a purpose.
I use natural materials and carbon steel in most of my knives. I appreciate the way they become more beautiful with age.
why would one will the things he makes to remain motionless, frozen in solitude of time and place, never changing nor getting tarnished by use?
everything ages, so make things in such a manner that they age gracefully.

sheath?
it is tight and tough - I imagine it as if the knife was a body, a skeleton and muscles over which leather is strapped, taking up the minimum of space (less weight, less snagging and other stuff oversized things produce) and protecting both the user and the knife.
sheaths in this thread are a good example of how different knives require different approach.
after the sheath is sewn, I impregnate it with - molten beeswax.
it is natural, stiffens up the leather, repels water, has antimicrobial/antiseptic/antifungal properties, smells fine and - is eatable ;)
 
Mile, when I get back on my feet again financially, I think I'm gonna hit you up for a project...haha.
 
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thanks, spyken.
here is something new.
blade is japanese made with shirogami core, handle in boxwood and ebony.



 
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