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ANDRE THORBURN - KNIVES MY LIFE , MY PASSION
FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER – I HAVE BEEN NUTS ABOUT KNIVES. I CARRIED A ‘BEST’ KNIFE WITH ME AND WAS THRILLED WHEN MY BROTHER GAVE ME A MUCH BIGGER “BEST“ HUNTER FOR MY BIRTHDAY. BUT NOT FOR A MOMENT DID I THINK I’LL BECOME A KNIFE MAKER. I STUDIED TO BECOME A PASTOR, GOT MARRIED AND BECAME A FULL TIME MINISTER. WHILE BEING PASTOR IN A CONGREGATION IN NEWCASTLE I MET ROELF SWANEPOEL. I DIDN’T KNOW AT THAT TIME THAT HE WAS A HOBBY KNIFE MAKER BUT ONE DAY JUST BEFORE I LEFT THIS CONGREGATION TO BECOME A LECTURER AT A BIBLE COLLEGE, HE GAVE ME A KNIFE AND WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, I KNEW THAT THAT WASN’T A FACTORY KNIFE. I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE KNIFE AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE MADE IT HIMSELF. I WAS OVERWHELMED AND WAS HOOKED IMMEDIATELY. I ASKED HIM TO HELP ME BUILD MY FIRST KNIFE….. HE GAVE ME A PIECE OF STEEL AND ENCOURAGED ME TO DESIGN MY OWN KNIFE…… I DECIDED TO USE THAT PIECE OF STEEL TO NOT MAKE ONE KNIFE……. BUT TWO! THAT WAS 1989. A GOOD FRIEND ORDERED MY FIRST KNIFE, AS A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY GIFT TO HER HUSBAND IN 1990. I MADE TWO IN CASE ONE FLOPPED! ;-)
WHILE LECTURING AT THE ALL NATIONS GOSPEL PUBLISHERS CATO RIDGE BIBLE COLLEGE I BUILD MY MACHINES AND STARTED MAKE MORE KNIVES ON MY OWN IN MY FREE TIME…… NOT THAT I HAD A LOT OF THAT….. BETWEEN MY WORK AND MY FAMILY ( WE WERE BLESSED WITH TWO DAUGHTERS) THERE WAS NOT MUCH TIME LEFT BUT I BUILD KNIVES AND ONE AFTER THE OTHER GAVE THEM AWAY AS PRESENTS TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY. ONE SUCH KNIFE LEAD TO AN ORDER OF 32 KNIVES JUST WHEN I HAD TO LEAVE THE BIBLE COLLEGE AS THEIR FUNDING FROM ABROAD DRIED UP. I FINISHED THE INITIAL ORDER AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY FULL TIME KNIFE MAKING CAREER. NOW NEARLY 25 YEARS LATER I’M BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD WITH MY KNIVES AND HAVE MET SOME OF THE WORLDS BEST KNIFE MAKERS AND KNIFE ENTHUSIASTS.
MY KNIFE MAKING EVOLVED FROM FIXED BLADES TO LINER LOCK FOLDERS AND NOW I’M DOING THE IKBS LINER LOCKS. THE MECHANISM OF THINGS AND FOR THAT MATTER KNIVES ALWAYS INTRIGUED ME SO WHEN I STARTED WITH FOLDING KNIVES I WANTED TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT WORKS THAT WAY AND HOW TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER. I PRAYED ABOUT IT A LOT AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY I MANAGED TO BETTER THE LINER LOCK MECHANISM….. WHEN THE IKBS BALL BEARING SYSTEM CAME ALONG I WAS THRILLED AND AGAIN I TRIED TO FIGURE IT OUT AND FINALLY GOT IT TO WORK THE WAY I LIKE IT. I LIKE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH FELLOW KNIFE MAKERS AND WAS HONORED TO HAVE WOLFGANG LOERCHNER IN MY WORKSHOP FOR A WEEK OF SHARING RECENTLY.
I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT QUALITY IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT TO SUCCESS AND THEREFOR I STRIVE TO KEEP THE QUALITY AND FITS AND FINISHES ON MY KNIVES TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. THE QUALITY OF THE KNIVES BALANCED BY A GOOD PRICE AND FAVOR FROM ABOVE, MADE EVEN THE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC CLIMATE OUR BEST TURNOVER TIMES. KNIVES AND KNIFE MAKING ARE NOT ONLY MY LIFE BUT ALSO MY PASSION AND I AM GLAD THAT THE LOVE OF MY LIFE…. MY WIFE |