Philip has always enjoyed working with his hands, and after a chat with a guide colleague on survival skills, decided to put his love of handcrafting to good use. “We were debating the most essential items and where to get this or make that. There and then I decided to get creative! I started forging in my braai with a hairdryer as an added air source to get the fire hot enough to work the steel, and a four-pound hammer head as an anvil. I now have a decent gas forge and anvil that I work with,” he smiles.
Philip works on his creations at home, making use of a gas forge that can heat the steel to over 1 100°C. The process starts with a piece of steel that has a carbon content of over 0.6% and sometimes up to 1%. “This is either in a flat or round bar shape. The steel gets heated and shaped using a hammer and anvil to the required knife style/shape desired,” he explains.
“It is then further worked on using a variety of tools, ranging from a belt grinder, which is specially designed for knifemakers, to the common hand file. The blade is not hardened at this stage. Once the blade is at about 60% completion, it is run through a variety of heating cycles to refine the grain structure of the steel, and then it is heated to between 800°C and 1 050°C (the temperature depends on the type of steel used) and quenched in oil to obtain full hardness. The blade is then tempered and final grinding and hand-finishing take place. Then the handle is added and the sheath made before the knife is finally sharpened. This process is between two to many days, or even weeks depending on the style and elaborate finishing of the item.”
Philip’s knives include a variety of styles, but his favourite items to make are chef’s knives, especially Japanese-style carbon steel blades. Philip says he finds that in South Africa, people have a culture of respect for handmade goods, especially knives. “A gifted custom knife to a friend or family member is a valued item, more so than store-bought or factory-produced goods, so there is a definite demand. Remember that a custom knife is a more expensive item than purchasing a knife elsewhere, so the price point often determines the client base, but once a person has used a custom knife made for them, it is very difficult to go back to what was used before. A side note: the best knife you have is the knife on hand. Cheap or expensive,” he smiles.
Philip sells his wares at the local markets, where he finds that plenty of people have an interest in his craft. “I often get asked, did you make that yourself? Which is a compliment in a way, I suppose. People also love to ask me if I watch the TV series Forged in Fire,” he laughs, “although I must admit, this programme has done a lot to bring a newfound awareness of custom knifemaking into the limelight. The amazing level of craftsmanship of my fellow knifemakers in our small community really inspires me. It is truly astounding what can be done by hand.”
Philip, whose favourite way to spend his days is with his wife, their dogs and good friends, no matter where it is, says he doesn’t have a particular range, but rather likes to craft whatever grabs his fancy. “Even if I make the same item a few times over, there will always be small differences.”
Details: Find Philip’s completed items as well as work in progress on Instagram and Facebook: @philipdanielcreative
Website: www.philipdaniel.co.za
Email: info@philipdaniel.co.za
