Lamb and Tuna Fish
Plaids and Stripes
Milk and Beer
George Bush and Thinking
Knives and Moonshine
Each of these is an example of things that when combined, do not mesh well. In all honestly, these things should be banned and legally kept at least 100 meters apart.
But, for a scant NZ$95 per person, the last example can be yours, and will undoubtedly prove to be the highlight of any trip.
We were a bit apprehensive at first about whether we should make the knives, but once we asked around, the word that kept coming up was "Brilliant!" so we figured we had no choice.
Your day starts with introductions to Steven and Robyn Martin, the proprietors of Barrytown Knifemaking (www.barrytownknifemaking.com). Now, Barrytown itself is a whole other post, and I promise you that the cross dressing that goes on there is the least ridiculous aspect of this town populated by only 400 people. But I digress...
Steven gives you this:
After introductions to the owners, the forging commences. With steel rod in hand, you stab the forging fire, wait for the metal to glow red, then pound on the metal like it stole your lunch money! After you've shaped the knife, you move on to setting the brass guard, making the handle out of raw timber, and then sharpening the knife to fine edge. The whole process takes about seven hours, including a free lunch. In the end, you've created an impressive knife. With minimal help from the master, Steven, you've gone from nothing to something.
This is what the knife looks like just before lunch. At this point, we're not even halfway done!!
Now, a bit on Steven. Not to be confused with Steve Martin, the actor, our Steven is quite an entertainer himself, regaling us with unusual stories, anecdotes, and facts throughout the process. Don't be mislead: this New Zealand rural dweller is highly skilled, highly intelligent, and has a wit sharper than some of the knives he produces!
In addition to knife making, he also has axe throwing on the property, and a giant swing that looks over the ocean. And once you've settled the payment (never skip out on money owed to a professional knife maker) he let's you drink from his seemingly endless bottle of home-made moonshine. Needless to say, once gen and I had left his house on our walk back to our tent, we had each tied one on nicely!
So thank you to Steven and Robyn for a wonderful experience, best of luck with the boat, and we look forward to using our knives for many years to come!
