KEVIN HARVEY

American Bladesmiths Society Master Bladesmith.

Member: Knifemakers’ Guild of Southern Africa

Founder Member: Southern African Bladesmiths Association

 My interest in knives began at the age of 12. I was introduced to the craft by my Grandfather who made knives as a hobby. The knifemaking bug bit me hard and I have never been able to give up the habit. Sounds like an addiction? It is! Knife lovers will understand and forgive me!

My knives are tested in the field as I enjoy camping, the outdoors, hunting and especially fly fishing. Africa is a tough place to test knives!

 I completed a diploma in mechanical engineering and worked in a dynamite factory serving my apprenticeship as a fitter-machinist. I was accepted as a member of the highly respected Knifemakers’ Guild of Southern Africa in 1991. I am also a Master Bladesmith with the American Bladesmith Society and a founder member of the Southern African Bladesmiths Association.

  My full-time knife career began in 1996 at gold Reef City, (a re-creation of Johannesburg as a mining town 100 years ago). Here I met Heather, my wife, and we went on course together to the Bladesmithing School in Arkansas U.S.A in 1998 to learn bladesmithing and damascus steel making.

We both love fly fishing and decided to combine our workshops and move to the country. Here Heavin (Heather and Kevin) Forge in Belfast, only 2 hours east of Johannesburg, we can concentrate on making the most spectacular knives and have started a knifemaking school, presenting a variety of courses.

 Highly collectable art-knives are my specialty. I make my own damascus steel and do both forged and stock removed blades. Africa offers some of the most beautiful handle materials in the world and I use hippo, warthog, licensed elephant ivory, indigenous hardwoods, leguaan skin, crocodile, barbel fish scull and any interesting horn or bone available. The knives I make are part of me, I love designing knives and reading every knife publication I can lay my hands on. Inspiration is everywhere! I most enjoy making the knives that I want to make, but occasionally I will take on a custom order if the knife interests me enough.

  My knives are sold from our showroom at Heavin Forge and from www.BladeGallery.com. I attend foreign shows as well as our annual Knifemakers’ Guild of Southern Africa show. Please look at my “Knife Gallery” to view a few of my favorite knives that I have made and sold. 

HEATHER HARVEY

American Bladesmiths Society Master Bladesmith

Member: Knifemakers’ Guild of Southern Africa

Founder Member: Southern African Bladesmiths Association

 I always wanted to be a veterinarian but was always allergic to fur and feathers.  I was not allergic to horses and loved them, so at a very early age I decided to become a farrier, much to my mothers horror!    When I finished school I was already trimming my ponies feet and all my friend's horse's feet.  I had worked with a farrier part-time during weekends and school holidays since I was 15 years old but realized that I needed further training.  I went to the U.S.A and attended the Montana State University Horseshoeing School in 1983, qualified as a farrier with the American Farriers Association and returned home to start my own business at the tender age of 19. 

After spending a few years shoeing 300 horses a month I developed a very bad allergy to horses.  Ironic.  I had to give up my career and then turned to blacksmithing, joining Gold Reef City, a working museum depicting Johannesburg 100 years ago as a gold rush town.  I mainly did decorative wrought-iron work until I tried my hand at making damascus in 1995.  I believe damascus to be the ultimate in the blacksmith's art and once I had made a few pieces, I was hooked, I wanted to do nothing else...... until I made my first knife in 1997!  I then had found the absolute best - making your own steel and forging a knife from it! While at Gold Reef City I also had the experience of working in their circus!

  There were no knifemakers forging knives in South Africa and no-one making traditional folded damascus.  I had no one to turn to for help so I decided to go to the American Bladesmith School in Old Washington, Arkansas to attend their Introduction to Bladesmithing and Damascus courses in 1998.  I was lucky enough to receive the Blade Magazine Scholarship for the Introduction course.  Kevin Harvey, my husband, attended the classes with me and we both came away enlightened and so enthusiastic about forging knives that we, together with Bertie Rietveld and Tom Nelson founded the Southern African Bladesmiths Association (S.A.B.A, pronounced sabre).  We now have over 50 members and offer courses in bladesmithing and damascus making.  Our annual hammer-in is always a tremendous success.

 Teaching and sharing knowledge is very important to me and I love teaching bladesmithing.  I do all the "hot work" and Kevin does the "cold work" sections of our courses.  I am always experimenting with different damascus patterns and read all I can on the subject.  There is so much to learn!  I make knives from my own damascus and occasionally have some that I offer for sale on BladeGallery.com.  I especially love making replicas of traditional African weapons and primitive knives. 

 Kevin and I helped to draw up a marking schedule to be used by the Knifemakers' Guild of Southern Africa's evaluation committee in order to allow forged knives to be recognized and for people to attain guild membership by submitting forged knives. In 2003 I was the first person to pass their Guild evaluation using forged blades.  Kevin and I both became Master Bladesmiths at the Blade Show in Atlanta, U.S.A in June 2003. I am the second lady Master Bladesmith in the world, Kevin and I are the first married couple Master Smiths and the only two on the African Continent. 

 I am passionate about horses, I rehabilitate injured and young birds and love fly fishing.  Moving to Belfast and combining our workshops has been the most wonderful experience.  To leave the stress of city life for the tranquillity of country living has been the best decision we have ever made.  Our creativity and productivity have increased ten fold and having my horses with me all the time has made my life complete.  I'm sure even the horses are glad to be out of the city, the rides here are spectacularly beautiful.  Can you imagine..... after a hard days work at the forge, having to decide if you would like to go for a ride or pop down to one of 7 dams or the river for a spot of fly fishing??! 

 Heavin Forge truly is Heaven.