We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kaleb Dettwiler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kaleb below.

Kaleb, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Initially I learned from the internet and videos, which is where i first came across blade smithing. I immediately took interest in the craft and did lots of research and wondering ” man it would be cool if i could do that” . I kinda had this moment of well why cant you do that whats stopping you ? you have a decent knowledge to get started you have some space to do it what is holding you back ? At that point i realized it was me who was the obstacle so i took the jump and got a very bare bones set up and made my first knife. Then fell in love with it and started buys some more tools to make life easier and found the craft to be therapeutic for me . After about a year of doing it as a hobby i was offered to sell some of my stuff work at a local shop called a Well Worn Story located in New Glarus, Wisconsin. For me this was a pretty big deal , at this point i didn’t think i was anywhere close to were i could sell my work but was just offered an outlet to do so . So I took them up on their offer, and i can still remember getting message saying i sold a kitchen knife that i had made to sell there. I was shocked and ecstatic to say the least , maybe half year later i came to the decision that i wanted to further my knowledge in the craft. I looked online to try and find places to take classes and i did find a few however the challenge was that they were all out of state an it would be rather difficult to make it happen at that point in life . One day I stumbled across Isaiah Schroeder Knife works , I saw that he offered classes but i wasn’t interested in a one time class. I was more interested in a mentorship or apprenticeship , so I reached out to him and we chatted via email for a bit . Long story short that following September I got really blessed to be able to start doing a mentorship with him. At that point I can say there was a big shift in my work. There were a lot of “aaaahaaaaa so thats how you do that or thats the science behind that ” moments. It wasn’t until late fall of last year were i was given another game changer opportunity of moving my little garage setup into an actual shop. If your from the midwest you know that the winters are cold here and working in a garage that not heated is not fun. Gordy Miller offered me a space in his shop to work so i took him up on the offer. I know had a warm place to keep working over the winter and another creative to bug with woodworking questions from time to time. Looking back at what i know now and thinking about things that could of sped up the process I would say to buy the best equipment you can afford at that time . If you can afford the high end 2×72 belt grinder then go for it cause i will make things so much easier and you will end up buying one anyways if your serious about getting into it. If you can only afford a small belt grinder get it ! it’s much better than having to file by hand. For while I didn’t upgrade some of my equipment because i wanted to save money and it was “working” once i upgraded a few piece of key equipment it was like why didn’t i do that much sooner!
What skills do i think are the most essential? I personally think that being humble and learning from other makers in the industry is key. One thing i have learned to love about the blade smithing community is the willingness from other makers that want to teach or give advice and pass on their knowledge or collaborate with each other. One of the biggest obstacles that was a challenge to over come was finding someone that would be willing to mentor me in the craft and i honestly got really blessed to come across Isaiah and to still be learning from him. Another obstacle and a more recent one that is would be learning to market and build your brand , which isn’t my strong suit but i can see it as an opportunity for growth

Kaleb, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I originally took an interest in the craft because i needed some sort of outlet for myself . Blade smithing was something that i was really interested in and just gradually got more and more into as i found for me anyways to be very therapeutic. Taking a chunk of steel and heating it up and hammering it into something thats going to be functional and beautiful. My original plan was to gradually turn it from a hobby into a part time business, however after looking back as seeing how its helped me on the personal level i’ve found more lead to starting a non-profit that would offer classes to veterans and first responders.

The products that I offer are mostly kitchen cutlery or outdoor knives that you would go hiking with of camping with. looking back on your childhood were was majority of the time spent during family get togethers or holidays? At least for me it was around the table or the kitchen , and maybe grandpa always had that one knife he carved the turkey with or grandma had that kitchen knife she always used while cooking. It’s not just a knife it’s about the traditions created and memories associated with the blade and the generations of traditions and memories to come since it will out last you and I .

Some of the common problems that i’ve helped clients work through is deciding on whats that best style and steel to use for their knife. In this craft theres no perfect on material or design that does it all theres always going to be give and takes, and helping guide the client through that process is helps them understand why you may do things a certain way and clarify things they may have heard on the internet in doing their own research. What sets me a part from others is that I do take the time to help the client understand the little details and the give and takes . I think it makes them feel more involved in the process and when they do receive the blade they appreciate it even more.

What i’m most proud of is how its turned from a craft i knew little about to a hobby and now we are building a brand and hopefully will be able to share the craft in the future with others, when you buy a knife from Black Shepherd Forge your not just buying a knife. Your buy a heirloom piece that will be handed down for generations to come and many traditions and memories.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Right now i’m feeling lead to turn Black Shepherd Forge into a non-profit that would help provide veterans and first responders with an outlet to decompress and provide them with a sense of accomplishment and supporting them in gaining more experience in the craft. Since this goal is in the infant stage it will be interesting to see what happens over the course of the year.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think on of the most rewarding aspects is when someone looks at your work and says “wow that gorgeous” or some other form of praise. At least for me , I know i’m really hard on myself and critical of my work. So when you get those genuine compliments it reassures you that you’re heading in the right direction.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Black Shepherd Forge
• Other: Email : [email protected] Website in Progress

Image Credits
justelisemarie