The American ABS Knife Association founded by Moran and others can be said to have been recognized by knife fans all over the world. Not only have many famous knife makers been trained, but also the process of forging artistic knives has been taught and popularized, and a set of strict grading and assessment standards has been formulated to institutionalize the knife-making process.
The classification of ABS knives is as follows: forging knives (skilled Smith) -JS, advanced knives (master Smith)-ladies and the most basic student level.
Knife-making workers must pass a rigorous examination if they want to be promoted. Among them, JS level is to test the level of making a single carbon steel knife by the knife maker, and only after passing the test can you apply for MS level examination to make Damascus steel.
Moreover, JS proficiency test is not easy to apply for. Knife makers need to have at least three years of ABS student qualifications, or successfully pass at least two years of skilled tool introduction courses at W.F.MORAN Knife School. This age standard is to ensure the lowest level of forging technology, so that ABS students and individual knife makers have enough experience and knowledge.
The assessment of the knife maker is very strict. Both JS and MS need to forge a standard test knife and pass four tests under the supervision of senior craftsmen.
1. Cut the rope
This is to test the sharpness of the tool. The applicant himself provides hemp rope or brown rope with a diameter of one inch (if it exceeds one inch, it will be rated as one inch in diameter), and then hangs the rope loosely where it does not touch the ground or other objects for cutting test.
The applicant should cut the rope into two pieces at a time. If they fail, they can try again with the permission of senior craftsmen. If the senior craftsman thinks that the failure is due to the applicant's lack of skills or strength, the senior knife maker can personally try to cut the rope with a test knife. If both the applicant and the senior knife maker are unsuccessful, then the test fails.
Cut down wood
The purpose is to prove the strength of the blade. Applicants are required to bring their own 2-inch *4-inch (5.08cm* 10. 16cm) building blocks. When testing, you can choose the right part of the blade to cut the wood block. After cutting at least twice, the senior knife maker checks the blade to see if there is any obvious damage. If any notch, curling or other deformation is found in the blade, the test is judged to have failed.
Shave off one's hair
This is to test the retention of the blade. The applicant should use the most commonly used part of the blade in the previous test to shave enough hair to prove that the edge of the blade is firm and sharp.
bend
The purpose is to test the toughness of the tool, which is also the last item of the test. This project requires sufficient safety protection and passivation of the blades in advance.
During the test, the senior craftsman will draw a line about one third away from the blade to mark the test knife, and then insert the blade from the tip of the blade into the vice. If the vice is rough, other smooth materials can be inserted at the position where it clamps the blade to protect the blade. After that, the applicant has to bend the blade 90 degrees with a vise, which requires a lot of physical strength, so under the premise of safety, the applicant can also use some lever tools.
During the test, the blade may have some edge cracks, but the crack range should not exceed two-thirds of the blade width (according to the mark), which also requires senior craftsmen to analyze according to the size and material of the test blade. However, if the blade breaks into pieces or emits a strong smell, the applicant's test fails.
These are four basic assessments. Cautious senior craftsmen will also conduct additional tests on the knife maker, such as forging non-Damascus blades of any shape or passing a written test.
Because of such a strict examination, only a few hundred people can become MS knives for so many years. This standard is also applicable to testing all forging knives, which is deeply rooted in people's hearts.