Profile
| First Name: |
Hennie |
| Surname: |
VAN BRAKEL |
| In Memoriam: |
My Profile – Hennie van Brakel
I was born on 12 May 1944 in the Free State town of Reitz. I started my schooling in Reitz and finished at the Technical High School Kroonstad. I joined the South African Air Force as an aircraft electrical apprentice. In 1970 I joined Hulett Aluminium in Pietermaritzburg where I remained until my retirement at the end of 2000.
One day I saw real hand made knives, and I said to my wife: “that’s what I want to do when I retire.” So, I started to build up my workshop and attended a basic knife making course in Durban with Andre Thorburn. Lourens Prinsloo also taught me the finer points of linerlock folders.
In 2004 I entered the non – guild knife competition. The task was to make a replica of the Harry Wolhuter Knife in the Skukuza museum. Through the competition I met the three Wolhuter grandsons. I discovered that Mike Wolhuter lives about 5 kilometers from me and his enthusiasm resulted in my making replica Wolhuter knives for almost his whole family.
In 2005 I was accepted as a member of the KGSA. I work in 12c27, N690, Damascus and Damasteel and make fixed blades as well as folding knives. I forge my own Damascus and do my own heat treatment. In making knives I also use technology in the form of Laser cutting, wire cutting and computer aided design.
Hennie van Brakel
87 Plane Crescent
1 Greenvale Gardens
Howick
3290
Tel: (033) 330 2173
Cell: 083 287 6038
E-mail hilknife@lantic.net
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