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Spotlight - Rob Hudson
Custom Bladesmith of Unique Intricate Composite Damacus Blades
by Adrian Ko
In the case of Rob Hudson, the art and the artist are a paradox. He is a
softspoken and seasoned man, yet his art however resounds with creativity,
ingenuity and a boldness that has commanded much attention - as well as
awards such as "Best in Show" at an Art Knife International Show. Even
before I had met the 52 year old ABS Master Bladesmith (purely by chance)
his work had caught my eye such that I could not turn a page without
looking again.
The unique look and impact Rob achieves with his work is through creating
composite damascus blades, similar to the fashion by which the
Vikings formed their swords. Basically a composite comprises two or more
different kinds of damascus steel welded together. A Viking sword, for
example, may have several pieces of twist-pattern steel in the center, and
have a different kind of steel for the edges.
For example, Rob's Viking Sword (photo, right) is made from a seven-bar
composite blade. The fittings are made of wrought iron, and the spacers
are made of sterling silver. The handle - featuring ebony and ivory
inlays - comprises a mosaic inlay (36 scrolls) in stabilized walnut. This
particular sword (which Sword Forum Magazine is most fortunate to be able
to feature) was sold to the Sultan of Brunei for US$20,000. It is the
only one of its kind.
(Left Photo: Close-up of the Viking Sword)
Performing high-count damascus composites require a great deal of skill,
as the more complex the composite the more the potential for bad or
improper welds to form - as a single welding flaw can doom the entire
blade and force a smith to start over again. "Done haphazardly," the
bladesmith relates, "you would get weld joints and splits in the wrong
places and the sword would break." Rob also explains, "The Vikings and
ancient Britons figured out that if you twisted the individual bars first
and then stuck them together the chances of a clean break were lessened."
A by-product of this process is the attractive patterns created by the
process; the process evolved out of necessity, not out of desire to make
swords fancier. "It's also important not to get carried away with this
where pattern exceeds function."
"The term 'composite' today is generally referring to a single stack of
bars of different patterned damascus. Though there are lots of ways to
construct a multiple piece blade and they all could fall under the heading
of composites, the word now has come to mean edge welded parallel bars.
The only reason for making this type of blade today is because you can and
they look cool. The reason they went out of fashion over a thousand years
ago is because they were a lot of work and the failure rate was too
costly. Once steel became cheaper nobody in their right mind would go to
all that trouble just to make a blade. Today we go to all that trouble
just to make a statement."
Rob began bladesmithing over 30 years ago after initially being inspired,
at age of sixteen, when he purchased a Bowie knife from Bill Moran -
revered as the father of the modern custom bladesmithing industry. What
started as a hobby became in much part his livelihood when he gave up his
high school teaching career to move with his wife to Maryland's Eastern
Shore in 1974 - a haven for artists which provided the venue for his
artistic blacksmithing and bladesmithing.
He recalls, "I made my first composite blade for exactly the same reasons
the early Vikings did. I had an order for a large damascus dagger and
didn't have a power hammer. It was the hot bicentennial summer of 1976 and
the idea of trying to build a huge coal fire and pound out this massive
billet by hand in my tiny sweatbox of a shop just wasn't very appealing!
So I ended up making three separate billets outside, each on a different
day and on the fourth day welded them together on edge before shaping the
blade. It seemed so easy by comparison. I made damascus knives by hand
for another nine years before I came to my senses and got a 25-pound
Little Giant power hammer. The experience left me with all kinds of
tendonitus problems but forced me to experiment with the composite style
construction."
For whatever reason Rob Hudson was not credited for doing so, his
re-introduction of the concept of composite damascus in this country at
the 1983 New York Knife Show marked not only a first in the modern custom
bladesmithing industry, but the few composites he brought to the Knife
Show became the initial fire of inspiration for many smiths for many years
to come. "Being too chicken and too cheap to get a power hammer worked to
my advantage in this case; now if I only could get a right arm
transplant!"
Today many of his knives and swords end up in collections worldwide,
commanding four- and five-digit prices. Rob's waiting list can be up
to seven years long for art pieces, but a lot less for his standard
styles.
His D-guard short sword (photo below) also features a seven-bar composite
damascus blade, with his "trademark" flame edge. The fittings are wrought
iron, with a mosaic damascus handle inlay (36 scrolls). The handle
material is stabilized walnut. This pieces sold for US$8,000.
"My normal prices aren't even close to those. My average standard knife
is $500-$1000 and the fancier stuff runs $1,400-$5,000."
(Photo right: A full size battle axe measuring 32 inches. The blade is
all wrought iron with thirteen high-carbon steel cutting edges welded in.
The axe sports a cherry flame grain handle with bone inlays and braided
kangaroo wrist thong. This elegant piece sold for US$12,000.)
As much as his work is beautiful, the artistry of Rob Hudson's work is
also the extensive process behind the creation of each composite damascus
blade.
Rob selects patterns that are different but that compliment each other,
such as symmetrical themes and odd numbers of bars to comprise the billet.
For his double-edged swords, a central bar surrounded by even number bars
is required. Rob pre-plans the look he aims to achieve; prior to welding,
the billet looks like an oversized version of the future sword, thus
allowing him margin for correction in the final blade. "The one tip in
achieving the final flawless weld that makes the most difference is to
never remove the billet from the fire once it goes in. Flux with a long
handled spoon in the fire often. Hammer only on the edges to weld, let
cool, grind the flats completely down to shiny, then forge to shape and
keep it hotter than usual when you do. If you do develop a gap, use your
cross peen to repair it while the blade is backed up by the edge of the
step on the anvil - hammer towards the step."
His childlike passion for bladesmithing is evident in his work. "As a kid
I was a bona fide pyro and knife nut, so being a bladesmith means I don't
have to grow up. I really, really like knives. I've worn a big camp knife
on my belt nearly every day for about 40 years and I literally can't
function without it. I strive to make the strongest blade possible since I
abuse them so much. My art background helps in making them pleasing to
the eye and hand, but empirical experience in using them and making them
is finally getting me closer to making the best possible blade."
Contact Information
Rob Hudson
HUDSON KNIVES
22280 Frazier Road,
Rock Hall, Maryland 21661
USA
Tel. 410-639-7273
e-mail: Hudson@friend.ly.net
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