Photo By Ana Henderson | For James Ingram who has been making knives since the age of 12 getting this title of...... read more read more
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James Ingram is known around Yuma Test Center as the lead of the machine shop where the team uses metal to repair or fabricate materials to support testing.
Outside of work he’s been making a name for himself in the world of knife-making. In June, he traveled to The Blade Show in Atlanta and presented his knives to a panel of judges made up of master bladesmiths to test for the title of journeyman.
“They have the five knives they are looking at, plus the performance knife, and you’re out in the hallway waiting and chewing on your nails for two hours,” recalled Ingram on waiting for the panel’s decision.
That moment was the culmination of years’ worth of work to even qualify him for the opportunity to face the master bladesmiths. First, Ingram had to be a member of the American Bladesmith Society (ABS) for no less than three years. During that time, he was considered an apprentice and was expected to study and link up with other bladesmiths to mentor and guide him through passing the initial performance test. He had to find a master bladesmith to test his forged knife made to specific criteria. If you have seen the reality show Forged in Fire, the process will sound familiar.
“He examines it first for quality of craftmanship and makes sure that it a suitable candidate for the test,” explains Ingram of the test with the master bladesmith.
The performance test consisted of cutting a free hanging one-inch sisal or manila rope with one swing.
“Then you have to chop a pair of two-by-fours in half with it, then after doing that you have to show that it will still shave hair.” Ingram shaved a patch of his arm hair with the blade.
The final step was putting the knife in a vice and bending it to 90-degrees without it breaking.
Ingram checked off the box on his performance test in August 2022 and notified the ABS he intended to test for journeyman in June.
He goes on to tell, “So now that you passed that, the American Blade Society knows that you can make a blade that will pass the performance test, but can you make a blade that is symmetrical and that is of high quality?”
That’s what landed him in Atlanta at the biggest blade show in the world. When the moment of truth came, several names were called out and they returned in front of the judges to be told they had passed. ABS had 35 people signed up for the journeyman test and roughly half passed, including Ingram.
For Ingram, who has been making knives since the age of 12, getting this title confirms what he’s long felt about his work.
“People have always liked my knives, and I guess it was confirmation that I am making knives at a level that the ABS accepts also. I always felt my knives were great knives, now I have confirmation.”
One of Ingram's folding knives was photographed professionally and will be featured in an upcoming coffee table titled, The Most Beautiful Damascus Knives In The World.
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2023 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 449435 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 722 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Yuma Proving Ground employee earns prestigious ‘Journeyman’ title, by Ana Henderson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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