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Woolpower - Ullfrotte Original

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Swazi

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Julius Pettersson

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Gransfors Bruks

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Chris Boyton - Traditional Bowmaker

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Julius Pettersson

Julius Pettersson is part of a long tradition in blacksmithing, specialising in what Ray calls the most important tool in bushcraft – the knife. His first introduction to the craft came at the age of six, when his blacksmith grandfather made Julius his very first knife. Julius says this gift instantly made his grandfather a hero in his eyes.

Sweden is well-renowned for producing some of the world's best knives, and nowadays Julius works hard to maintain that reputation. There they are still very much regarded as tools rather than weapons, and they are seen as an essential item for anyone working or living outdoors.

During the filming of Bushcraft Survival, Ray visited Julius at his workshop in Karlsborg, to see the knife-making process in person, from start to finish. Julius went on to produce a knife blade for Ray using the same techniques that his ancestors would have used centuries before him. What particularly impressed Ray was the ease with which Julius carried out the many processes to produce a finished blade, a skill which can only come from many years of practice and experience.

Once the blade had cooled from its final heating, it was polished and then handed to Ray, who later took it with him to the Sami heartlands of Northern Sweden. Here he utilised the traditional techniques of producing a carved handle, transforming the blade into a finished tool. After witnessing Julius' craftsmanship first hand, the qualities of his traditionally made knife blades did not go unnoticed by Ray - When you feel the finished article of a handmade blade like this one, you realise that it has a life and energy that a mass-produced, stainless steel equivalent can never match.

Julius now produces a hand-forged knife blade for Woodlore, allowing customers to make their own handles, thus creating an entirely individual knife. After seeing the quality of these blades in person, Ray and Woodlore personally invited Julius to produce an exclusive, limited-edition, hand-forged carbon steel knife to celebrate Woodlore’s 25th Anniversary. This beautiful knife has been made in a limited run of 250, each one numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by Ray, encased within a leather presentation box. For more information and to purchase this exclusive knife, please click here.

Woodlore are extremely pleased to be working with such an esteemed craftsman as Julius, one that in today's factory-line style of production still holds true to the traditional values of knife making's past.