Welcome, Guest
Bladesmith Jean Wilke began his journey as a knifemaker when he encountered Forged in Fire. The color of the steel, the sound of the hammer on the anvil, and the skill of the bladesmiths immediately mesmerized him. Unlike other teenagers, however, this was not merely a passing interest, but a burning passion that grew stronger over time. In 2016, for his 14th birthday, Jean received a special gift from his parents -- a one day smithing course with Dennis Kriel. He was immediately hooked.
Soon, Jean caught the attention of well-known knifemakers such as Neels van den Berg and Etienne Vorster. At 15, he found himself on a two week intensive Introduction to Bladesmithing course at Heavin Forge. During that class, Mastersmiths Kevin and Heather Harvey became his life-long mentors and Wilke began his journey to become the youngest person ever to be welcomed into the Knifemakers Guild of Southern Africa. In June of 2020, Wilke passed his test and was honored to join the KGSA.
As of the spring of 2022, Wilke alternates between spending two weeks helping teach and forge at Heavin Forge, and working at his home forge (Fire Goby Forge) in Pretoria.
Camp Knife with Sneezewood |
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Chef's Knife (6 in.) with Carbon Fiber |
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Forged Chef's Knife with Curly Birch (6 inch) |
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Goldilox (Just Right) with Mango Wood |
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Goldilox (Just Right) with Unidirectional Carbon Fiber |
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Hamon Hunter with Bog Oak |
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Honyaki Dog Bone Bowie with Ironwood (Best Fighting Knife, Knifemakers Guild of Southern Africa and Cape Knifemakers Guild) |
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Integral Camping Bowie with Uni-Directional Carbon Fiber |
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Integral Damascus Camp Knife with Walnut Burl |
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Integral Damascus Chef Knife (6-1/2 in.) with Synthetic Ivory |
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Integral Utility Hunter with Stabilized Fynbos |
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Integral Utility Knife with Wild Olive |
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Lion Hunter with Curly Maple |
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Lion Hunter with Ebony |
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Lion Hunter with Uni-Directional Carbon Fiber |
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Twist Damascus Gent's Bowie with Eucalyptus Hybridwood |
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