A lost knife, but a new love found for outback bladesmith
Grazier Bodie Hill falls in love with bladesmithing, carving his creations from recycled wood sourced from his remote 52,000-hectare property.
On a sheep and cattle station spanning 52,000 hectares, grazier Bodie Hill dedicates his time to crafting knives in a shed. Surrounded by crates of timber and knives without handles, Bodie forges these blades using local timber, such as beefwood, mulga, and rosewood. The process is time-consuming and exhausting, but it provides Bodie with a much-needed mental break from his daily tasks.
His love for knife-making began when he replaced a lost pocket knife, sparking a passion for the slow and intentional process. Growing up in a creative family, Bodie's parents encouraged him to explore various artistic endeavors. Many of his knives feature handles crafted from timber harvested on his remote property, which is over 400 kilometres from the nearest major town.
Despite not making knives full-time, Bodie has a full months worth of custom orders. The community of bladesmiths in Australia has grown, but the art of creating a knife from raw materials remains somewhat lost.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
