SEMINARS

I have been teaching these seminars around the country for years. Now, they are right at your doorstep. Collectively, they cover every aspect of knife use and maintainance. Whether you find yourself in the backwoods, the kitchen or a darkened back alley, rest assured you will have the skill to use your tools wisely.

Each seminar is a stand-alone class, lasting about three hours. Fees are set by the host (see "Hosting a Seminar" for more details). These seminars contain a lot of information, so bring your notebook. As a bonus, every seminar includes a basic "Stopping the Bleeding" first aid lesson!

Please read the FAQ section entirely before booking a seminar.

Current Schedule: January to May 2026

Current appointment times are Thursdays and Fridays after 3pm and all day Sunday.

Locations are currently limited to the Highway 101 corridor between Geyserville and Novato.

Look for available times, regions and classes to be expanded soon!

Knife Sharpening

This is much more than "just" a sharpening class. We will cover styles of knives and their parts; the different types of sharpeners, hones and strops; the qualities of a good blade such as heat treatments, steels and geometries. Through a progression of simple techniques, we will learn on everything from hand stones to bench stones to improvised tools in a matter of hours. Basic sharpening kits are provided.

Students must provide a dull knife, preferrably with a 3" to 5" carbon steel blade. These are easier to learn on than larger or stainless steel knives.

Wood Carving and Whittling

Have you ever wanted to whittle a stick like your Great-Grandpappy used to? Mors Kohanski, the father of modern bushcrafting, created the "Try Stick" for just this purpose. A simple wooden stick, it becomes a powerful teaching tool to learn the cuts and notches that could be found in any outback or bush camp. By carving your own Try Stick, you'll learn knife skills that were common to every farmer and outdoorsman a hundred years ago.

Students must provide a sharp wood carving knife with a 3" to 5" blade and a comfortable handle. A Mora Companion or Classic model is recommended.

Kitchen Culinary Knife Use

“Ah, the joys of home cooking… Ouch!” Ever cut yourself in the kitchen? It may be your technique. Learn how to chop, slice and dice like a professional, along with selecting and maintaining your cutlery and cutting boards. Using student provided ingredients, we will prepare simple fruits and vegetables as chefs would do in a professional kitchen. Recipes for using these ingredients will be provided.

Students must provide a sharp 8" chefs knife, a honing steel, a vegetable peeler, a clean wood or wood composite cutting board, 6 gallon sized freezer bags and 3 pairs of disposable gloves.

Students must also provide 1 large carrot, 2 celery stalks, 3 large russet potatoes, 2 large apples, 1 cabbage, 1 bell pepper, 1 large onion and 1 head of garlic. All produce must be washed beforehand.

Hosting a Seminar

Each seminar is a flat rate of $300 and lasts three hours. There is a maximum limit of 8 students, with no student minimum.

Hosts are responsible for organizing the event space, signing up students, collecting payments (if any), and providing any required equipment.

Hosts must provide the following for any seminar:

-A private space with enough room for all students to be able to work safely. An acceptable distance is at least three feet between students.

-A working bathroom.

-Enough chairs for everyone.

-Hand sanitizer and a box of Band Aids

-Print outs of the appropriate certificate of completion

The following is also needed for each different seminar:

-Knife Sharpening: Hosts do not need to provide any special equipment for this class.

-Wood Carving and Whittling: Hosts must provide a wood chopping stump for every three students and several tarps.

-Kitchen Culinary Knife Use: Hosts must provide enough counter or table space for all students, as well as sanitizing wipes and paper towels.

-Defending Against Knife Attacks: Hosts must provide a tarp, a quart of red paint, a pork loin and a rack of pork ribs.