On the basis of the early knife making experiences of the two expert knife makers on the evaluation panel, we feel the learners have achieved something they would not have achieved without a reasonable amount of instruction or a large amount of time on their own constructing from first principles. Their results are considered at least as good as, and in some cases better than, would be expected of first year undergraduate Metalwork & Jewellery students.
The learners have come up with a concept and been able to carry it through to making a knife that integrates the form and mechanism. Considering the images and descriptions provided of their previous work, the quality of the knives they made is at least as good as, and in some cases better than, what we would expect them to be capable of achieving. Their feedback shows that they have also achieved a degree of critical evaluation; they are aware of the shortcomings of what they have made and how they could improve upon them.
We feel that at least half of the group have the potential to carry on knife making at a high level. One of the learners has sold a folding knife he made, having previously felt his work was not of sufficient quality for sale. Another has been accepted as a probationary member of his country's Knifemaker's Guild based on the folding knives he has subsequently made.
