Hi All,

I would like to announce the opening of Tod's School! and you will find course information dates and prices here http://www.todsstuff.co.uk/tods-school/tods-school.htm

The home page text reads

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I have been making all manner of historic reproductions for 15 years and love my job. The aim of Tod's School is to teach people how I make my reproductions and to share the passion I have for making beautiful and historically accurate pieces and everyone from the total novice to the accomplished amateur is welcome. All the courses have a similar format, with a strong emphasis on hand work. The course will have clearly marked milestones so that we all know where we need to be at each stage and I will be available to speed you up to the milestone if required. To ensure a good start from the off, components will be provided on some courses, meaning that every student will leave with a completed and well finished piece. The courses take place at my workshops near Oxford (UK). I also provide private tuition to individuals or groups on any aspect of my work, so that you can fully customise the experience of making whatever you want.

I will be running the following courses: Eating knife, bollock dagger, knife sheathes, sword scabbards, bushcraft knives and crossbows.

If there is anything further you would like to know ask here, go through the contact form on the site or mail me at tod@todsstuff.co.uk

Hope to see you here!

Tod

Excellent news Tod.

Flora had picked it up from the website earlier and is now working through the bits she wants to do..... As she puts it, this could be expensive; and then gives me "that look"......

Since my own manual skills do for craft manufacture what "Sink the Bismarck" did for the Bismarck, I shall of course be happy to indulge her, secure in the knowledge that I will then have an even more skilled practitioner immediately to hand.

We hope to see you at TORM next month

Regards

Martin

Awsome!
This school is a great move Leo. :)

it's great to share you knowledge with others, it gives the opertunity to expand the appreciation of the art!

:cry: now i wish i was near enough to Oxford to attend.

Would be great if you could record the classes form web casting, YouTube or DVD?

Paul
(Australia)

I think this is great news for the craft .
Tod is one of those people who I have learned a lot of stuff from over the years (and I hope the relationship has been mutual) .
His work is intuitively medieval and he is a craftsman who is at the top of their game (not to mean he wont be reaching for higher peaks, as I am certain he will.)

Make the most of it would be my advice.

Paul B.G wrote

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Would be great if you could record the classes form web casting, YouTube or DVD?

I am afraid that I have no plans to do this at present but will concentrate on my immediate work and running the classes.

Owen Bush wrote

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I think this is great news for the craft . Tod is one of those people who I have learned a lot of stuff from over the years (and I hope the relationship has been mutual)

Absolutely. Since we met on that TV job 6 years ago both our work has come on and I have certainly learn't from you.

Tod

Ah!

Being one of the lucky ones who test drived this course I highly recommend making a trip to Tod's workshop in Oxford if you get the chance.

I've learned a great deal in a very short amount of time and Tod is without a doubt mature enough in his craft to get you were you need to be whatever your abilities are.

It won't cost you much more than ordering the finished item from Tod, but you'll have a great time on top, and leave with practical skills and an intimate understanding of the artefact you've been producing.

Owen and Tod, not to say you are not philantropists (you guys are running businesses in a though economical environnment), but still, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I would not have had a clue were to begin if it was not for your willigness to share and educate others and I've leapt forward in ways I would not have thought possible thanks to your guidance.

Cheers,

J


I've attached pictures of the eating knife made during the course. It's not finished as I want to drill a square hole in the pommel and clean it off a bit. Bolsters are brass, grip is horn.

I'll second what Julien said.

Tod has an incredible ability to make tasks us mere mortals thought were impossibly complex seem achievable - and even straightforward.

More than anything I went away from his course believing I could do it.

Thanks for the support guys and hopefully I will et to meet some of you other myArmoury people over the summer around a bench and a file.

Regards

Tod