Outback knifemaker hones his craft using trees from his station

On a remote 52,000-hectare sheep and cattle station, grazier Bodie Hill has found a unique way to unwind and hone his craft. In a corrugated iron shed, surrounded by crates of local timber and handle-less knives, Bodie spends his time sanding steel under a fluorescent light, creating handmade knives that are a testament to his skill and patience.

Outside, the isolation of his property, located more than 400 kilometres from the nearest major town of Broken Hill, is palpable. The quiet is broken only by the wind, the stock, and the whine of the grinder. For Bodie, hand-making knives is a meditative process that allows him to clear his mind and focus on the task at hand.

"For me, being on the land, it's so easy to get caught up in property stuff; there's always something to do. To have a hobby or skill that you can actually sit and do; I just think it's a really great thing for mental health," he said.

A fierce advocate for mental health, particularly among isolated men, Bodie knows he needs to look after himself and actively seeks things that give him time to sit with his thoughts when he isn't tending stock or doing station chores. He finds that the combination of working with metal, woodworking, and leatherwork helps him achieve mental clarity.

"I think the combination of working with metal, woodworking and leatherwork, and just the peace of mind I get, it's actually great for mental clarity," he said.

Bodie has been making knives since he was a kid, but he only recently became "half serious" about it after making one to replace a lost pocket knife. This sparked a love for the slow and intentional process of creating something from raw materials.

Every knife is handmade, meaning no two are alike, and it can take days to finish just one. Bodie's workshop is a place he allows his mind to be consumed by the slow art of knife-making.

Bodie says his parents, with their own artisan skills, always encouraged him to try new projects and hobbies. "Dad's a saddler and whip maker, so he was always creative," he said. "Mum's an amazing quilter and patch worker. So, it was a very creative family."

Much of the finished product is crafted from local materials found on the station. Bodie collects beefwood, mulga, and rosewood, seeing their potential for knife handles.

"The majority of my knives are made from local products that I've milled from here," he said. "In Australia we're blessed to have some amazing timbers. They're hard and dense so they stand up well as knife handles."

Sometimes he hauls home timber he found that would otherwise go to waste. "We've got some amazing gidgee. [I got some] from the side of the road when they put the bitumen in at Mount Poole Station and bulldozed," Bodie said.

Demand for his designs has been high, with months' worth of custom orders booked in. "The response has been huge," he said. "I'm nearly booked up until March, so I've actually had to stop taking orders."

Bodie said a growing community of bladesmiths existed around Australia, but making one from start to finish was still somewhat of a lost art. "There's a certain craftsmanship of being able to create something from raw products and really put your heart and soul into it," he said.