Who is Boekoe?

Barend Bastiaan Jansen van Rensburg was born in 1953....known to his family and friends in the Vereeniging area as, Ben.

He left school in Std 8, as was the norm in those years, to join the army.  After his 2 year army stint he got married to his high school sweetheart, Magda and took up a job at Iscor in Newcastle in the quality control department.  They had two sons, Jacques in 1973 and Sean in 1976.

In 1980 Ben started making knives as a hobby.  Ben, being Bennie Boekwurm is where he got the name “Boekoe” from. On most of his earlier knives a small worm emblem will appear.

In 1980 he was a founder member of the Newcastle Knife makers Club.  Knife making was only one of his passions he was an avid painter and hunter.

Boekoe also did lots of scrimshaw work, most of which, unfortunately, being lost during his relocation to Johannesburg in 2003.

In 1983 he became a member of the Knife makers Guild of South Africa.

He became a professional hunter in 1993.But due to circumstances never really pursued it as a career.

Making knives was a hobby that he loved and going to all the various shows in SA was always a highlight for him.     

    Sadly Boekoe passed away in 2011.