The Journey

Follow me as I visit back the friendships and the experiences of my journey in the craft of the blade.

Fergus, Ontario

In the middle of the Canadian summer of 2011, I was called upon by my friend Darrell Markewitz of the Wareham Forge to do a couple of demos at their 8th gathering. CanIRON VIII. My wife and I left the kids behind with the grandparents in Maryland and drove pass the Canadian border to meet the nicest group of blacksmiths around. Mick Smith, Daniel Linkenheld, Darrell, Dave Robertson and many others helped organize a very smooth and welcoming event. I had a chance to meet Jake Powning and his lovely wife and kids, Jeff Helmes also with his lovely wife and daughter, Antoine Marçal and see Michael McCarthy again and many others.

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

After a long fifteen hour car trip from Alabama to Wisconsin, I arrived at the shop of Ric Furrer: Door County Forgeworks, where I met Patrick Hastings reading for his first class in Japanese metalworking.  This was a unique opportunity to become familiar with the tools and the processes involved in fine metal working. A group of daring students, including Marcus Chambers, Bill Keller, Tom Ownsby, Dan Norton and David Bousquet; took on the task of learning to use the katakiri bori chisel, as well as learning zen zogan, hira zogan and taka zogan forms of inlay. We even venture into metal carving and a complete set of basic tools, including a pitch bowl and numerous tagane chisels and a hammer were made under Patrick close supervision in an enjoyable environment provided by Ric.

Vilobí del Penedès, Spain

In the mountains of Barcelona, Miquel Segura and his friend Josep Rovira have been working in the process of iron and steel smelting: a long forgotten tradition in this land. Remember that this is the place where the Catalan forge came from. The process shown in this pictures describes the meeting to run the 14th furnace which they had built. This is a bloomery furnace. Josep runs and owns a local museum focused on the history and making of plaster. Nuria Salán is a geology professor and Pere Molera Solà is professor of metallurgy at Barcelona University. Many others attended the event. Cava, paella and good friends.

Knoxville, TN

Ron Claiborne (Bowie) has held a gathering of bladesmiths who freely share their knowledge in his neck of the woods near Knoxville, TN for many years. Ron makes hydraulic presses for bladesmiths. Alan Longmire, Chris Price, Stephen Fowler, Dan Kaschner, Richard Williams, Len Landrum, Bill Wiggins, Fuad Accawi, Wes Byrd, Matt Walker, Dennis McAdams and many others gather together to enjoy some demos, talk, beverages and laughs.

Oakland, CA

Jeff Pringle met with me in Jim Austin's very well equipped shop in Oackland, CA. Jeff has been doing a lot of work in crucible steel (wootz) and viking pattern welding and inlaying. Jim works primarily as a architectural and artistic blacksmith and has done some outsanding bladesmithing as well. I admit that I like to visit Jeff just to have a taste of the culinary delicacies of San Francisco, but also I very much enjoy the conversation and the opportunity to use the Nazel 3B.

Lexington, VA

SMELTFEST at Lee's shop in the mountains of Virginia is a week of experimental iron and steel smelting. Lee Sauder, Skip Williams, Darrell Markewitz, Dick Sargent from Peters Valley Crafts Center, Colonial Williamsburg blacksmiths Shel Browder and Steve Mankowski, and others like Jake Keen and Michael McCarthy, get together every year for good conversation and fun.

Marriottsville, MD

Kerry and Matt Stagmer, from Baltimore Knife & Sword, have been putting together a very versatile and interesting hammer-in on the East Coast: The Fire and Brimstone Hammer-In. It all started when Kerry offered me a place to run a tatara smelter for other people to see and participate. Walter Sorrells and Chris Price came over to help run the smelter, and many other demonstrators and bladesmiths joined in to share their knowledge and friendship, including: Rob Deker, Jeff Pringle, Larry Nowicki, Tony Swatton. Other fellow bladesmiths included Mike Lambiase, Matt Venier, Chris Moss, Sam Salvati, JJ Simon, Wally Yater, and many others I can't remember show up to enjoy the gathering.

Bristol, TN

Larry Harley from Lonesome Pine Knives used to gather together some of the most talented makers in a hammer-in held at his shop in Holston Mountain in early spring. Walter Sorrells and I used to drive up every year. I first met with Chris Price, Stephan Fowler and Alan Longmire there. Howard Clark, Don Fogg, Ric Furrer, Louie Mills, Rick Barrett, Steve Schwarzer, and many more who I forget, showed their talents there for others to watch. Mike Blue and Randal Graham used to cook a tatara and make steel and were my inspiration to get started making my own steel.

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