ABS California Hammer In

raylaconico

raylaconico

Joined
Jan 30, 2004
Messages
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I thought I'd post some pics of the ABS hammer in going on this weekend in my hometown.

This was a mini class taught by Bill Burke on furnace building and steel smelting
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Dan Pfanenstiel doing a hamon and sword quenching demo.
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David Lisch did a D-guard demo and hands on green coal forging
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Mike Quesenberry doing some forging
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Don Andrade forging a kitchen knife
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Some of us went out to dinner
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Mike Vagnino did a lockback and linerlock fundamentals demo
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Tom Ferry did a demo on designing complex damascus
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This looks like sooo much fun!
I wish we had something like this closer to southern California.
I hope you guys had a blast!
 
I've attended a few of the ABS Hammer-ins, even lead collecting seminars/discussions at them, and I strongly recommend them
to knife collectors as you can meet the makers, learn quite a bit and have a great time.
 
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Oh, if only this hammer in were located in or around a place on the central coast like Cambria, it could attract three times the crowd and in all probability attract new collectors. But no, it's located in arguably the second or third worst heat and air in the nation. I recognize it's location in Visalia is central to the facilities in use, but just sayin'...........
 
I think everyone had a great time. The weather was and is usually good in October. They always want more people to attend but the turn out was quite good with about 65 attendees.

A few more pics from today

Demonstrators left to right: Henry Torres, Mike Vagnino, Tom Ferry, Dave Lisch, Bill Burke, Dan Pfanenstiel, and Aaron Wilburn
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This guy took a train from San Diego to experience some forging!
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Dave Lisch and Bill Stuart teaching this guy about forging a blade
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Travis Wuertz with his grinder kneeling and helping a kid who got to forge, heat treat, and grind a blade
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Thanks for posting the photos Ray, this is a great event and is the only one on the west coast. If you want to have access to some of the best bladesmiths in the country made sure to put this event on your calendar for next year.
 
Just Got Home last night. What a week it was I started it by flying into Reno on monday where Mike Q picked me up we spend 3 1/2 very full days making a knife together that was a blast. then with the knife still in the clamp we drove to the hammer in . Mike V did a great job this year lots of cool stuff going on great demos and good folks. This is a really good hammer in and it is going to get better there is still time to be apart of it . make time next year to join in it will be in a new even better spot. It is about learning and shearing and friendship how cool is that. Hope to meet you there next year.
 
I had a great time as I always do at the Visalia hammer -In
Good to see familiar faces and old friends and make new ones.
As a knife maker I always take away Gems of information that raise my knife making skills. Weather someone is just starting their knife making adventure or have been at it for many years their is something for everyone.
This is the first time my beautiful wife attended an event like this with me and she said she will be back next year.
 
This was a great hammer in. I drove down from Boise, and it was well worth it. Next years event sounds like it will be something you will not want to miss. Just like this one. If you missed it, too bad for you.
 
whew, I just got home from this event. It is without a doubt one of the top hammerins in the country. Next years should be even better with a larger space for demos forging etc. Like was said above this is the west coast event to attend.
 
Sounds like another succesful hammerin. Sorry I missed this year, but I was in Colorado helping my son get his elk. Home Wed and took my grandsons deer hunting for the weekend. Like has been said, this is a hammerin not to miss. Hope my schedule works next year.
Gary House, M.S.
 
Had a great time at the hammer in, as always. Didn't get to attend all the classes I wanted to see but had fun in the green coal area. The best part for me was seeing the smiling faces of those that attended the two hands on classes. The sheaths that came out of Aaron Wilburn's class were top notch. Bill Burke's students each produced enough steel to make a couple good sized knives. A great event all the way around.
 
Hey All,
Just want to thank Tom F.,Dave L.,Bill B, Bill S., Mike Q., Aaron W., Dan P., Henry T., Ray L. and my wife Marcie, for helping put on one of the best hammer-ins we have had to date. Also a special thanks to all the attendees that came this year. Without your support this would not be possible. This was are largest attended hammer-in we have had and I have a feeling the next year will even be larger. We will be moving to a new facility that the College of the Sequoias has just finished. The space available to us will be at least 3 times larger. That means, just that much more fun for all of us. Hope to see you next year.

Take care

Michael
 
Good times. Ever since BACKA died this event has been all I have to look foreward to all year.

Oh ya, and I'm already started on my next smelting furnace, woo hoo!

Dan
 
I just found this video taken at the hammer in of Dan Pfanenstiel water quenching a Japanese style sword. It was really cool to watch!

[video=youtube_share;3xo98eFitp4]http://youtu.be/3xo98eFitp4[/video]
 
Here's some hammer in videos from Tim Hancock's grinding class. They're not on my usual Wuertz Machine Works channel cause I was locked out for a while. Brian Land did the editing. He did an awesome job editing the rough hammer in footage. There will be more to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=MAgD3bvsY1o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=ChA-WFQbaIs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=pFuVnUA7XLY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=_WflEuxuVdQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=sHerXl6gaIo
 
Thank you so much Travis!

I have Tim's video from the Tanehill conference, but it was on a different machine. It will be great to see him do it on the machine I use!
 
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