Ashokan Seminar 2008

[Gary W. Graley]

Just home from this weekends Ashokan Seminar, close to a record in attendance, just about 90 or so were there, plus some visitors Sunday morning.

Edited to add, the images were all taken with a Canon point and shoot, the G9, just didn't lug around my Canon 20D and lenses as I knew we'd
be doing lots of stuff and the G9 is handy for this sort of thing, the night shoots, sure would have loved to had the 20D though

Here are some images from the weekend, now I wasn't able to get everyone, so here is just a smattering of some images
there were LOTS of guys around taking photos as well and hopefully they might chime in with some of theirs;

Dan Maragni

Matthew Gregory aka Mr Purple, Mace and Mike Spangler; not sure what Mike is doing to Mace
but as you can see, Matt want's no part of it

Don Fogg was teaching several lessons, forging and damascus making
Forging

Peanut gallery, sitting atop stacked picnic tables in order to gather around and view the lessons;

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Damascus making, it was night by this time, so it was hard getting the photos so pardon the images please!

the hammer in the glow of the forge

something to keep the Front row guys awake;

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Brian Lyttle from Canada;
He gave lessons on grinding longish blades, read short swords and also on engraving

The start of a sword in his hand, he says 'don't make clubs' meaning the sword should
have a distal taper from just in front of the ricasso area out to the tip

drawing in the design he wants to impart onto the piece;
Kevin Cashen was standing behind him, holding a video camera that played out onto a tv so the rest of the room could see over Brian shoulder.

some examples of Brian's workmanship;

bad lighting there to capture the whole knife well,

love this one, the islands around the gem;

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Rickity rope bridge and it's getting OLD too so it creaks about as much as I do

the trail up to the blacksmiths shop where we got to see a lesson on Lost Wax casting by Jake Powning;

Jake Powning;

Sterling silver waiting to melt down;

crank up the heat a little;

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Some folks around the place
Aldo Bruno, I think he was looking at Sam Salvati...

Speaking of Sam Salvati;

A lot of these guys around with cameras;

Some lookerons as Brian was grinding the sword;

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Shawn Knowles had a couple pieces of damascus he made,
hard lighting in that building so I apologize for the images
these are just crop shots of the bars he had, neat patterns;

and a second bar with a larger pattern

Tim Zowada was there heading up the show, missed getting his picture! he is pretty quick though
but he is also VERY busy with straight razors, which a few of the guys
Matt aka Mr Purple, Mike Spangler and myself will be attempting to scrape our faces in
the next few days, and even Jim Siska picked up a nice old razor and Tim helped by setting
the edge and sharpening it for him, Jim looked as nervous as I feel
Here are a few shots of some of Tim's razors, sweet work!

and I ended up with a very nice small knife by Burt Foster, who also gave a few lessons
this weekend, very sharp guy when it comes to steels and he makes a darn nice sheath too!
This was one he was wearing on his belt and now it's on my belt, I'll get better shots
of it later on and post them up in the Gallery, in the mean time here is a shot of the
spine of the knife, a damascus integral bolster with desert ironwood scales with pins that are domed nicely!
the blade is made up of O1 and 15n20, sharp as the dickens and cute as a button

and here's a link to more photos of this one! Burt Foster Integral

That's it from me, it was a great weekend and very glad to have met up with lots of
folks that I knew from the forums or email.
G2

 

[SharpByCoop]

Thanks, Gary. Many recognized faces in the crowd. Glad to have your recap.

Coop

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks Coop, David R. Schlueter said he will be sending you some things to photograph
pretty soon, basically a rare tanto, blade made by Dan Maragni and furniture by David
I told him to tell you G2 said 'hey'
G2

 

[RogerP]

Really nice photos and write-up Gary - looks like a terrific event. I really neeed to make it down one of these years.

Nice snag on that Foster. :thumbup:

Roger

 

[Matthew Gregory]

I really neeed to make it down one of these years.


Roger

... YES you do!


Great pics, Gary.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks Matt and Roger, Matt is right, you do need to make it down one of these years,

Here are some images I took from 2004 Ashokan Seminar

and a handful of shots from 2006 Askohan 06

including a nice capture of Don Fogg;

and a neat capture in 2004 of Rick Barrett taking a heated blade from the forge, you can see it
left a light trail as the camera captured it;

G2

 

[S.Knowles]

Great Recap of a Great weekend. I'm glad to see you got that little one from Burt, and also Glad someone took pictures, I brought my camera but think I only took about three pics.It was was a pleasure meeting you Gary.

Shawn

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I had a great time there. Here are a few more I took.
Stacy

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

One more.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks Stacy, great weekend! and it was good to meet you too Shawn!
G2

 

[Doug C]

Gary,
Great thread . Thanks ! :thumbup:
I've been to a few hammer ins , nothing like Ashokan though.
It's one of my fondest desires to make it one day,but for now this will do nicely.
Thanks again.

Doug

 

[sunshadow]

Ashokan was a great time!
Kevin Cashen and Tim Zowada once again organized a great one!
Brian Lyttle's engraving demo was eye opening, Kevin's slide show was, as always informative and entertaining, Of course any time Don Fogg is teaching with hammer in hand it is worth the price of admission!, Burt Foster's stainless SanMai was interesting, (and the room full of flatBurts) then there's this growing straight razor movement . . . Oh yes, can't forget Jake's swordwork!
Thanks to Kelly and Del for overseeing the evening open forge thing. We were able to once again put hammer and steel in the hands of a few people who had never forged before.
Finally got to meet Stacy and a few other BF folks

Only 11 1/2 months till the next one!

-Page

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Yep and 2010 will be another Sword year too!
G2