- Joined
- Oct 18, 2001
- Messages
- 20,978
Today (Sunday) is my day at home, so this will be the last entry for me.
Saturday was great. Started off by forging a large bolo/machete/cleaver/camp knife...something like that. Friday, it took me 2.5 hrs to forge 6-7 inches of steel. This time, I got about 17 inches done in the same time. I think half the reason I was doing so much better was that as long as I wasn't screwing it up, I wouldn't have Larry over my shoulder saying "hit that thing like you mean it!" or "you're going to hell..."
Hammerin was pretty fun and the 3 gas forges they had got filled up fast, so I decided "what the heck" and tried my hand at the coal forge instead. It wasn't but about 15 minutes later and I had a crowd of 5 or 6 guys around me - thought I had developed a fan club, but it wasn't my hammering that brought 'em over, it was the heat that forge put out!
(nothing like a bunch of hecklers making comments about a monkey and an organ...while turning black a la coal forge 
)
The show started after lunchtime with at least a dozen tables exhibiting knives (I couldn't get out and count the exhibitors, because I was exhibiting some of my own work). There were another dozen or more "tailgate sellers" lined up against the fence. And under the pavillion it was crowded! No wonder Nathan couldn't find me.
Anyway, I had a table of khukuris and brought a "demo" model for folks to try their hand at hitting a 2x4 with it. I got takers of ages 7-75, both men and women. I'm sure I drove Stacy nuts (shared a table with him) - with wood chips flying everywhere, but I was there to have some fun.
There was an auction for raising money for the ABS as well as cutting demonstrations by Fisk and Fitch.
I can't say much about the classes and demonstrations because I spent almost all my time at the Green Coal forging area. I figured that's what I came for - to give forging a try - and so that's where I stayed. I know there was a lot of excitement about Joe Szilaski's workshop on axe forging, and Bill Moran did a class on Silver Inlay in Handles.
I'm sure I've left something out, so if I remember anything, I'll post it here.
Thanks to all those who put this together and made it worthwhile!
Dan
Saturday was great. Started off by forging a large bolo/machete/cleaver/camp knife...something like that. Friday, it took me 2.5 hrs to forge 6-7 inches of steel. This time, I got about 17 inches done in the same time. I think half the reason I was doing so much better was that as long as I wasn't screwing it up, I wouldn't have Larry over my shoulder saying "hit that thing like you mean it!" or "you're going to hell..."
Hammerin was pretty fun and the 3 gas forges they had got filled up fast, so I decided "what the heck" and tried my hand at the coal forge instead. It wasn't but about 15 minutes later and I had a crowd of 5 or 6 guys around me - thought I had developed a fan club, but it wasn't my hammering that brought 'em over, it was the heat that forge put out!
(nothing like a bunch of hecklers making comments about a monkey and an organ...while turning black a la coal forge )The show started after lunchtime with at least a dozen tables exhibiting knives (I couldn't get out and count the exhibitors, because I was exhibiting some of my own work). There were another dozen or more "tailgate sellers" lined up against the fence. And under the pavillion it was crowded! No wonder Nathan couldn't find me.
Anyway, I had a table of khukuris and brought a "demo" model for folks to try their hand at hitting a 2x4 with it. I got takers of ages 7-75, both men and women. I'm sure I drove Stacy nuts (shared a table with him) - with wood chips flying everywhere, but I was there to have some fun.
There was an auction for raising money for the ABS as well as cutting demonstrations by Fisk and Fitch.
I can't say much about the classes and demonstrations because I spent almost all my time at the Green Coal forging area. I figured that's what I came for - to give forging a try - and so that's where I stayed. I know there was a lot of excitement about Joe Szilaski's workshop on axe forging, and Bill Moran did a class on Silver Inlay in Handles.
I'm sure I've left something out, so if I remember anything, I'll post it here.
Thanks to all those who put this together and made it worthwhile!
Dan
