Moran Hammer In

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Aug 20, 2004
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The hammer-in went well,considering constant (occasionally pounding) rain for two days.Ol' Bill looks pretty good.Everyone had a good time.I got a complete set of Bill Moran's catalogers (signed by Bill),and a few other goodies,at the auction.Kudos to Jay and Nancy Hendrickson for hosting and arranging the hammer-in.
 
I watched the weather for a few days...and made my final trip decision late Thursday night. The forecast was for 2 days of heavy rain...dropping some 3-7" by the time is was done. With this much rain, and knowing the facilities at the Alco site....I didn't think I could keep my machinery dry for the weekend and decided to stay in Ohio. Throughout the weekend I watched the radar for Frederick, and it looked liked you guys got what they were calling for.

How did it go? Did you still have the cutting comp, green coal, ..etc. Did everyone huddle under the pavillion? Was it a good turn-out?

Details please...
 
by all means do tell i found that $ is what stoped me form making way and heck i only had like 20 miles to drive there
i just couldnt see going the hole weekend and goin to just the knife show would have made me want to spend $ i dont have :grumpy:
wish i could have see some more faces from online here but it will have to wait till next time
ooo and any pictures would be cool
 
You Bet!!! The expense picture to attend the event looked awfully bleak as well. Fuel, food, hotels, registration fees...etc. The rain was the final nail in the coffin that kept me in the shop on Friday.
 
Last night I spoke to a friend who attended. He indicated that it was an excellent event, and that spending time listening to Bill Moran and visiting his shop was a really wonderful experience (I can only imagine).

The cutting competition was indeed held (won by Burt Foster - congratulations Burt!), but unfortunately, it will be the last officially sanctioned ABS cutting comp. Concerns about liability prompted the board to decide to cease the cutting competitions indefinitely.

As the rest of you, I'd love to hear some more reports and see some pictures. Wish I could've made it myself...
 
I am dissappointed in the end of the cutting contests being held. I have been in them for since about 98' and there has been no accidents during the contests. There was only one man to get seriously cut using a competition style blade and that was during the rope cut of his journeyman smith performance test.
Bill is supposed to be at the Piney Woods Hammer IN and I will be there.
 
Green coal went along all weekend,tarps held out the rain.Everything else was under the pavilion.It was cosy,but worked well.Jan Dubois is such a trooper,she just smiled and worked her (rather attractive) butt off.She does not get half the credit she deserves for all the work she does.While evacuating for hurricane Rita she loaded the ABS computer in her car first,and then went back for the family photos and heirlooms.All the demonstrators did a great job.Joe Szilaski's class on sculpture and carving was very good.Steve Dunn did a good presentation and instruction on engraving with the GRS system.The attendance was a bit down,and only one vendor came - The sambar stag Co.USA.
 
I managed to get there and had a great time despite the weather. Stacy's right about Jan. Kept a smile on the whole time and seemed to be everwhere making sure that things happened. The last thing I did before leaving was to thank her for all her hard work. That got an even bigger smile and a hug :D
I was camping out and the tent, a vererable old canvas Eureka which I leterally grew up in, hung in like a trooper despite high wind and constant rain. Fortunately the temp was mild or it could have really been miserable instead of just damp.
I caught a forging demo by Joe Keesler, Grinding by Joe Cordova, Sharpening with Bert Gaston, JS test knife criteria with Greg Nealy and BR Hughes, damascus and forging with Dr. Jim Batson, another forging demo with Joe Keesler, and then a carving class with Joe Szilaski.
There are about a dozen things I want to. I got a french hammer from Mr. Keesler to help with forging intergral gaurds. I managed to sell one of the three knives I brought as well as some wood for handle materials which actually allowed me to go out to dinner with Mace and Jeff and a bunch of folks. I am investing in a compresser and mini die grinder as soon as possible as I want to get into carving. I forged an intergal guard blade tonight and my second JS test blade. (I'm gonna bend a few myself before doing the real thing.)
Got to hang out with J Neilson, Mace, Pat and a bunch of people I really resptct and meet some new friends.All in all, a great weekend.
Ed
 
Although I didn't make it to the hammerin until just before the cutting contest friday and had to leave before the auction on saturday I had a great time. I for one will never pass up an opportunity to spend time with Mr. Moran. As others have said he looked good. I'm not sure what I was expecting but he looked as healthy this past weekend as he has in the three years I've known him.
I was able to compete in the cutting events for my fifth and apparently last time and like every other time had a blast. There were five events. The 2x4 cut. A new ping pong ball cut where the ball is rolled through an inclined tube and you have to cut it with in one foot or so of it exiting the tube. Slicing the print off a business card. A water bottle cut in which you could choose to cut between 1 and 5 bottles, you received 5 points for each bottle you cut if you make it through all you asked for, zero points for not making it through all. There was also a rope cut where you choose the number of ropes you were going to cut. Burt Foster, deservedly, won the event with 50 points. Defending champ Pat Curran came in second with 38 points. Daniel Winkler came in third with 36 points. All of this is from memory so don't quote me on names and points. I ended up with 30 points which put me in the middle of the pack. No one was disqualified for damage to their knives.
I only caught a few demos but was very impressed with the silver wire inlay class by Barney Barnes. I will be giving it a try in the near future. Everyone has mentioned the rain and deservidly so. It poured. Almost as bad as the rain was the wind, the combination of which made it difficult at times to hear the demonstrators.Like I said I wasn't there for the whole thing but if anyone has any questions I'll do my best to answer them.
 
This Moran hammer-in was truley a test to see if you could keep your $hit dry! More so if you were camping! :eek: I have to say in all my years of camping out this had to be the worst yet! :mad: Tarp kept comming down and at one point after lunch on friday we went over to the tents and found them upside down (like bowls)...The wind and rain sucked! :thumbdn:
But we still toughed it out! :thumbup: At one point I had a nice indoor pool in my tent of about three gallons....at least there was running water this year.....I just wish it wasnt in my tent!

The demos where great and so was the atmosphere and people...it would take a lot more crap to stop the ABS from having a great time.

I have to agree that Jan goes way above the call of duty...she must have been a happy face in another life :) ...(This one too)

Spent some time with some great friends every night..and looked foward to seeing them the next morning. I have come to find out that the benifit from these hammer ins is not what you learn, although this is a great reason to go, It's really about good friends comming together and then meeting new friends..........

I have to say that I have forged more friendships at hammer-ins than I have blades, and thats just darn good.
Rain be dammed!
Mace
 
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