Great Smoky Mountain Hammer In 2015...more pictures

[tippit]

Just got home last night, this was probably the best Hammer In I've attended. The cast of demonstrators was incredible...Joe Keeslar, Kevin Cashin, Gregg Neely, Burt Foster, Jason Knight, Daniel Warren, Jim Rodenbaugh, Bill Wiggins, Ken Hall, Chris Williams, Butch Sheely, Scott McGee, Mike Christenson and more!!  Besides motel and meals the weekend was $65...well that is if you didn't purchase all the supplies you needed from Pops Knife Supply, Steel from Aldo, or pick up something cool from the auction    

This year they even had a few limited number attendance extra pay courses...

1) Hands-on Grinding class of 6 with Daniel Warren for $20...for two hours with one of the best Mastersmiths in the country.  you got to grind out two ends of a piece of mild steel into a blade shape with Daniel looking over your shoulder! I hear guys here on Trad Gang asking what can I do to improve my grinding         Best advise attend a ABS Hammer IN...you'll cut years off the learning curve.

2) Forge building class with all the supplies to make a forge & venturi burner for $125 with Chris Williams

3) Sheath making class with Ken Hall for $30 to make your own sheath.

Another plus, I got to spend some time with Joe Keeslar and Jim Rodenbough talking traditional bowhunting.  To top it all off, by attending this annual hammer in for the past four years, most of these smiths have become good friends.

A couple of a hundred pictures I took this weekend...

The Man & his Hammer (10 pounds worth)....Joe Keeslar @ 74 years young!!!  He is the most efficient blacksmith I've ever seen.  If you've never seen him forge, That needs to be on your bucket list...tippit

Brut-de-Forge to shape with amazingly few hammer blows...

     

The Hammer...

   

The Man...  

   

[Lin Rhea]

Thanks sharing Jeff.      

I am one of the many that have been helped to forge by Joe. He was my very first instructor.

The list of teachers and smiths you listed is pretty amazing.

[Steve Nuckels]

Jeff, I wish I could have attended, a great cast of smiths.  And a great venue.

Regards
Steve
-------
Potomac Forge
Member, W.F. Moran Museum & Foundation
ABS AP

[kbaknife]

Yep - that is a great line-up of varied talent there.
If a person didn't leave without learning something - they weren't paying attention.

[tippit]

Joe took me to the green coal forges one on one at my first GSM hammer in to show me how he forged the Brut de Forge.  I've seen him forge it two more times.  Each time I've picked up something new.  This time was of great interest because he demonstrated how to tweak a flare gone array.  There is so much to learn!

[Doug Campbell]

Sure sounds like it was a good one Jeff, wish I could have made it again. Thanks for the report buddy. We're back home from HI and back to the "grindstone" literally...  

[tippit]

For those of you that are thinking about your Master's test or like the rest of us that just want to soak up as much knowledge as possible, this years GSM hammer in featured Kevin Cashin forging his dagger.  That was so cool to see how he did it...tippit

   

   

   

   

   

[LC]

Wow looks like a great time! I'm gona be stupid where exactly is this at and is it the same time every year? Thanks

[tippit]

Haywood College in Clyde, NC near Ashville, NC.  Check out ABS knife maker society.  They have other hammer ins across the country.

[Steve Nuckels]

Wow, talk about forging to shape!  That is incredible!

Steve
--------
Potomac Forge
Member, W.F. Moran Museum & Foundation