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Classes At My Studio

In 2013, my wife and I hosted our first visiting instructor, Ford Hallam, for an intensive month long class on the fundamentals of classical Japanese metalworking. The studio turned into a practical classroom, and our home nearby turned into a bed and breakfast. Since that time we’ve hosted more than 20 classes here, and we have discovered that we are able to put together a truly unique experience for our students.

Most recently, we have welcomed Peter Johnsson over from Sweden to teach several classes on the construction of arming swords, longswords, Celtic swords, and sword scabbards.

We look forward to welcoming new instructors and new students in the future. Stay tuned for information on upcoming classes.

— I built this Type XV/XVIII arming sword under Peter Johnsson’s guidance during his first class, in January 2018.

The American Bladesmith Society

I learned about the ABS on my first day of Bladesmithing 101 with JD Smith. JD is an ABS Master Smith – one of fewer than 200 – and he explained that the ABS was founded in the 1970’s to build and educate a community of modern bladesmiths.

Today the ABS boasts a membership that numbers in the thousands and spans the globe, and it runs hands-on educational programs in seven schools around the country. The ABS forum is a gold mine of information for bladesmiths of all levels.

When a new bladesmith joins the ABS, he is considered an Apprentice. After a minimum of two or three years learning the basics, an Apprentice may take the test to become a Journeyman Smith. I earned my own JS in 2012. Here is a link to a video of my JS performance test. After a few more years, a JS becomes eligible to test for Master Smith.