Hammer-In ...October in Knoxville

[hso]

Bowie's Hammer-In is coming up Oct. 10-12 in Knoxville.

It is a remarkable learning experience for anyone interested in knives. I can't make up my mind if the enthusiast benefits more than the smiths participating/attending or not since learning more about how the craft is done always creates a deep and greater appreciation of what the smith creates.

Any maker, or would be maker, would benefit greatly since so much is in one place at one brief time to take advantage of. Such opportunities to improve knowledge and skill, and the resulting blades, don't occur every week of the year (and FREE)!

Anyone that wants to come to Knoxville and camp at my place and spend the time at Bowie's is welcome.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Go and have fun.

 

[hrsaylor]

I can't go but any chance you could post some pictures of the knives that are being done.I can't make a knife but I sure do enjoy looking at a fine handmade blade.

 

[hso]

12 day clock on this to Oct. 10.

Anyone wanting to come down can camp at Ron's or my place.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Would love to, but have to be back in eastern NC to see my GP and for a couple of other appointments then.

Rats...

 

[hso]

The fun starts on Friday so don't expect to see much from me until next week.

The demonstrators for Bowie’s Hammer-in for 2014 confirmed at this time are: Wayne Coe Ribbon Burner Forge, How to build one. Also information on Pyrometers. Jimmy Hyde or Wayne Coe Welding in the Ribbon Burner Forge without Flux. Ray Kirk integral. Lynn Landrum forging and heat treat. Alan Longmire will make a Spike axe. Bill Wiggins forge welding 2 stainless around a carbon steel core. Dr. Jim Batson discussing Clyde Fisher knives. Stephen Fowler doing a Forge Finished Knife. Jesus Hernandez doing hamon including a clay quenching demo. AND others!

 

[hso]

2918 Ellistown Road

Look for the cars parked in the field and listen for the roar of the forge.

 

[hso]

Richard Smith forging small primative hand knife.

Richard first offset forged the billet to resemble an edge rat tail and then forged that into a tight coil back onto the billet. The billet was heated and then cut on the hardie cutter and reheated and forged to push out and thin the blade. The final forged piece has a coiled integral grip and a wedge shaped blade.

Ray Kirk integral ToT forging from round stock to produce a round bolster intergral. He also has a belt cutter tool in with CRKT called the K.E.R.T I'll post about when I carry it a few days.

 

[hso]

Lynn Landrum forging a drop point full tang with fuller

 

[hso]

Alan Longmire forging a spike ax (I was corrected when I said spike hawk and found a hawk's pol is an obstruction to cutting as a tool while a spike ax is much smaller with a smooth non protruding pol). This involves a very complex process of forging a mild steel billet into the shape to fold around the pol (with langets) to fit the tool steel cutting piece in the ax face and then forge welding the entire thing to make a single integrated piece.


Stephen Fowler forging a Japanese Chief's knife. THIN!!!

Example below.

 

[hso]

Jesus Hernandez explaining controls for the hamon.

Here's an example of Jesus's work.

 

[hso]

A bit more Sunday as things wind down. We start again around 0900 and may go to 3pm.

 

[hso]

Last day, so if you want the opportunity to see some remarkable smiths and their knives hurry on down.

 

[Armored farmer]

Man, I wish I could have soaked up a bit of the knowledge swirling around that place.

 

[hso]

I had to bug out for my Sifu's birthday party at noon, but we had a brilliant leather sheath making presentation early followed by a great Bowie knife history presentation with examples of the very earliest real Bowies (real Bowies, not the steel oar with a bite taken out of it most people think of).

It looked like Jesus Hernandez was going to make another presentation and Wayne Cole had something cooking.

 

[hso]

Engraver Damon Soileau had some remarkable pieces he's embellished (yes, that is 24kt gold inlaid into mother of pearl).