Julious,

Glad you are learning and enjoying the class!! It's always fun to watch intro classes progress. I heard that Bill Moran said it normally took 3 days for students to really start getting the hang of forging. I'd have to agree. I saw a great deal of improvement in everyone yesterday!! It is a very satisfying process to design, then forge and grind the knife you designed, and have it perform!! Hope to be able to visit more next week. This dang paving job I have...lol

Bill

Julious please keep up the posting. Like Lin said it brings it back. Those first few days were tough but fun. It is good to see the class through someone elses eyes. I look forward to reading more.

Brion

A little late, but here are my impressions from day 5 (this past Friday):

Hands didn't really bother me at all. A little stiff. 1 blister still a little sensitive.

Muscles no longer sore. 1 week seemed to really condition me a lot for forging.

I got to grind one of my bowies. Managed to get it to heat treat stage. Jason Knight heat treated for me. Just rough ground to a 120 grit finish at this point. I think the blade has some serious potential to be finished out nicely.

Jason took us on a little field trip to Kayne and Son's AKA Bladesmith Depot. This was a huge benefit to all of us students. I purchased 4 hammers, 3 pair of tongs, kevlar gloves, and a 275 Pedinghaus anvil. I don't yet have a forge. I plan to pick up Chile forge Habanero when times permits. They are made in Texas, and I live in the Dallas area. With my schedule, it will be a few weeks before I get a chance to go get it. I can barely wait. This class has me keyed up and ready go get forging.

I really do hope to have some viable blades to finish up in my own shop. My shop is pretty well equipped for stock removal.

My forging ability is very much that of a beginner. It is improving rapidly though thanks to the great instructions I am receiving. I highly recommend this class to anyone that wants to forge knives. The cost is nothing when compared to the benefits.

Day 6 begins on Monday.

I'm really enjoying reading your thoughts on the class. I took one from Ed Caffrey a little while back and shared many of the same feelings you are expressing. It really is amazing how much you can learn in a short time with a great teacher. Totally worth the time and money to help flatten the learning curve. Looking forward to hearing how the second week goes. And I vote for pictures of whatever you have going on <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />.

Jeremy

Jeremy,

You can friend me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/griffithknives I have been posting pictures there.

Day 6:

Jim Rodebaugh has replaced Jason Knight for this week. Jim is a really thorough teacher. I feel like I have definitely learned a lot today (I have learned a lot every day so far in this class). Did forge a blade for the performance test at the end of the week. Some aspects of my forging improved since Saturday. Some areas may have regressed since then. Its a learning curve. I am a much better forger than last Monday. Notice I said forger and not bladesmith. Don't feel I am good enough yet to earn the title bladesmith.

Extremely tired tonight. Hands and muscles are in pretty good shape though. Feeling very good about taking the class. Realizing that I have barely scratched the surface of what there is to know about bladesmithing. Eager to learn much much more. Know I am in the right place to begin that process.

(edited for accuracy)

Days 7 - 10 and final impressions.

Class ended yesterday. I am very tired. Driving back to Dallas this weekend.

Days 7 - 10 were mostly refining learned skills, grinding blades, and heat treating. Day 10 was the cutting and strength test for our knives. All students passed. My blade was sharper than I have ever previously made. It cut the 2x4 like a very sharp axe, it remained so sharp that hair popped from my arm. The blade cut through the rope and bent beyond 90 degrees with zero visible damage (other than it was bent). No cracking or chipping of any kind.

The class cost $850 (its going up) plus my travel expenses. The cost was the smallest part of the over all expense. Cost to benefit should always be weighed when considering any expense. For me the benefits far outweighed the expense. I love knives. I want to make the best knives possible. I want to further that cause by learning from the best. If this sounds like you, then you should absolutely take this course. It is a lot to learn in 2 weeks. Taking the class will not make you a master knifemaker. It will advance your skill level from where you began, if you put into it fully. Because I have the resources, I may consider taking the class again. I feel I benefited from it that much. Plus it was a lot of fun.

Julious, thank you for insight on the class. I enjoyed following along. Just curious, is there any thing you would change? Or like to see?

Brion

Good questions Brion.

|quoted:

Julious, thank you for insight on the class. I enjoyed following along. Just curious, is there any thing you would change? Or like to see?

Brion

Sorry it has taken me a while to respond. Yesterday was first full day back home. Needed to decompress after driving all day on Saturday.

I hesitate to offer suggestions for improvements. I don't want to be critical of what I feel like was an amazing experience. Also, my ideas for improvements may vary vastly from those of the other students. That said I will try.

Handouts for the students. 1 set at the beginning of the class. A different set for students to take home with them. The first set being a primer of what they as students need to know to get the most of the class, and a basic syllabus/timeline for what they are about to learn. The second set being a summary of what was learned, helpful hints, glossary of forging and knife making terms, valuable suppliers and other resources.

Another improvement could be in the school itself. Not the facilities, but the way the school itself interacts with it's students. Haywood Community College never acknowledged my enrollment via e-mail or mail. Another community college I have registered for a knifemaking class with; has sent me a receipt, information on where to go at the school on the first day, a list of recommended items to bring (including safety equipment), and a list of recommended hotels in the area. Of course to the student, this information would be just as valuable coming directly from the ABS as from the school. So long as they received it.

As previously stated, the class was an amazing experience. The quality of the instructors was top notch. The level of instruction was a well. Bill Wiggins went beyond the call of duty as well, to make the class even better by coming by and helping out when he could.

The class was excellent and well worth every cent.

and a list of recommended hotels in the area. Of course to the student, this information would be just as valuable coming directly from the ABS as from the school.

Julious

I am glad that you enjoyed your class and learned a lot. You certainly had some outstanding instructors and Haywood is an excellent facility.

I do have the hotel and accommodation information for each ABS school including Haywood Community College listed on the ABS Website. The information for Haywood is at, Click: Haywood CC Accommodations

Also check my reply post to you on May 2nd before your class started when I saw your question about hotels near Haywood on the ABS Forum and gave you the information, click: hotel question reply post

By the way, where did you stay while attending the class and how were the accommodations?

Thanks for the write up! I know I enjoyed the class when I took it in Old Washington and it is nice to here other's experiences as well.