Hello all.  I started bladesmithing back in 1978.  Started smithing in 76 but was too young to produce any real work. 

By 78 though I was able to lay down accurate enough hammer blows that I started to forge some knives. 

Initially Ninpo Taijustu martial arts type tools (Kunai, Kyoketsu shoge, Senban Shurikens, etc, etc). 

About 1986-87 I was asked to forge a thumblatch and soon realized while I could forge a blade pretty easily I could not for the life of me forge hardware.  So started to devote my time to the blacksmithing sides of things.. 

About this same time I was approached by a friend of mine Everett Morris who asked if I'd be interested in forming a partnership of him selling the blades I produced and me being able to hang in the shop and just forge whatever blade came to mind.. 

I really was on the quest to learn real forging so had to decline the offer..  He had seen the writing on the wall and told me outright..  There is no money in hardware.. You could hang in the shop and I"ll sell everything you make..  LOL..   

I was young then just turning 18 and was bent on learning about moving or forging metal.. 

I spent nearly 10 years as a professional blacksmith specializing in hardware and all associated aspects of what would be thought of as a colonial blacksmith except 1..  That was farrier or horse shoeing..  So being young I decided I wanted to learn about shoeing horses to round out my " General Blacksmith title". 

So I served a 3 year apprenticeship..  I was still forging hardware on the side but this new fangled "Farrier trade" would be the death of the blacksmithing for me.   

I finished my 3 years and started to get head deep back into forging but at this point I had started shoeing a few horses on the side and it was easy money compared to all the prep, chatter and meetings associated with blacksmithing and wrought iron work.   This soon lead me to blacksmith burn out and quit the trade as a professional completely..  

Farrier work on the other hand was booming and my business was growing rapidly. 

I kept my foot on blacksmithing and bladesmithing as I was still involved with martial arts and was forging and giving lessons to my students on forging their own tools..   

What I did do, is I stopped forging anything for money and started giving lessons with education being the main goal.. 

I came back to blacksmithing and bladesmithing after going online and seeing what was out there for videos and being a trade smith and seeing lack luster content I started my own youtube channel based on subjects that interested me.. 

Over the next year I became involved with ABANA and the NEB and being completely unknown lead to a bunch of scandle because you can't have started smithing 40+ years ago and be unknown in major circles.. 

Anyhow thru some interesting series fo events I came full circle and now I am here on ABS having reached out to Nick Rossi to be my Mastersmith and he saying yes..  

While I prefer the old ways of hand work  the standards were different 100+ years ago.. Little wave to the blades and such now is out so finish work is where I spend the most time getting better at.. 

In the last few years I have dedicated myself to starting a metal working school to pass on what I've learned over the last 47yrs.  

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jyM4Kk6ATqEc4sVE8