BlacksmitHER Radio

This week I've got Larry Wood on the line from Ohio. Last month, in September one of the most coveted blacksmith conferences was held in Troy, Ohio, it's called the Quad State Round-up. It's known for its well-appointed venue that offers a large soft grass camping area, exceptional demonstration buildings, the largest number of tailgate tools sales in North America (I'm talking hundreds of pickups, row after row, selling new and old blacksmith tools that start 3 days before the conference even starts!), a spirited forging competition for all levels and an affordable ticket for the 3 day event, this year and past 5 or so years it has been $55. I went to my first Quad state 2 years ago, they had an international theme and flew in top demonstrators from Ireland, South Africa, and Germany. This year I was unable to attend because I was teaching a week-long sculpture class at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts in Arkansas. But I was sad to miss it because it was the 40th anniversary of the Quad State Round ups! The very first one was in 1977. So, let me give you a little background of how I know that and why I interviewed Larry Wood and 4 other gentlemen, who will be on the next episode. Brian Thompson, the president of the Southern Ohio Forge and Anvil blacksmith Club, AKA SOFA, contacted me to make a short documentary film for this year's 40th anniversary. I said sure, love to, and he gave me a few names of long-standing members of the association that was around for the first Quad State Round up and beyond! Larry Wood was one of the names suggested to contact and has been an integral part in starting SOFA and the Quad State Roundups. He is a blacksmith in Ohio and used to work at a company called PECO, Process Equipment Company, which was owned by Emmert Studebaker, yes, that Studebaker family! Emmert was fundamental in starting the SOFA blacksmith club, Quad State Round Up's back in the late '70's. In fact, he was one of the founders of ABANA in Lumpkin Georgia as well! Since Larry worked for Emmert and became close friends, he was right there alongside him helping build this incredible community of blacksmiths from all 4 states, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Indiana. By the way, you can see two of the short films I created for the conference in my YouTube channel for BlacksmitHer Radio, it's under my name, Victoria Patti.

What We Talked About

• Larry talks about the days when he worked at PECO and would go down to the blacksmith shop on the property with Emmert while they both practiced blacksmithing.
• Larry was very good friends with Emmert and he was asked to write and read a eulogy at Emmert's funeral. Larry reads it for us.
• How the name Quad State Round-up came to be.
• SOFA's workshops have been very productive, they've made several projects for the City of Troy such a bell hanger for the cast iron City bell tower and a floodgate.
• I asked Larry what were some of the challenges they had starting a club and conferences back then in the late 70's.
• In 1981, when SOFA was started, the membership dues were $6 per year!
• The first formal Quad State Round was in 1977 with Francis Whitaker, Dimitri Gerakaris, Eric Mobeous. There were 100 attendees with a $10 ticket.
• Emmert and Larry would decide who the demonstrators would be for the first few years and they also made all the food for the attendees. The first year they made 80 gallons of stew.
• Steve Roth has been another instrumental member that has put a lot of effort and time into organizing the Round-ups for the past 15 years.
• We talk about the best things that keep members coming back for more within the SOFA club and the conferences.

Guest Links

• SOFA website - https://sofablacksmiths.org/
• Victoria Patti's YouTube channel for Blacksmither Radio - https://www.youtube.com/user/MissSweetVP/feed

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This is the Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin. Where you will get the low-down, monthly, about upcoming classes and events that are happening in the following month, which will be November 2017 for this bulletin.

If you have an event or class you would like to submit, send an email to [email protected] and I will send you the details I need for the press release.

Pete Braspenninx is an artist blacksmith living in Cazenovia, Michigan and is the owner of Phyre Forge. He graduated from the University of Michigan School of Art and Design in 2004 with a focus in ceramics and jewelry. Since being exposed to the blacksmith craft 14 years ago he has focused on transforming line into a continuous form with meticulous traditional joinery. He has started a body of work called "Calculating Infinity" and there are 25 pieces in this body of work. We talk about the what, why and how he calculates infinity. We also talk about his upcoming demonstration at the 40th Quad State Round up in Troy, Ohio.

That leads me to today's sponsor, a big thank you goes out to SOFA and the Quad State Round Up Conference which started in 1977, 40 years ago. The dates of the conference are September 22 to the 24th at the Miami County Fairgrounds in Troy, Ohio.

The demonstrators are Peter Braspenninx, Michael Bendele, Joe Bonifas (those two cats attended the very first Quadstate in 1977 and have only missed one to this day), Kevin Cashen, Nathan Allen, Richard Sullivan and Benjamin Lockhart with Danielle Russel. I've been asked to create a short film about the Quad State history for the Opening Ceremony this year. Don't miss this year's event, it's a very special one with its 40th anniversary and I have a feeling the tailgate sales are going to be unbelievable this year. Please visit the website, www.sofablacksmiths.org to access the online registration form and other details.

What We Talked About

• Pete has been attending the SOFA Quad Round ups for the last 12 years and this year he will be a demonstrator on Friday night. He will forge one of his calculating infinity pieces.
• His body of work called "Calculating Infinity" is a technical assignment for himself. To be able to take one piece of stock and to create it into form.
• Through completing 25 pieces in the series, Pete says he has gained layout and precise measurement skills.
• While Pete was finishing his art degree at the University of Michigan he visited a local blacksmith's shop, Scott Lankton, and watched him demonstrate forging on a big Nazel power hammer. Pete was excited to learn more about the craft, so he got a job with another local smith working in the paint booth, and watching the forging that happened in the shop.
• Pete recalls his first Quad State Conference when Peter Ross gave a lock lecture and when he met Tom Clark.
• After college Pete worked in an ornamental fab shop for 12 years. They made railings and other architectural work.
• His 30' x 40' pole barn shop consists around a coal forge, anvil and one Little Giant 50 lb power hammer.
• Pete will be teaching a couple of classes this year, a hammer rack class at Wasatch Forge in Salt Lake City, Utah and possibly a class at the Center for Metal Arts in NY.

Guest Links

• Pete's Website - http://www.phyreforge.com/
• Instagram - @phyreforge

A Big Thank You to today's sponsor – SOFA Quad State Round Up, www.sofablacksmiths.org

Allen Rozon is a blacksmith who works out of Montreal Canada. Since initial exposure to blacksmithing through time spent learning the basics from Uri Hofi in New York state, Allen Rozon, was on a quest to spend time with highly respected teachers within the metal arts community. An early friendship formed that would guide many of Allen's steps taken over the years. Taro Asano, aka Fusataro, visited Canada early in his career as a licensed master sword smith from Japan. On that first visit, the two met at THAK Ironworks during his demonstration. An immediate kinship developed between Taro and Allen, which deepened over the years and eventually spawned Tamahagane Arts, swordsmithing classes that draw from Fusataro's formal apprenticeship and his 24 previous generations of swordsmiths.

What We Talked About

• Allen explains his business, Iron Den and how it is part of a nonprofit organization and physical shop called Les Forges de Montreal. This organization started 16 years ago offering finically accessible blacksmithing classes. Students can eventually become members of the organization and then have access to the forge at any time.
• Allen had artistic pursuits prior to blacksmithing, such as sculpting and painting. Then he learned about blacksmithing and took a two-week class with Uri Hofi and ended up staying and learning with him for a month.
• He saw a demonstration of a swordsmith from Japan, Taro Asana, in Canada and they quickly became friends. This led Allen to visit Japan many times, visiting Taro and learning about the Japanese apprenticeships for swordsmiths. Taro comes from the Kenifusa swordsmithing family (24 generations of swordsmiths) and his swordsmith name is "Fusataro".
• Allen and Fusataro started to talk about teaching swordsmithing classes in Canada, these talks continued for 2 to 3 years before Fusataro agreed to try the concept. The reason Fusataro was reluctant had to do with the Japanese tradition of apprenticeships for swordsmithing, teaching the craft outside of Japan and the apprenticeship structure is not really "allowed" or tolerated.
• Allen and Fusataro just recently offered a 10-day intensive Tamahagane Tanto class. Students could pick what kind of sword they wanted to make, choosing from 2 kilograms to 8 kilograms of tamahagane steel.
• We talk about the features of Tamahagane steel and how it is made in Japan.

Guest Links

• Iron Den website - https://ironden.ca/
• Iron Den's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/IronDenForge/?hc_ref=ARRnymP7N7Zh9zgp7cTEMGHfzFsQxVdyLaep0CUm9pQx-kC0O8mwXtxIQSz4mdO-PTI&fref=nf
• Les Forges de Montreal website - https://www.lesforgesdemontreal.org/
• Facebook page for Les Forges de Montreal - https://www.facebook.com/lesforgesdemontreal/

If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you would support the show by:

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• sharing this episode using the social sharing buttons below.
• subscribing to the show and leaving a rating and review in iTunes. Not sure how? Just follow these simple steps here or watch the short video tutorial, http://youtu.be/rq4OCyRGjHc?list=UUH3MfNZLXlKgionAs6kMT_Q
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Thanks so much for your support!

This is the Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin. Where you will get the low-down about upcoming current blacksmithing events happening around the world. The bulletins are released once a month and will announce events happening in the following month. If you have an event or class you would like to submit, send an email to [email protected] and I will send you the details I need for the press release.

OK, this is the September Buzz Bulletin, announcing events and classes happening in September 2017:

Today I have Bob Menard, owner of the Ball and Chain Forge, which is mainly a custom architectural blacksmith shop in Portland Maine. He has been in business since 1990. He is also the editor of the NEB's quarterly newsletter. Today we talk about his beginnings, production work, 180 lb plant hooks, what the ….and collaborative artwork projects. Bob also gives us some golden nuggets about business insurance for blacksmiths.

Today's episode sponsorship provided on behalf of New England Blacksmiths, the ABANA affiliate serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island. Check us out at http://www.newenglandblacksmiths.org/ In fact they have an event comping up called the Age of Iron at Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA it's happening the 1st weekend in August, 5th and 6th for the whole weekend. And here's an insider's tip for my listeners, any visitor that says they are there for the "Blacksmithing demonstrations", or for the "Age of Iron" will get the discounted group rate for admission to the village, this includes all exhibits, not just the Blacksmithing demo. For more details of this event go to their website www.hancockshakervillage.org For further details contact Cindy Dickinson at the village, she's the education director [email protected] or DM @HayBudden on Twitter or Instagram, Stephen Conner.

What We Talked About

• Bob grew up with horses as a child and was always fascinated with the farrier that came over to shoe the horses, mainly the fact that he could produce a fire on the back of his truck. Then in high school, as a sophomore, there was an Early American History class where Bob and 30 other students built a log cabin settlement on the school grounds. During the construction of this cabin, Bob volunteered to learn how to make some of the hardware needed by using the industrial arts department's anvil, a gas fired blast furnace and 2 books by Alex Bealer and Alex Weygers, The Complete Blacksmith.
• Bob started to sell his forged wares very soon after learning the trade, in fact, he sold the second piece he ever made to his high school's cafeteria manager. Bob continued to grow his business for 15 years and then discovered the New England Blacksmith's group and ABANA.
• Bob started selling trinkets at a local shop called "The Candle and Mug", he developed a line of pieces that were candle centric. Bob still has his notes from these early designs.
• In Bob's shop today, they are making custom architectural ironwork, such as gates, fencing, railings etc.
• Art fabrication is another lucrative income for his shop, this is when an artist comes to him with their sculpture design and hires them to fabricate it.
• Bob talks about business insurance for blacksmiths due to two recent blacksmith shop fires. He advises having your equipment properly insured for the value of it in today's dollars.
• Bob teaches a few classes through the NEB teaching facility and at other well-known craft schools, such as the Adirondack Folk School.
• Mokume Gane is another focused technique that Bob has been studying and is now teaching students.

Guest Links

• Bob Menard's business website - http://www.ballandchainforge.com
• Bob's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/MySmithx
• New England Blacksmiths website - newenglandblacksmiths.com

A Big Thank You to today's sponsor – New England Blacksmiths

If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you would support the show by:

• telling your friends.
• sharing this episode using the social sharing buttons below.
• subscribing to the show and leaving a rating and review in iTunes. Not sure how? Just follow these simple steps here or watch the short video tutorial, http://youtu.be/rq4OCyRGjHc?list=UUH3MfNZLXlKgionAs6kMT_Q
• subscribing to the show in Stitcher, http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=54499&refid=stpr

Thanks so much for your support!

Joseph Campbell is an architectural metal fabricator who owns Metal Inc and the Metal Collaborative Studio in Philadelphia, PA. You'll hear Joe talk about the Metal Collaborative membership, it's like a gym membership but to a metal studio outfitted with welding and blacksmithing equipment. It's an interesting business model that I wish would grow, giving competent blacksmiths or metal workers a place to be creative and collaborate with each other. He mentions what membership access gives you and how much it costs. Joe also talks about his own private and public commissions he has been getting through his metal working business.

But first I want to thank our sponsor today and that's Bob Menard of the Ball and Chain Forge in Portland, Maine. He's been making a tool that allows a blacksmith to increase the weight of their anvil by 30lbs and to make tools without the need for a large swage block with pass through holes, it's the BCF Anvil Block and he's been making them for 5 years in his forge in Maine.

It is a 30lb block of cast iron that has 2 square holes passing through, 1" and 1 3/8". The size is 3 1/2" wide x 6 1/2" long x 4" high, so it fits on top of the anvil face and firmly secures to any anvil size with a top bracket and chains.

The current price is $200 including shipping in the continental US. For more information contact Bob through email, [email protected].

Thanks Bob Menard and Ball and Chain Forge!

What We Talked About

• Joe talks about how his architectural metal business helps pays the bills for the Metal Collaborative studio membership. Also, how the collaborative nature of the studio lends its creativity to the architectural side of the business too.
• Joe, Ann Klicka, Nick Eyre's started a collaborative blacksmith community from a local prolific Artist blacksmith, Bob Phillips, after Phillip's passing away about 4 years ago. Most of the group disbanded and Joe wanted to continue his metal working business and the collaborative metal studio concept.
• Currently, there are about 6 members of the Collaborative studio. As of this recording, their rates for membership are varied: $400/month for full-time access and storage, part-time access and smaller storage space is $200/mo, and a day rate of $75.
• Residing in Philadelphia has its perks as a metal worker, such as seeing original works forged by Samuel Yellin.
• Joe has been inspired by some of Yellin's work and techniques, he submitted a design for a public city bike rack and incorporated one of Yellin's "lattice" slit and drift design aspects. The bike rack design was accepted by the City and he has yet to make it.
• Joe talks about insurance coverages and suggests that artists look through ABANA and NOMMA

Guest Links

Metal Inc website - http://www.metalincorporated.com/about-the-metal-collaborative/

A Big Thank You to today's sponsor – Bob Menard of the Ball and Chain Forge, http://www.ballandchainforge.com/tooling_1?_rdr

This is the Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin. Where you will get the low-down about upcoming current blacksmithing events happening around the world. The bulletins are released once a month and will announce events happening in the following month. If you have an event or class you would like to submit, send an email to [email protected] and I will send you the details I need for the press release.

OK, This is the June Buzz Bulletin, announcing events and classes happening in July 2017: