Week of April 19-25
4/19/25
Lucy and Kristi were in today to keep working on the hummingbird! Definitely a Guinea Pig Club project! Last week we made the wings and a plan. This week we did the first one. We have tweaks in mind for the next one, but it worked out pretty well! And its always fun to experiment!!
4/20/25
Really fun class today with Brandon and Matt! They've both done a little blacksmithing before, but came in to get a refresher on the basic skills by making an "S" hook. They both did great, and we will definitely be seeing more of them!
4/23/25
Really fun group from Pfizer this morning! They came to Kalamazoo from all over the US and Canada for their team meeting. What better teambuilding activity than Railroad Spike Knifemaking! Really fun morning with them, and a great way to start the day!
4/23/25
And we end the day with Stryker Teambuilding! Lots of irons in the fire! A group from all around the world in Kalamazoo this week. We did hooks this time, so they wouldn't have to worry about getting knives back home. But we also did a little bonus. The team member arranging the class asked if i could make a brand of the Stryker logo, to use on wood. So they have an extra souvenir. Fun group to spend the evening with.
4/24/25
Big day in the forge today! Three of the Level 2 Homeschool students have finished their swords! Everyone started with a piece of 5160 spring steel. I love how they all went with different styles that really reflect their personalities. You can definitely see all the skills they've learned and practiced since starting in the forge 2 years ago. Very proud of them! Well done!!
4/24/25
JJ was back to finish her dagger! It is inspired by a sword from D&D. It's a beautiful damascus pattern, brass guard, and a "toasted" (burned) wood and brass stacked handle. It was a challenge at times, but it turned out great!
4/25/25
Rich is spending the weekend at the forge! He's from Ohio, and contacted me a few months ago wanting to arrange a knifemaking trip. So he is spending a few days in Kalamazoo taking classes with me. Today was the billet knife. He has taken classes with a couple other instructors in Ohio, but likes to learn from multiple people. Some ways we teach were similar to the others, and some ways were different and seemed to help him improve his skills. He did great though. Tomorrow we are working on damascus, something he's never made before. Should be fun!
