Ashokan trip

Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
So,
I'm back. I got back late last night and spent some time with my wife and family last night and this morning. We had a wonderful time as usual, and the time went by soooo fast. I almost this event could be a full week rather than just a weekend. The smelt that Tim and Kevin did was very cool and also very productive, almost a 6 lb bloom. The tamashagiri (test cutting with mats) was really awesome.
The real prize for me was Peter Johnson, his lecture style was very interesting and engaging, but it was the material he presented that really blew me away. I could listen to him for weeks. I have held some historical swords and now I have a much deeper understanding for the design elements present that made them truely excellent weapons. The next time I make a sword I will really have my work cut out, because i won't be able to make one without taking the material he presented into consideration. I also got to meet Jon Arthur Loose, someone whose work I have admired for years, It was cool for him to, because he said the same thing about me.
I will be catching up on my backlog of pm's today.
Thanks,
Del
 
So i'm reading this and I think "6 pounds of smelt is a lot of fish, and how do you 'bloom' them?"
:cheffry:
 
you let them sit in the sun on a warm day




Smelting is the process of turning the ore into steel and the bloom is the resulting steel.
Del
 
That seminar sounds like one of the most mind-blowing events nobody knows about. Don't let the press in, one segment on TV, there'd be 20,000 people next year!
 
John,
Thats exactly it! I have been going for 18 years, and there is something there that blows my mind every year. I have lectured there 2 years myself, but I still remember how it was the first year. It took me almost a year to really assimilate and put into practice most everything from that first year. The things that Peter put into my head are almost that mindblowing by themselves.
Anybody want to commision a sword? :viking: :knight:

Del
 
Hi Del, sounds like you had a good time again this year even with being sleep deprived from attending the overnight smelting that I know you did. I'm sure sad and sorry that I missed out but I'm vowing to make it from now on.
 
Sounds like an awesome trip! I'd commission the sword if I were independently wealthy, but alas, that is not the case. Time to start playing the lottery, I guess....
 
Back
Top