Bituminous Bits ~ Journal of the Alabama Forge Council JAN/FEB 2018 ISSUE Bill Burke Demonstrating ~ Damascus Steel 30th Annual Batson I have been making knives since 1998, received Ms stamp in 2008. I make most kinds of cutlery using Bladesmithing Symposium carbon steel and my own Damascus. & Knife Show Celebration On April 6-8, 2018 At Tannehill Ironworks at Exit 100 off I-20, 11 miles west of Bessemer, AL Demonstrators Dinner on Thursday Evening is Free to Everyone Registration Fee is $75 to AFC Members & $100 for others includes one-year membership fee in AFC Demonstrators Bill Burke……..Damascus Steel Rick Dunkerley……........Liner Locks James Crowell...Forging, Grinding & Heat Treat James Batson….Heat Treating Extravaganza Joe Keeslar………..…...Handles & Guards Lin Rhea....................Skeleton knives Mickey Wise….Rendezvous Knives Butch Sheely………Hawk Forging Bill Wiggins…...Handle Shaping Billy Ray Hughes...Judging Billy Bates…...Engraving Colonel Tim Ryan….Auction Mel Pardue…………. Automatics Kenny Rowe………Leather Sheathes Tommy McNabb...Inlays & Silver Sheathes Mark Haddix …….….……..…Youth Hands-on Neil Faulkenberry…..…………Adult Hands-on There will be a charge of $10 per 2-hour class for Hands-on Forging Knife Show Fee & Tannehill State Park Fee are included in Registration Send your name, address & phone number with registration fee & if you plan to attend dinner To: Judd Clem 111 Yorkshire Dr, Athens, AL 35613 or contact by phone 256/232-2645 or by e-mail, [email protected] Bring items for Auction, Tail Gate Sales & Knives for Knife Show & Heat Treating 13 Bituminous Bits ~ Journal of the Alabama Forge Council JAN/FEB 2018 ISSUE Rick Dunkerly Jim Crowell Demonstrating ~ Liner Locks Demonstrating ~ Forging, Grinding & Heat Treating I started making knives in 1983 and made stock James Crowell began making knives in Mt. View, AR in removal knives until 1990. Started forging my knives then 1980 and is a past Ozark Folk Center, State Park, Resident and passed my ABS Master Smith test in 1997. In 2006 I was Blacksmith and Knife maker. He earned the distinction of awarded the “Maestro” rating by the Italian Knife Maker Master Bladesmith from the American Bladesmith Society Guild. In 2014, I was inducted into the Montana Circle of in 1986 and was certified as the first, non founding father, American Masters by the Montana Arts Council. In 2016, I Instructor for the American Bladesmith Society (ABS) that was voted in as a member of the Art Knife Invitational. same year. My focus is on Damascus steel folding knives although I do Jim is a long time faculty member of The Bill Moran School produce a few fixed blade knives each year. My knives have of Bladesmithing at Texarkana College and teaches all over won over 25 national and international awards. I’ve also the country at seminars and “Hammer-Ins”. His flawless taught Damascus steel and folding knives both in the US and work, regarded by many as among the best hand forged knives Italy. produced, has appeared in every trade publication and is in collections throughout the world. He has won many awards including the first American Bladesmith Society Bill Moran Knife of the Year, the Blade Magazine Best Forged Knife and was the winner of numerous American Bladesmith Society Cutting Competitions. Jim won the first World Championship ABS cutting competition in 2003 at the Blade Super Show in Atlanta Georgia. 14 Bituminous Bits ~ Journal of the Alabama Forge Council JAN/FEB 2018 ISSUE Jim Batson Joe Keeslar Demonstrating ~ Heat Treating Demonstrating ~ Handles and Guards Jim Batson learned to Forge and heat treat blades from After a stint in the United States Marine Corps, Joe completed Elmer Sybold in Mineral Wells, Texas in November of 1976. his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Arts Education at Made Damascus steel with Daryl Meier in 1978 and joined Murray State University with majors in Wood and Metal. He the ABS in 1981. Became a Master Bladesmith in1993. then taught Industrial Arts at Murray High School for the next Started the Alabama Forge Council with Gavin Harris and twenty-three years, retiring in 1993. John Beckworth in about 1985. Started inviting Nationally known bladesmiths to the Batson Bladesmithing Symposium Joe’s love of crafts began at a very young age. He tooled at his forge in Madison, Alabama 30 years ago. Jim moved the leather as a teenager, made his first knife in 1962 and built his event to Tannehill State Park for the 8th Annual Batson first Dixie Gun Works kit long rifle in 1964. Active in black Bladesmithing Symposium. powder buck skinning, he built Pennsylvania flintlock rifles, pistols, fowling pieces and accessories. Inspired by Bill Moran, Joe began making Damascus in the mid-seventies. In the early 1980’s he attended an ABS Ham- mer-In at Washington, Arkansas. He immediately joined the ABS, due to its focus on education, and promptly switched from rifle-making to knife making. Joe received his Journeyman Smith rating in 1987 and Master Smith rating in 1989. He has been a frequent Instructor at the William F. Moran Jr. School of Bladesmithing, Haywood College and New England School of Metalwork. His work appears regularly in important knife related publications and on the internet. He received BLADE Magazine’s Industry Achievement Award in June 2013 and an Aldo and Edda Lorenzi Award in June 2015. Joe has authored three very successful books: “Handles and Guards,” “Forging and Finishing the Brut de Forge Knife” and “Making Leather Knife Sheaths.” He served on the Board of Directors of the ABS from 1991 – 2015 twice as Chairman (2003-2007 and 2013-2015). In 2011 was named to the American Bladesmith Society Hall of Fame. The ABS twice recognized his exceptional service with the Don Hastings Award. In 2015 he was honored with the Paul Burke Lifetime Achievement Award. Since retirement from teaching, Joe has added a French connection to his resume. He with wife Suzanne exhibited at the Thiers Knife Show from 1995-2017 and have become acquainted with a number of fine French and European knife makers. Since 2000 Joe has been instrumental in the creation of an ABS bladesmithing school at Ostiches, Belgium, as well as the addition of several European Journeyman Smiths and Master Smiths to the ABS rosters. Maker- Joe Keeslar image by SharpByCoop Maker- Joe Keeslar image by SharpByCoop 15 Bituminous Bits ~ Journal of the Alabama Forge Council JAN/FEB 2018 ISSUE Lin Rhea Mickey Wise Demonstrating ~ Skeleton knives Demonstrating ~ Rendezvous Knives I’m Lin Rhea. I’m a member of the American Bladesmith Unfortunately Mickey did not have any photos of his work Society rated as Mastersmith. I’m currently working as the by the time we published this but we do have a couple of historic blacksmith for the Historic Arkansas Museum in still photos of him demonstrating at the 2014 Batson Blade Little Rock, Arkansas. I study the old blacksmithing Symposium. Alabama Forge Council has a video of Mickey techniques used by past masters and try to enlist these in Wise’s demo and Steve Dunn’s demo (in the same DVD set) my knife making today. I share as much as I can by way of for sale. The 2 DVD set is $10. and its contents are listed as videos, photos, and social media. I’m privileged to be allowed “handles, guards and blade making”. Contact AFC Treasurer, to instruct knife making classes at various locations around the Judd Clem to purchase the video. [email protected] country. This has allowed me to make lifelong friends as well as help form a network of creative thinking which I hope will Mickey lives in Alabama and has a long time connection to continue to thrive. the Batson Blade Symposium. Mr. Wise will be demonstrating Rendezvous knives. The X Rhea Bowie. Photo by Lin Rhea. 16 Bituminous Bits ~ Journal of the Alabama Forge Council JAN/FEB 2018 ISSUE Butch Sheely Bill Wiggins Demonstrating ~ Hawk Forging Demonstrating ~ Handle shaping I started bladesmithing and blacksmithing in 1982, after Growing up in a family of hunters and outdoorsman I getting involved in historic re-enacting. For the next twenty have always been interested in knives. With custom knives, plus years I forged knives, tomahawks and various other I started as a collector. While visiting a local maker became items, mostly for re-enactors. Ten years ago I started interested in making my own knives. As a stock removal bladesmithing and blacksmithing full time. I take great pride maker, I was at The Blade Show where I saw Bill Moran and in making the best knives and tomahawks that I can, starting Jay Hendrickson doing a forging demonstration. I walked with forging, grinding, and heat treating and including the straight back into the show and bought my first forge. hand sewn leather sheaths. I have always enjoyed traditional After making the decision to become a bladesmith, I enrolled style knives, axes and hawks. I believe this goes back to how I at The Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing. I have taken got started in re-enacting. both the Intro and Damascus courses. In 2006, I earned my JS rating and I am currently working toward my MS rating. I joined the American Bladesmith Society in 2005, after I am lucky to live in Western North Carolina with my attending a number of ABS hammer-ins in Michigan and wonderful wife and three great kids. They have all been very Ohio. In 2009 I was awarded my Journeyman rating from supportive of my knife making and ABS projects. I have been the ABS. My long term goal is to achieve the Master Smith fortunate enough to work with the ABS and the Haywood rating.