Alabama Forge Council Bladesmithing Symposium
Part 1: The Symposium Events

by Adrian Ko

Once a year, North America's bladesmiths converge in the heartland of America at the Alabama Forge Council's (AFC) annual Bladesmithing Symposium, referred to affectionately and informally as "Batson's Hammer-In". The hammer-in was conceived by bladesmith Dr. Jim Batson - an accomplished knifemaker himself - who thought it would be a wonderful way for people to learn about bladesmithing. It had its humble beginnings in his backyard in Madison, Alabama where bladesmiths were invited to come and demonstrate. It grew steadily over the years and the best smiths in the country have come to share their time and knowledge. This year was the eleventh symposium in a continuance of a tradition looked forward to by the industry's leading bladesmiths.

Says master bladesmith Don Fogg, "Jim wanted to hold it in the spring so it would energize everyone and shake off the winter doldrums." The event is a rich blend of various mini-seminars, showcases in a warm and friendly environment conducive to the sharing of knowledge, ideas, experiences and excitement. This year's seminars covered a variety of topics: folders, scrimshaw, carving, grinding, blade forging, wire inlay, filework and simple engraving.

The event was held at Tanehill State Park in McCalla, Alabama, which provided not only camping grounds but various facilities amid a beautiful wooded area. The temperature was most comfortable and particularly conducive towards the forging classes which involved several outdoor coal forges.

The special guest this year was Michael Bell - a swordsmith from Oregon and one of the premiere smiths working today, trained in the Japanese tradition by five-year apprenticeship under Master Swordmaker Nakajima Muneyoshi in 1970. For many of the participants - mainly knife-makers - this was their first hands-on exposure to forging and mounting of a full-length katana blade.

Michael brought the participants through a step-by-step process of creating the billet, forging the blade to shape, clay tempering, and heat treating, and covered other areas such as handle wood carving and handle silk wrapping.

When attempting to describe Batson's from a purely academic standpoint, it is difficult because the event is supercharged with fun and informality. For many bladesmiths it is not only a vastly educational experience but the renewing of old acquaintances, the sharing of fond stories (or chancing a swig of someone's moonshine or bathtub beer) that makes Batson's an event more difficult to leave than to get there.

(By no means is this a comprehensive report of each of the events comprising the Symposium. I, as other human beings, fall prey to not being able to find the Park, not being able to interpret an Alabama accent for the first time for directions - and I'll admit: I'm not a morning person!)

Forging Class

The interesting thing about the forging class is that it's not a class. It was open, being a come-and-go-as-you-please function. Centrally located within the immediate grounds at Tannehill State Park, it comprised a tent with several open-air coal forges, anvils and hammers, and a nearby supply of various bar-stock steels. This gave people the opportunity to learn new techniques, refine their own skills, or to forge something out of the spirit of the moment - or even to forge something if they had nothing else to do!

The class was staffed by appointed helpers who were experienced smiths available to help those newer to forging (as some blade makers use stock removal - or "grinding"). The photo shown above is Howard Clark forging a large tanto in the hira-zukuri style - one that is of a "V" section with no ridges, the most common style for historical Japanese tanto. As a result of forging this, he quickly drew a crowd. The bar of damascus was a product of AISI 1095 and 1050 which I had obtained from Dean Piesner in Canada. Howard had graciously offered to help but ended up taking over the entire project, leaving me to photograph him as he pounded the orange-hot steel.

Due to the heat of the forge, Howard removed his shirt. Some grinned. "So what now, Howard," asked one of the spectators. "Are we all going to forge in the nude?" One participant's wife turned around in embarrassment. I offered Howard to take in his tummy and make it look trimmer for my final article, using Adobe Photoshop. "Nope! What you see is what you get!" Howard quipped.

Damascus Class

Daryl Meier's lecture on damascus steel was of great benefit to many bladesmiths ranging from those eager to break orbit from the use of mere plain carbon steel to those seeking a means to achieve more advanced, elegant and organic patterns.

Here they were able to glean from the time-earned wisdom of the one they hold in high regard as the father of modern pattern-welded "damascus" steel who himself shares from his over twenty-five years experience. For many, this was a privilege and a once- in-a-year opportunity to meet Daryl in person.

Participants were exposed to methods used to create complex patterns in steel (see photo, right). This billet in particular consists of four pieces each possessing four layers of alternating 1050 and 1095,

It was refreshing to see female participants. Some women were part of husband-and-wife teams where the wife forged damascus and her husband fashioned knives.

Daryl Meier's presentation began with "How to Make a Radial Pattern" (illustrated by the photo, right) followed by a Questions and Answers session on damascus steel in general where participants were able to gain insight on overcoming the various challenges of different welding patterns.

The radial pattern, as Daryl Meier explained, comprises 16 layers (four pieces consisting of four layers each). "The radial pattern can have as many layers as desired, but in this case, after the billet is welded it will be forged down to about 3/8" square. The 3/8" square rod will be cut into 6" pieces, and those pieces will be stacked into a 5 x 5 matrix (25 of the 6" pieces) and then welded again to become the "Calico Rose" pattern."

Daryl further shared how he had made number of the radial billets with 16, 24, or 32 layers and forged them down to to a 1 inch octagon (see photo left). Slices (crossways) from these bars were used as bolsters and pommels on knives and swords.

The Show

The show began after lunch (I've never eaten so many hot dogs in my life!) with the presentation of a very special award to a very special person: Daryl Meier. Daryl was awarded for his magnificent contributions to the bladesmithing industry with his pioneering research and work in pattern-welded steels.

The Alex Bealer Award was given by ABANA (Artists Blacksmiths Association of North America) and is presented to people who have made a significant contribution to the field of blacksmithing (sharing knowledge/promoting the craft).

Daryl Meier's steel is often the material many use for their damascus knives and swords. His teachings have both directly and indirectly enriched the creativity of bladesmiths around the world. This day, this unsung hero was recognized by the Alabama Forge Council (the AFC is a chapter of ABANA) for making his silent mark on bladesmithing history. His commitment over the past 25 years has opened the door for many smiths to understand modern damascus and to pioneer patterns - as well as recreate ancient ones - on their own. Many smiths can only hope to experience a fraction of what Daryl Meier lives out every day.

The show was a picnic of artistry of the participating knife makers and bladesmiths. Predominantly the smiths carried pattern-welded knives - some simple, some complex. The noteworthy swordsmiths were Michael Bell and Howard Clark.

Memorable Moments

I won't forget meeting Steve Schwarzer for the first time. Steve was one of the first thirteen original ABS Master Bladesmiths who were given their certifications signed by Bill Moran himself - the father of the modern bladesmithing industry. He attacked this writer with his novelty hill-billy false teeth, widening his eyes, and drooled. "Lez find us sum wimen!"

One thing that he and Daryl Meier have in common is a youth spent devising new means of causing things to explode.

Steve Schwarzer shares an incident from his childhood where he and a few friends dug a deep hole and placed explosive materials at the bottom and placed a trash can on top, about a dozen yards away from his mother's church fellowship that met outside the building. One of his childhood friends sat on top of the trash can. In theory, the can would rise five feet in the air, giving the kid an interesting ride. "He lost his nerve at the last minute and got off the can," Steve recalls. For a long while, nothing happened. As they approached the hole to find out what happened, something happened. "We never saw the trash can disappear. Then, suddenly, the trash can and pounds of dirt stopped rising and started coming down - over my mom's Bible study!"

The stately and conservative Daryl Meier also has a pyrotechnic past no less spectacular, but for the purposes of setting an admirable example to his grandchildren, suffice it to say that beneath the professor-like demeanor Darly carries lies a devious and youthful mind!

Perhaps more important than you can experience at an event like Batson's Hammer-In is what you take home with you. Says Richard Furrer, 28, and full-time bladesmith and architectural blacksmith, "This was the first time I had attended Batson's Symposium. Speaking to all the demonstrators and master craftsmen reinforced my impression that what makes their work special is not only their skill, but their love for the steel. Each had an incredible drive and focus. At shows the makers are occupied by the need to sell, whereas this gathering was for the purpose of information exchange, to advance the craft. I know of no other single event where you can see as much on the sidelines as in the demonstrations. It was an exhausting weekend which left me energized."

Special Thanks

The author wishes to express his thanks to Dr. Jim Batson for making him a special guest at this event, allowing him to sit at the front row to block the view for others behind him! And to Don Fogg for helping this author see his dream afresh.

Warmest thanks to Daryl Meier and Howard Clark for inviting him to the event, to eat, forge and be merry. Also heartfelt gratitude to David and Pam Counts, and Al and Mary Dippold for the most comfortable bed and rooms outside of the Hilton!

Contact Information

The Alabama Forge Council's website is http://www.bham.net/afc/ - a calendar of future events, member gallery, metalworking F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) are provided.

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