These are photo's from my trip to Bristol Tennessee to Larry Harley's Hammer-In. I learned so much that my head hurt from all the information imparted by demonstrators, bladesmiths and artists like Wally Hoffseter, Kevin Casshen, Don Fogg, Rick Furrer and Steve Schwarzer., Jesus Hernandez, Walter Sorrels, Allen Longmire, Rick Barrett, Chris Price, Stephan Fowler, Dan Chapman, Randy Skidmore and many others. Thanks of course to Larry Harley for hosting this incredible event.

    Some of the event's depicted below include:

    Ric Furrer, Chris Price, Stephan Fowler building a Japanese tatara furnace to smelt iron sand into steel not once but twice. Steve Schwartzer consolidated the bloom and Don Fogg forged into a tanto.

    Kevin Cashen gave a demo on grinding fullers and talked extensively on metallurgy, hardening and history.

    Wally Hoffseter showed us how to make a saya (scabard) and tsuka ( handle) for a katana. Wally also ran a demonstration of cutting rolls of  wet tatami (rice straw) mats. Many of us also got to play at cutting with the knives and swords we brought with us. It was a ton of fun.

    Allan Longmire instructed a young lady on forging her first knife as well as helping a little boy forge a hook.

    The use of an induction furnace which is now on my list of cool things to get.

    Dan Chapman's attempts at heating and not straightening a coil spring and just general silliness.