If you are looking for some cool sharp and shiny blades, this is where you can find me next!
Foreman Jacob Underhill
My very good friend Jacob Underhill has been promoted from Apprentice to Shop Foreman. Big thanks to the Judge John Hodgeman Podcast for fake legally forcing me to make this move. Jacob has been making huge strides in his skill set, and deserves recognition. I am very much looking forward to the day that he out does me.
Jacob has been apprenticing with me for about 5 years now, and he has been helping me teach my classes for the last 3. Now he is ready to start doing it without me. So this summer, while I am out of town teaching elsewhere, Foreman Jacob Underhill will be teaching the knife making classes at my shop.
I’ll let him introduce himself in his own words:
What’s up everybody!!! I’m Jacob Underhill and I’m a Bladesmith from Starke Florida. I’ve been Forging for about 6 years now and I am currently working on my journeymans with the American Bladesmithing Society! I specialize in camp knives and modern EDCs but love to make all kinds of sharp and pointy things!! I also love to make swords, hatchets, spears, war hammers and my forging hammers.
FABA 2021 Blacksmithing Conference! October 8th-10th
I am not a Racist.
I am not a racist. I do not knowingly associate with any group or individual that supports the belief that one race is superior to any other, especially, but not limited to the white race. FUCK those fucking fucks.
Why do I feel the need to say this? Well that’s because I have a great love for the Myths, History and Material Culture of the Viking Peoples. The kind of symbolism that comes from this culture has been recently seen tattooed on the bodies of some real fucking idiots, and I feel the need to disassociate myself with those twee-brained gluesniffers. I’d also like to reassure people of different cultures that my work is not aimed at promoting the foolish ideas of a few misinformed turds. I want folks of all cultures, races and backgrounds to know that my workshops and my forge is a place they are welcome. The only cultures not welcome are those of Hate, and Ignorance. I’d also like those people looking for me to craft them objects that promote the symbols of hate to know they can go suck asbestos, and not waste my time.
History is long and wide, and if we look back on our ancestors they all came from the same place, if you just go far enough into the past. Heck, I am proud to have 4% Neanderthal DNA. That’s a whole ‘nother frickin’ SPECIES!
As a kid I was fascinated with the vikings. I liked axes, I always wanted to have a beard. Berserkers are cool. As I grew I learned more of the stories and the myths, and the Norse world view really spoke to me. My love and fascination grew, my interest in the history, but mostly the legends and old stories began to mature. It’s my religion now, my spirituality. It is not just a culture that fascinates me, it is MY culture deep in my heart. The roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, have found purchase within me and have over the years taken nourishment in my soul. For real though, I am pretty serious about it. It hurts me to see people using the symbols of the spiritual journey I have been on to promote such petty concerns as racial superiority.
So I’d like to take a little look at what we know of the Norse Gods, what we know of the viking culture, and of course express my opinions on it.
First off, all the stories we have come from a few major poems compiled in Iceland in the 13th century, by monks, who were Christians. These are called the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. So right away we’re gonna assume there is a little bias going on here. Even without a religious bias, we are looking at information passed down orally documenting stories that span 500 yrs or more. These Gods and Goddesses were worshiped from Greenland, through England, into France, Germany, really most of Europe at one point or another, and into Russia. All of that vast information across time and space is funneled into the pens of a handful of monks in the 13th Century. The point here is, from a strictly historic scholarly just the facts kind of a view point, there is no basis whatsoever for any of these myths to act as Dogma or Cannon. If you are a Pagan of any stripe you know this already, we’ve pretty much had to make all this stuff up as we go along. So if anyone tries to use the Eddas to cite some racist mumbo jumbo, you can safely tell em to stick it where the sun don’t shine.
Viking is more of a job description than a people. To go viking, is to go on a seafaring raid. They were essentially Pirates. Folks considered “vikings” would have been Danes, Swedes, or Norwegians. Although many of these Scandinavian folk permanently settled in many of the regions they would raid. At one time Anglo-Saxons were bitter enemies of the Vikings, even though they fought with the same weapons, had nearly the same runic script, and often worshiped the same gods. Most of us would look at an Anglo-Saxon of the time and see a Viking. There is the Slavic God Perun, who is very similar to Thor, in the same way that Venus and Aphrodite are similar between Greek and Roman Myth. If you look at Perun’s axe, you’d call it a Viking Axe. There is even evidence that the reason for so many warriors to go “viking” was to find women and make them brides, or slaves, or both. I mean listen, I know these guys did some really fucked up shit, but what culture hasn’t? These folks would trade, settle, and marry foreigners. There is evidence of quite a few of them being Baptized and becoming Christians. Most of them just adding the worship of Jesus to all the rest of the many gods. This to me doesn’t really speak to a culture that gave a shit about racial purity.
There are in fact three major races in the Eddas that make up what we would call Gods, the Aesir, the Vanir, and the Jotun. The Jotun are frost giants, and usually the bad guys, but not always. Skadi is a jotun, but also a revered goddess of the mountains and hunting. Loki is the son of both an Aesir mother and a Jotun Father. The Vanir are a seperate tribe that once warred with the Aesir, but then made peace and are very rarely differentiated as coming from one group or the other. Almost as if, once peace was made, nobody gave a shit who came from what race. Yeah I know, I am now citing the same “Scripture” that I told you in a paragraph above couldn’t be trusted. As a Pagan it’s important to be able to hold two Truths in your Mind even if they contradict each other. Try it.
Anyway I could go on, and if you want to discuss it further feel free to email me. I mean we didn’t even get into the stupid shit the nazis brought to the table. Suffice it to be said I am no kind of white supremacist. If you are one, kindly go sit on a razor blade, or a box of em. Better yet, take a deep breath, calm down, and make friends with people who are different from yourself. It’ll make you a better person.
Cheers
Jordan Borstelmann
Crooked Path Forge
Apprentices
I’ve still been ruminating on how all the folks that have helped me to get here have done so. I try to stay thankful, and give back the knowledge I’ve received as freely as it’s been given. I have to balance that with making a living of course, so you know, I do charge for classes.
I do have apprentices, and helpers though. Folks who have over the years lent a hand by swinging a sledge, or holding hot iron while I wield hammer and chisel. So much of this kind of work involves creative problem solving, and having an extra brain and pair of eyes in the shop, is sometimes more helpful then a pair of extra hands.
Smithing over the centuries has always been a team sport. It’s a relatively modern concept to have one person make a big project from start to finish.
As a former apprentice myself I know how tricky it can be to make the time to go work shitty ours in 120 deg heat, for no monetary gain. It can suck sometimes. I’ve had some good folk in my shop over the years, some have just come by for a day or two, some for longer. I am not going to name each one, you know who are, and hopefully I’ve been clear enough that you know I am grateful for your help.
I am going to single one motherfucker out though. Jacob Underhill. I’ve known him for a bit, he’s been a member of the Right Honorable Bearded Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, for some time. Only this past year though, I finally realized that he lived pretty damn close to me. I also realized I like the cut of his jib. Not just because he looks like a pirate half the time either.
Here he is helping out at the Hoggetowne Faire, never missed a day!!!
I am singling this guy out, mainly because he’s done all the right things that a good apprentice should do. The main thing is to show up and do the work, and enjoy the work. Whether it is sweeping the floor, painting the fence, or waxing the cars. You have to be willing show you can do the work.
I probably get an email every other month from someone asking if I need an apprentice. Generally they are someone who can’t immediately afford to pay for classes or equipment, but they do have the passion and excitement and curiosity to start blacksmithing. The passion, excitement, and curiosity are super important, but even more so is steadfastness and work ethic. Early on I would have folks come out for a day or two, only to find they were unable or unwilling to come back. I can’t afford to take time out of my work week to train someone who can not stick around. I get it though, I was there too. I dipped out hard on the blacksmith I was apprenticed to. It’s difficult to balance a full time job that doesn’t pay well, family, household obligations, against going out and working your ass off for knowledge. Knowledge in blacksmithing doesn’t put food on the table today.
Investing in someone only to have them dip out forced me to put up a wall. I learned first hand why some smiths come off as unhelpful or curmudgeonly. It’s nothing personal. Anyway, the point is, Jacob stuck at it. He kept forging on his own, showing up to meetings, being an asset. I would ask “ Hey can somone get me that…..” and he’d be there getting it before I could finish the sentence. It was like he was beating on my thick noggin with a hammer. It finally got through to me that maybe this guy could be useful.
Jacob now runs the Open Forges on Saturday nights. He helps me teach some of my larger private classes, and is there to assist on my larger commissions.
Anyway, Jacob is a good guy and dependable. If you are trying to become an apprentice to someone, you only need to be two out of three of those things: good and dependable. Stubborn helps too. Keep at it, keep hammering on those hard as rock noggins until you break in. It’s very rare that someone lets you in nice and easy.
Anyway, Thanks Jacob, and thanks to those other folk who have been there to help as well.
P.S. I know Rick, you are awesome too, and have helped save my ass on multiple occasions.
THE BEARDED BROTHERHOOD OF BLACKSMITHS
Holy shit! This is really incredible. If you don’t know about the Bearded Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, you are about to.
This is a continuation of my thoughts from the previous blog entry about blacksmithing as a community. Something I believe all smiths should be a part of, even if you have to create it yourself.
After forging solo for a number of years, and making little more than metal turds. Not entirely true, but close enough. I started teaching, and increasing my skills mostly through trial and error. Let me tell you, trial and error is one of the worst ways to learn a trade.
As I started to get more proficient, and well known for my work, mainly I just made a website. I would get emails from folks looking to learn as an apprentice. Sometimes these folks would work out, sometimes not. One person that stuck around was a fellow named Rick.
Going to FABA conferences and being a part of the community also introduced me to two other fellows, Sean and Chris. At some point they call me and tell me they want to start their own club. To make a group dedicated to blacksmithing, but also to teaching it. One of the mottos was, “Everyone Swings a Hammer” Meaning we would never have a meeting in which one person worked and everyone else just watched. We didn’t want folks driving for miles to only get a chance to look at blacksmithing being done. We wanted our members to be active participants. We also wanted to cuss and drink.
It started with Rick, Chris, Sean and Myself.
Thus was born, the Bearded Brotherhood of Blacksmiths!
A motley crew of roustabouts, barbarians, heathens and ne’er-do-wells this group has grown from 4 guys and a few anvils, into something that I can say I am truly proud of.
The Bearded Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, or the BBB, have really taken off in the last couple of years and turned into the kind of fellowship that……. did I already say proud? There isn’t a word for the feeling I have in my heart when it comes to this group.
We’ve made a couple of interesting things for auction at the FABA Conferences. Something we try to do each year. The first year we forged a bell, it required multiple parts, and multiple hands, and none of us had done anything like it before. Having multiple minds to problem solve really makes a big difference. The bell ended up raising $400 for FABA at the auction.
The next year we did a really badass Viking Long Ship. We had 13 different smiths working on this one. Each team would tackle a certain aspect, and then the Founding Four met to assemble it all and put a bit of shine on the turd, so to speak.
Several times now we’ve collected together a group of starting blacksmiths tool, and loaned them out to new folks looking to get started. We’ve even acquired a loaner anvil to be let out with the kit. Here’s BBB member using the loaner.
This past February we had our 2nd anniversary, a whole week of blacksmithing classes, challenges, demonstrations, drinking, firemaking, and other fun stuff. Through the Luck and Guile of Brother Chris we had the Honour of hosting Elmer Roush. A blacksmith of 40+ years experience and specializing in Historic Metal work of the Viking Age! Another honour, and a chance to get folks learning the trade.
This is the kind of support, and knowledge and equipment I wished I had access to early on in my learning. Through the Brotherhood I feel like I can provide new smiths with the things I wish I had when I was just starting out.
We have an official document all signed by the Four Founding Fathers, of the Bearded Brotherhood of Blacksmiths. Here is a photo of this ancient and venerable artifact, which we may or may not have spilled beer on.
It reads as such:
On this day, September the Twenty-Second, in the year Two-thousand and Eighteen, we the undersigned do gather together to formally and irrevocably declare and recognize our Brotherhood and Fellowship in the Ancient and Honorable Arts of the Blacksmith. We acknowledge the Skills and Craft of the Blacksmith to be Foremost in the Purposes of our Gatherings, and Vow now and into the Foreseeable Future, to never meet at another member's Forge, without then lighting that Forge and then proceeding to Smite the shit out of some Steel. Exceptions shall be made at the discretion of whichever Brothers are present at such meetings for Ill health, Intoxication, and other Acts of God(s).
This most Sacred and Honorable Fellowship will henceforth be named the Bearded Brotherhood of Blacksmiths. Whencesoever brevity or an expedience of either thought, written word, or oratory is called for, the most Sacred and Honorable Fellowship that we have here upon this Day formed as the Bearded Brother of Blacksmiths may, at the discretion of the pertinent Member, be shortened or abbreviated to the BBB.
We acknowledge that all members may not be in fact capable of being a Brother in the literal sense of being a human male. We do however insist that you are a Brother in the same sense that all Humans are a part of Mankind and will henceforth refer to all Members of the Fellowship as Brother, regardless of the shape of their genitals. If this is a problem for you you are welcome to go Fuck Yourself with whatever genitals you wish. In the same way that all are metaphorical Brothers in the Brotherhood of Bearded Blacksmiths, We also recognize that while all of us may not have literal Beards it is important to maintain a metaphorical Beard to remain in good standing. The only requirement for being a member of the Brotherhood of Bearded Blacksmiths is that one be both literally and figuratively a Blacksmith.
We the undersigned declare that the BBB is to be a totally Independent Organization autonomous from all other Groups, Affiliations, Associations, Federations, Corporations, and Clubs, while still retaining the right for its Brothers to individually join and associate with any individual or group as they fucking see fit.
In Conclusion, it is to be plainly and clearly stated that We, the undersigned, do now create the Bearded Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, with all the good intentions and honor that is within our hearts. We create this Brotherhood with the intention of furthering our knowledge of Blacksmithing, helping our Fellow Brothers expand their knowledge of Blacksmithing, having fun, and making some cool shit with fire, steel, and the strength of our arms.
I will end this with another of our mottos which is “SMITE HOT SHITE!”
No Man is an Island
I did not get here alone.
Photo by Charlotte Kesl
The wood of my hammer handle came from a hickory tree, farmed and formed and sent to me. The electricity I run my shop with comes from others labor and ingenuity. The Steel I forge my blades with is shipped from New Jersey. Also in New Jersey, in a brick factory, in the year 1912 (over a hundred years ago!) men worked hard days, and hard nights to bring the anvil I Forge my Steel on into being.
I did not get here alone.
The Iron Studio at Penland
I’ve mentioned my teacher Yaw Owusu Shangofemi. I’ve lost touch with him by the way, and would love to get a hold of him again, if anyone knows how.
I’ve been to the Penland School of Crafts, and learned much there from Mark Maiorana.
I took a hot work chisel class at Leslie Tharp’s shop, taught by a traveling GutterSmith who’s name I have forgotten.
All these folks have been paid for their services however. Either in Labor or money. I’d like to talk for a moment now about those who have not been paid. In fact these folks have been paying it forward. Folks in my time as a Blacksmith who have helped me to learn, without once asking for anything in return.
The Florida Artists Blacksmith Association gets a good deal of credit in this regard. They are an organization entirely dedicated to the spread of the knowledge of the Ancient Art of Blacksmithing, and run completely by volunteers. It’s through FABA that I have come to know these most generous spirits willing to share their knowledge, just for the joy of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thanked someone for showing me a new technique only for them to say something like:
“Well, it was showed to me by Old Schwartz Smith, so it’s really his technique. He taught me a few things , so I’m just passing it along”
It is amazing.
Where I expected a group of Old Crusty Curmudgeons hoarding their knowledge for fear of it getting out and breeding too much competition, I instead found a group of Old Crusty Curmudgeons perfectly willing to pass what knowledge they have, on to those with the hunger and will to use it.
A blade from Ironflower Forge
Let’s start with Dr. Steve Bloom. I thought I was going to be on Forged in Fire. I had never made Pattern Welded Steel before. I had recently joined FABA and had heard of Steve from some other members. I emailed him cold, asking if I could come by his shop and just watch him forge. He said I’d be welcome to come by. What I got from Dr. Bloom was an intense crash course on the particulars of heat treating, and an amazing demostration of how to forge multiple layers of Steel into a single billet. I will never forget, and always appreciate the generosity of Dr. Steve Bloom.
The full gate. Kirk and I worked on the Palm Tree center top.
Kirk Sullens worked for Bass Pro Shops, as a blacksmith, for I don’t know how many years. One of the very few mainstream large companies to still employ a blacksmith on it’s payroll at least at that time.. One day Kirk sends me a message that he would like my help on a project. So I show up at Kirk’s house and he has some real wrought iron and needs to make a portion of a gate for a tribute to Phillip Simmons. He had heard that I had apprenticed under Yaw, who himself was an apprentice to Simmons. If you need to know who Phillip Simmons was these folks can tell his story better than I : http://www.philipsimmons.us/aboutsimmons.html
I think I made 2 or 3 of the fronds here, I am proud to say I cannot tell which ones.
Kirk didn’t really need help. He’s been blacksmithing longer than I’ve been an adult! But he showed me things about working wrought iron I never new. I think we may have learned a few things together.
Chuck Fowler has loaned me the use of one of his awesome Monster Forges, for the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.
Peter Hill, and Ben Thompson supported me just recently in going to a Tire Hammer Workshop in Louisiana.
All these folks I met through FABA. These, and many other smiths that my faulty brain has forgetten to mention have helped to play a roll in teaching me new skills, and growing as a Blacksmith.
To say I am grateful, and humbled would be to say that the Ocean is a bit damp.
I did not get here alone
and I am proud to say it.
Following are some links to the websites of the folks I mentioned.
The links are also attached to their names as well.
FABA: http://blacksmithing.org/
IronFlower Forge: http://ironflowerforge.com/
Kirk Sullens: https://kirksullens.com/
Thompson Crafted: https://www.facebook.com/thompsoncrafted/
Did you see that Feller? He was on the TV!
Sooooo……. I got to be on a TV show! It was a pretty amazing experience. The show is called Master of Arms it aired on the Discovery channel. If you missed it I guess you’ll have to wait for the reruns.
SPOILER ALERT!
Photo Courtesy of Discovery Channel
I did not win. Even so, I thought it would have been a more impactful experience for me as far as the business side of things go. I didnt really see a big bump. Of course not winning might have something to do with it. But I’ve also found most people don’t even know it was a thing. A few people recognized me, but most thought it was from that other show Forged in Fire. To be honest that had happened a few times anyway. I am a bearded blacksmith in a kilt after all.
Well the dust has finally settled on it all and I thought it was a good time to talk about it.
I am proud of the work I put forward on set. It was a tough challenge. I am surprised any of us got done with the challenge at all. What was the challenge? We had to make a flail in 5 hours. Spikes, ball, handle, and chain all from scratch.
Photo Courtesy of Discovery Channel
I accidentally split the handle with only 10 minutes left on the clock. I cannot tell you how terrible that felt. I knew it right then I was out. I was the first one out. It fucking sucked.
For the rest of that day, and the one after it, and really until I got on my plane, and finally arrived home, and then I saw my wife and her smile and felt her hug me, and kiss me, and then my dog jumped on us and hit me in the nuts, and then it was okay.
I was back home.
I’ve had a good bit of time to dwell on it now, and I have according to my own weird sense of the world come to the realization that it was good for me. You learn more through failure than you do from success.
I mean the $10,000 would have been nice, but I haven’t ever been a winner. I have always learned from my mistakes, and boy have there been many.
I think it’s something we need to remember to teach others about. How to lose. How to fail, and get back up. How to get kicked in the nuts, and still stand up even if it hurts. How to fart in front your peers and still be able to look them in the eye.
I did that on national TV. I only felt shitty about it for about a week. Then I got over it and moved on.
OMG! The logo is still exactly the same as when I played like 25 years ago!
Part of that is due to my history of failure, especially as it pertains to sports. I played little league football in Middle School. They called it Pop Warner Football. I was the starting center, and starting noseguard for the Manatee Wildcats.
We barely had enough players, most of us played both offense and defense. We practiced, we trained, and we never scored a single point all season. Forget about even thinking of Winning! We. Never. Even. Scored. A. Single. Point!
It wasn’t till my second year that we got points on the board. I’ll never forget. We were down by 56 points in the 4th quarter with maybe 5 mins or so to go. I snapped the ball back to the QB. He fakes a hand-off and runs it in. I was so happy I cheered and roared and jumped up and down for joy, and everyone, even my own team mates looked at me like I was crazy. I mean we still lost.
I am not sure how this has effected the inner workings of my mind, or how all those many many blows to the head have either. I do know that it has helped immensely with my ability fail, and yet still go on. To turn shit into gold, even if it’s just in my own disturbed head.
It helps with Blacksmithing too you know. The most important lesson for a new Blacksmith is how fuck it all up but not give it all up. I cannot tell you how many knives, wall hooks, fireplace pokers I have ruined or lost to the forge over the years. It almost made me quit a few times.
Photo Courtesy of the Discovery Channel
I look back at how I performed on set, and realize I did pretty fuckin good. No offense to either Colin or Melinda, but they welded most of their flails together. There was only one welding machine in the shop anyway, and well welding is not my strong suit. My flail does not have a single weld on it.
I am a Blacksmith. I Blacksmithed the hell out of that flail, and all that went wrong was the stupid wood. I ain’t no carpenter. The Flail itself still passed the test, despite the split in the handle. It did it’s job and did not fall apart.
Colin and Melinda both turned out to be some pretty rad folks. I made some friends while I was there. So that’s alright. I had a chance to see behind the scenes on how a show like that is made. It was an experience I’ll never forget, and one that can still make me smile. So in the spirit of that, here are some pretty fun, and funny screenshots I was able to take. All the faces of Jordan on the TV.
