Randy McDaniel
Randy has been forging hot metal for over 35 years. His design and forging of the artwork for the new Children’s Garden entrance arbor at Hershey Gardens is an excellent example of his skill, art and whimsy. Besides forging steel he enjoys working in copper, bronze and titanium.
He has taught basic and advanced workshops for more than twenty years. These include workshops at many of the top schools and for many regional blacksmithing groups nationwide. Randy was also a lecturer and demonstrator for the Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America’s International Conference at Alfred, New York in 1990 and at LaCrosse, Wisconsin in 2002.
Mr. McDaniel has also gained recognition and acclaim for writing and illustrating the highly successful book “A Blacksmithing Primer, A Course In Basic And Intermediate Blacksmithing”. This book has also been professionally filmed as a 6 hour video/dvd with Randy’s instruction and demonstration.
More information is available at www.drgnfly4g.com
Ken Schwarz
Ken Schwarz is the master blacksmith at the Anderson Blacksmith shop in Colonial Williamsburg. The Carroll County Farm Museum, home to BGCM, is special to Ken because it’s where he got his start in blacksmithing. In 1977, in his senior year of high school Ken responded to an ad to take a Blacksmithing course and then demonstrate those skills in the Farm Museum’s historic forge. Taking this class, taught by Randy McDaniel, led Ken to a career decision and a life dedicated to blacksmithing. Despite his other commitments and numerous requests to demonstrate his skills around the country, Ken takes time each year to return to where he got his start in blacksmithing to teach others the skills that he has mastered.
Bladesmithing/Damascus Rob Dekelbaum
Rob Dekelbaum started his bladesmithing with BGCM in November of 2005 and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then he has gone what some would call a little overboard in acquiring and building the necessary tools and supplies to practice his newfound favorite pastime. With the help and guidance of several people (most notably famed Damascus artisan Delbert Ealy and ABS Master Bladesmith Bruce Bump) he is also now making his own pattern welded steel in his home shop. Rob still considers himself an "enthusiastic amateur" in the world of knifemaking, but plans to begin working towards his goal of attaining an ABS Journeyman Smith stamp in the next few years.
Bladesmithing J. Neilson
J. Neilson is a fulltime knifemaker and American Bladesmith Journeyman Smith from Wyalusing, PA. He and his wife Tess manufacture some of the finest custom knife and sheath combos available. J. performs the bladesmithing and Tess does all of the leather work. J. and Tess' work have been featured in Blade Magazine and Tactical Knives Magazine and he won both "Best Damascus Knife" and "Best Hand-Forged Knife" at the 2006 Ohio Classic knife show.
Bladesmithing Larry Nowicki
After years of study to refine forging skills I have achieved a delightful blend of natural beauty with balanced natural tapers. Normalizing and proper heat treating techniques produce a durable, quality, working tool with pleasant profiles and a quality feel. NATURAL BEAUTY IN A BALANCED BLADE. I use quality steels such as D2, W1, W2, 1070, 1085, and 5160 along with some Damascus and other quality steels. I can enhance the blades with custom filework and add precious metal inlay, or mosaic pins to embellish the handles. Some blades get combat cord wraps over ray skins. Enjoy one of my blades or let me help you design one. I reserve the right to refuse any design which does not fit into my philosophy of what a knife should be. Thank you for your interest in the knives I produce. I hope they will give you years of enjoyment for you and those you pass it on to. A GREAT TOOL FOR A LIFETIME
Brass Casting Walter VanAlstine
Walter was born New York State, but moved to Germany after World War II. Walter has fond childhood memories of waking up to the sounds of the blacksmith shop across the street. He returned to Maryland in 1953. In his efforts in the 1970’s to melt and cast aluminum, he acquired the equipment to forge iron. He relied on old books to discover the mysteries of blacksmithing and then 16 years ago went to a meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland. Walter hasn’t missed a guild meeting since. As the guild’s forgemaster, Walter quickly involves new members in blacksmithing. Walter and his son, Bucky, operate the Dutch Forge and teach the BGCM Basic Knife Making Class.
Iron Kiss Hammer John Larson
John has been manufacturing air hammers since 1996. John is also forgemaster and demonstrates blacksmithing at Jerusalem Mills a satellite forge of BGCM. In addition to manufacturing hammers, he does welding and fabrication. This is a second career for John, after retiring from being a Professor of Economics at Loyola College in Baltimore. John has been blacksmithing for about 12 years and has been a welder, fabricator, and machinist of hot rods since high school. John has vivid memories of visiting village blacksmith shops with his dad in the 1950s in rural Minnesota. John says his biggest passion is to make the best air hammer on the planet.
Repoussé Kerry Stagmer
Kerry Stagmer has been making knives, swords, and armor more than twenty years. Kerry developed a simple, resilient, attractive blade that is the basis of all swords he produces. Baltimore Knife and Sword has evolved to include armor, sculpture, and sterling, gold, and platinum jewelry inspired by that found in Renaissance portraiture. Kerry's carefully researched work has appeared in many venues: in movies, performances at Renaissance festivals and theatres all over the United States. His hand-chased jewelry pieces take an average of thirty hours to complete and chase. His raised and repousséd work is even more intensive. Increasing awareness among both artists and the general public of these dying art forms has become the focus of much of his time in the last few years.
Carving Teddy Gregor
Ferenc “Teddy” Gregor, a first generation Hungarian-American, residing in Maryland, began carving in 1987, utilizing natural materials, such as wood, horn, fossil ivories, and stone. He is self taught using both old and new technique in various mediums and styles. In 1996, he was commissioned to complete the carving for the National Cryptological Memorial, “THEY SERVED IN SILENCE”. Well known for his carved handle custom knives, his small scale carving is considered a world class carver by collectors. In 1998 he was awarded “Best Presentation for Custom Knives” at the Chesapeake National Knife show, by his peers.
Mountain Men/ Fur Trappers “Tall Tales” Bill Chestnut / Mark Haines
Bill Chestnut - Colonial Period Fur Trapper Mark Haines - Maryland Loyalist (accompanied by two others) Bill, Mark and friends will be dressed in colonial period costumes and will have camps set up. They will be demonstrating cooking and other skills including a tomahawk throw as they relate tall tales of days gone by.
“ Sheep to Shawl “ Carroll County Fiber Artists
Watch as a sheep is sheared, wool is spun, and a shawl is woven all in the same day. They needed a day to do it -- and the Blacksmith Days seemed very appropriate. The Carroll County Fiber Artists has an active membership of about 30 people, and lots of them will be spinning and carding and weaving throughout the day.
On Site Forging Contest Chris Holt
Chris started forging in Wales in 1999 working with master blacksmith Ronnie Pitt. He came to the US for the bladesmithing school and journeyman program. Chris spent three weeks at the Bladesmithing School; three months as a journeyman with Bob Bergman, Bill Epps, Ric Furrer, and Greg Campbell; and two years working on architectural and industrial forging at Black Rose Forge (some $200,000 commissions). Chris also recently earned a registered nursing degree (RN). Chris is the president of Chesapeake Forge Guild at Kinder Farm Park near Annapolis. Chris enjoys teaching blacksmithing when he can.