blacksmith

Tai Goo’s railroad spike knives

Tai Goo’s railroad spike knives

Knifemaker Scott Roush (aka Makers Market seller Big Rock Forge) first put me on to the work of Arizona bladesmith Tai Goo. Forging a knife out of a railroad spike is an old blacksmith trick, and lots of folks will sell you lower quality “tourist grade” RR spike knives as souvenirs, but Tai Goo is widely regarded as the master of the form. Besides his evident skill, Tai Goo is a minimalist. He practices an art called “neo-tribal knifemaking” that involves using as few power tools as possible. [Thanks, Scott!]

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Interview with Louie Raffloer, blacksmith

Interview with Louie Raffloer, blacksmith

I recently did an email interview with blacksmith Louie Raffloer of Seattle’s Black Dog Forge; I also visited the forge to see a demonstration of his induction forge. The shop is an amazing place, with a huge assortment of equipment, art, anvils, and racks bristling with tools – a collection that’s obviously taken years to […]

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