Spots

For all those who said they were interested, I talked to my dad tonight about doing a knife making class. We will be doing it July 14th, 2012. That should give everyone plenty of time to clear their schedule for the event. Please note, blacksmithing in the middle of summer it is gonna be hot so make sure to drink plenty of fluids. We will be making a complete bowie/camp knife, but to do so we need to start early. A lot of the knife making process is in the final tempering of the edge, which requires it to cool to room temp. to do correctly, which can take a couple of hours, but should really be overnight. For the sake of the class, we will do the best we can with the time we have. Please post up if your coming, we have a small shop, but if several want to make the trip, we will be as accommodating as possible for everyone. Also please post if you want to just observe, or if your willing to help swing the hammer and hold the steel. We will be meeting at the Food City in Oliver Springs for the drive to my parents place, which is around 20 min away in the backwoods. If needed or wanted I'll be opening my home to those with a long drive so that we can start early saturday morning, without you guys having to drive 3 hours in the very early morning. I have an extra bed, 2 couches and at least one air mattress, plus plenty of space if you have your own air mattress. The list is a recommendation, not a set of rules. Please understand we are not a professional shop, just interested amateurs with a large interest, and a home shop. The list is recommended, but you are responsible for your own safety, so wear what you want. If you wish to stay with my friday night, please pm for my address and let me know around what time you plan to arrive friday night. We will meet at the Hardees in Oliver Springs, eat breakfast there, and then head to the shop. Meeting time is 7:30 am, and meeting address will be 528 East Tri County Boulevard Oliver Springs, TN 37840. My contact info for any questions. PM me here Text me at 850-776-8205 I dont answer strange numbers alot, so text is best Email me at spots.duncan@gmail.com List of things to bring/wear - Safety glasses - Long sleeves - Long pants - Boots, or leather shoes - Bag lunch and supper (No food on site, we will eat breakfast in Oliver Springs) - Cash for breakfast Also, there is another thing to discuss. We have two options on the knife. We can make it, and my old man can keep it, OR at the beginning of the day, we can put everyones name into a bowl that will be helping with the project. After it is finished, we draw names, and whoever has their name drawn takes the knife home with them. Please vote on what you want. Also please understand we are backwoods blacksmiths, our focus is more on useful and function, than good looks. We are trying to give everyone a basis on starting equipment and skills. Below are pictures of several small one day knives we have made for fun. Nice stuff is very possible with more time.

Give me a date you'll be in country? Deployed military or buisness?

The drives not an issue, but the equipment isnt portable. The forge alone we use weighs 1500+ lbs, not to mention the coal and coke for fuel, anvil, hammers, tongs, and 10k other things. Sorry guys. If the first one goes well, then we can do a few more and hopefully more people can make it from out of town. I dont know any knifemakers out there personally, but if you google a local blacksmith shop, a lot of them will help you out and show you the ropes

Timestepper has graciously agreed to once again try to have a skills get together. This time we will be using my place to do it. I'll be adding a few things I've learned in the military, and everyone is invited to bring their skillset to the table, as well as come and learn some new skills along side everyone else. I'll be camping by the creek the night before, and invite any and everyone else to do the same if they would like too. My address is 225 George Jones Road Oliver Springs, TN 37840. Camping on site friday night is encouraged, I'll be cooking a campfire supper that night, and there is fishing in the creek and lies to be told. Please let us know if your coming out for this. The date is June 29th, and 30th.

Whatever it cost you to drive here, and bring a sack lunch. This isn't a way to make money by any means for me and my dad. We just wanna see other people get into it, and learn a lil about the old ways. If theres enough interest (3 or more people besides me and him would be plenty) I'll discuss dates with him and have a vote for the best date.

PM sent on this

I've been giving thought to setting up an event at my old mans shop. It would be a chance to work in a forge, learning how to heat and beat steel, seeing how a knife is made, learning how to get the fire hot enough, the correct way to beat it out, how to setup a shop for the most efficent and least tiresome work. If your intrested, please post up, and we will try to get a day worked out in the next month or so that everyone can meet. The area is about 20 minutes from Oliver Springs TN, so you can use that to gauge driving distance.

Any intrest in doing another one of these? I live close to you, and would love to come out, I might be able to share a few things I learned in the military and growing up, but really want to learn about everything else you guys know.

I have a huge intrest in single action pistols, and cowboy action shooting rigs, as well as fast draw. If anyone here is into that stuff, please post it.

My favorite whiskey comes from a place I can't name, but I'll be sure to have a few jars on hand if we ever have a get together at my place.

As far as I' concerned theres only one accesorie we need to fix this country. What the polticians have done, and continue to do to this country and its founding principales and values is a crime on the level of high treason, and theres only one response to that http://image.shutter...se-60472024.jpg Hang 'em high, and let them swing till the sun goes down.

Has anybody really thought about the role physical fitness would play in an end of the world situation? I have a gym setup in my garage, and regularly workout using a mix of crossfit and strongman style stuff. 6 days a week, with a run on my off day. Of course I'm also training to go back into the service this coming fall/winter. I learned a lot of good physical fitness habits in the Marines, and I'm training to go into the Pararescue Jumpers program, which is very physically demanding. Anyways, do most guys see physical fitness as a key requirment in being prepared for a survivalist situation? Physical fitness what allows a lot of SF operators and even normal service members to survive in extreme situations. Anybody else train regularly, and have pictures of your setup? If so, I'd like to see them.

I traded a tool box and a few tools I wasn't using for this. My first Taurus, but for what it costed me, worth finding out how well it works. Pictured with a 15 round mag. by the side, and a 17 round mag in the gun. Its a 24/7 Pro C chambered in 9mm. Just thought I'd share, not a bad deal for a lil less than $100 in stuff that I traded.

Here is some stuff that My dad and I have turned out from his forge in the backwoods. We make all kinds of stuff, but knives are my personal favorite. Our favorite steel is old saw blades, and old model leaf springs from vehicles. Anyways, on to the post Me and my dad do quiet a bit of forging when winter settles in. Heres a few we have made together Heres on we did from a railroad spike two years ago when I was on leave And heres a large fighting style knife we made last year Me working a piece of style on the anvil, staged for the pic, you can see the steel has cooled off to much My old man heating a piece, note the high flames. It was around 5 degrees that day, so we had the fire flaming more than normal for warmth Heres a video of my dad working one out

Me and my dad do quiet a bit of forging when winter settles in. Heres a few we have made together Heres on we did from a railroad spike two years ago when I was on leave And heres a large fighting style knife we made last year Me working a piece of style on the anvil, staged for the pic, you can see the steel has cooled off to much My old man heating a piece, note the high flames. It was around 5 degrees that day, so we had the fire flaming more than normal for warmth Heres a video of my dad working one out

Hello everybody. My name is Jordan, I'm a 23 yr old Former Marine. I got out of the Corps in Jan. of this year. I live outside of Knoxville, in the oliver springs area on 180 acre farm. So my favorite place to shoot is the field behind my house. I was raised around guns, and have always owned several. Right now my inventory includes a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem, a Remington single shot .22 that was passed down through the years and dates back into the 20's, a Winchester Model 12 12 gauge that was passed down and dates back into the early 20's or late teens, and a Taurus 24/7 Pro C chambered in 9mm. Right now I'm on the hunt for a resonablely priced 1911 chambered in .45 acp. I'll be getting my carry permit soon, I would have done it already, but its been hectic moving back here from California and getting settled down. Anyways, I'm glad to be here to have a source for gun law questions, and hopefully the chance to meet some new friends. If I can help anybody in anyway, just send me a PM. Thanks guys