Colonial Williamsburg Smiths

Sheldon Browder

Sheldon Browder’s career in Blacksmithing began in 1985 after leaving the family hardware business. A native of North Carolina, one of his first jobs was at Tryon Palace, an 18^th century historic site in Newbern, North Carolina. For nearly twenty years he has been at the Anderson blacksmith shop in Colonial Williamsburg where he became a journeyman smith under Peter Ross. Part of his work there involves the study and recreation of colonial blacksmith techniques from historical pieces.

Steve Mankowski

Steve Mankowski‘s 28 years in blacksmithing began  on a suggestion from a friend  that he visited the Genesee Country Museum in New York. In 1981 he started blacksmithing there.  Later he began apprenticing at the Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown under Paul Spaulding.  In 1988 an opening at the Anderson blacksmith shop brought Steve to Colonial Williamsburg. He served an apprenticeship under Peter Ross and became a Journeyman in 1996.

Master Bladesmith

J. Neilson

J. Neilson works from his homestead-style farm in the endless mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Here he has been able to develop his longtime interest in knife making into more than just a hobby. He began making knives seriously in 2000 and soon after a good friend, Keith Bagley of MD, got him started on the forged blade and making damascus steel. He fell in love with damascus and soon the whole process became an obsession. Through the help and generosity of other makers, his skills developed and in 2008 he received his Master Smith stamp. He focuses mostly on Bowies, Hunters & Utility knives but, he’s the type of guy who gets bored easily so he makes a very wide variety of styles as is shown with all the photos on his web site. Every aspect of his knives is done here on the mountain before being sent out for a quality sheath. He’s a firm believer that a knife and sheath should be a set where one compliments the other.

                                                                                         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            Ferenc Gregor     

Ferenc 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.

                                          “ Fleece to Shawl “            Carroll County Fiber Artists 

Watch as wool is carded, yarn 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.