Falconer

Jose "Pep" Gomez in Las Cruces, New Mexico... He listed a few above but his name deserves to be on the list. He is a Master of bladesmithing! I've seen good knife makers all over the country but Pep is the BEST! His Damascus knives could rival any I've ever seen...

Hi Patrick, The Chambursburg isn't for sale...Robb just finished rebuilding it for his use. I am leaning heavily in the Helve hammer direction. The Bradley compact needs a little more work but would also be a great shop tool. My issue is that I just bought a big new shop and now I have to cut a part of the foundation out to pour a reinforced pad for the Bradley. That's the big expense. I also have to line up transportation and a heavy duty fork lift to set in place. They aren't cheap but I'll be able to do things I've never been able to do before.

I just paid a visit to Robb Gunter outside Albuquerque. He has a restored 300lb Chambersburg that he just completed (He bought it in good, working condition but it was in an accident while being shipped to him that tore up one side.) It is one of only six like it in the country...having a one-piece body. It is a beautiful monster!! Incidentally if anyone ever gets a chance to visit Robbs shop...DO IT! He is an absolute Master Smith and his shop is incredible! It's just down the road from G3, the blacksmithing school he and his sons Brad and Chad run. The school has a Nazel. I've never run across either hammer...when I could afford one! BTW...one of Robbs sons has a 200lb Bradley Compact for sale in the Albuquerque area! (4000.00)

Will. K. ...Thanks! that link is a great resource!

Can anyone tell me anything about this 200lb Bradley Hammer? I have an opportunity to buy it but would like to know more. How much does it weigh? Is there a manual for it? Are parts available for it? What would be a good price for it? How do I have to mount it? Any information would be helpful!! Thanks Guys!

I recently acquired a set of dies that appear to fit a 25LB Little Giant. I have a 50LB hammer in my shop so I can't use them. While they have the same base and shoulder of a 25 they are shorter than the dies I've seen. Sid at LIttle Giant says they should be 3 inches high for use on the 25. Has anyone on the forum used shorter dies in their LG? I'm thinking of putting these up for sale on Ebay but I don't want to misrepresent them.

I have some S7 and some D2 stock I'm thinking of making a hammer with. I've never used either for making a hammer and I'm curious about any opinions pro or con out there.

I recently bought a forge blower that is marked "Star Forge Co. 01 Buffalo, NY" It seems to be a good, heavy duty blower. I'm curious about the manufacturer because I've never heard of them. Is it possibly another line Buffalo put out...like Cannedy Otto called their low end line "Tiger".

These are some new attrempts at making a series of insects. I neck down a thick walled pipe for the body. I am mounting them all differently. What do you think?

I recently acquired several Big cast iron coal/coke forges complete with blowers. All are Champion or Canedy-Otto. None have any cracks or breaks. I also have several pedestal blowers. My shop is getting too crowded to work in!!! Anyone in New Mexico or coming through Central New Mexico is welcome to come by and take a look. I want them to go to working smiths if possible. Priced 400.00 and up. I can email photos for serious inquiries. Give a holler if interested... Thanks!

I've been collecting old tools, especially blacksmithing tools, for about 15 years now and I think the BEST product on the market for loosening rusty, greasy parts is Kroil. You can find it on the Internet usually a couple of spray cans for around 16.00. It is well worth it. This stuff will loosen parts that you'd swear were rusted through.

The power hammer tooling was nothing special. I used a radiused die set to neck down the pipe. I continued hammering with the radiused dies until I pinched off the tail. (That was when it began to look like a scorpions stinger.) When I got to the body I used flat dies to flatten it out. Then I used 1/4" round stock to indent the segments on the body.

The OA dimensions of the black walnut: 54" X 18" (depth approx. 4") The Scorpion: 16"L X 14"W X 13"H (31" from tip of tail to claws). I added rebar to the body of the scorpion to give it more heft after flattening the body. The spider: 12"L X 14.5"W X 7" H (The spiders abdomen is the original size of the parent stock) Below is my "interpretation of a" preying mantis (17"L X 13"W X 10"H)

Here's an example of some of my experimenting. I took a 2" schedule 80 pipe and necked it down on a power hammer, teaching a student to make a candlestick holder. The result looked like the end of a scorpions tail...so I just kept going. With the remainder of the pipe I made the spider and Mig'ed on some hair. I mounted the two on a piece of Black Walnut about 50" long. I haven't finished yet. I want to forge a cactus with a copper flower on top to put in between the two. (I love insects and arachnids as sculptural forms...they're like little aliens all around us!!) So what do some of my fellow smiths think?

I've got to say that I understand the feelings that these are just collecting dust and not being used by smiths. I alternate between that feeling and being happy that someone is preserving a part of the history of this country. Like the void that Richard Postman filled in writing "Anvils in America"...anvils, and the blacksmiths that used them, built this country. It serves us all to be reminded of that...

If you ever find yourself in North Central New Mexico you have to go by and see Fred Moore just outside Mountainair, NM. Fred started collecting miniture anvils, like salesmen samples, about 40 years ago. He now has over 1400. He decided along the way to start collecting the real thing. He now has, what may very well be, the largest anvil collection in the county. He goal is to have one of every size from every maker. He has somewhere between 400 and 500 at present. They range from miniatures to some 750LB monsters. He has also collected power hammers, now having over a dozen from some very early models to some later Little Giants. In his warehouse, which he has begun to make look like a museum, has has also collected cone mandrels (now having more than anyone alive he says), swage blocks, leg vises, tongs and hardies galore...an anything blacksmith related. Even his real estate agency is called 'Anvil Realty'. The good news is he is willing to sell everything he has two or more of. His real intent is to only keep the anvils. I'm a professional blacksmith and metal artist living about an hour and a half South of Mr. Moore and I'm not connected to him except to buy tools from him from time to time...and to drool over his collection. He's a nice guy and is always looking for something he doesn't have. Many SWABA members know all about him but he has been a well-kept secret outside NM. So...if you are looking for something hard-to-find to downright rare, or you're in NM and just want to drool over the most amazing collecton of blacksmihing tools you've ever seen...give him a holler. (505-847-2962)

Hey Thanks!! Another great resource!

I'm a professional smith and, like many of us, I pick up tools where ever I find them. Well, I've found several tools with this touch mark / brand / marking on them. I've found them hundreds of miles...and years apart. I'm just curious if anyone happens to know anything about who might have once them.

What a great resource! I just emailed him. Thank You so much for passing this on!

I know this is a very long shot but...I have a Cannedy-Otto Western Chief forge blower that needs one lone gear to be operational. Any chance some kind soul out there has an old one only good for parts?!?!

I've learned a good deal from this thread as well. One caution however, Chlorine bleach does NOT cause rust...it causes pitting which is far worse.

May the Most High God bless and keep your mother in the palm of His hand. May His will be done in her life and may she know peace. God Bless you too Frosty...

A customer recently asked if I'd make him a knife out of stellite. All I know about it is that it's used to line the throat of machine gun barrells and it isn't forgible...till about 4000 degrees. I understand it's cast as closely to its finished shape as possible because it's so hard to work. He wants to order a knife-sized blank of it from company in Canada (for about 500.00). I don't want to get into trying to grind a 500.00 knife blank and have it wear out my grinders...or worse, not be able to do it. Anyone have any experience with it?