ironstein Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 So i went up for a final visit with Brian Brazeal before he leaves to embark on his road trip. Arrived saturday morning, and we forged until the wee hours of the morning. Ed Brazeal, Clinton, Brian Brazeal, and myself had a great time making tools. Brian once again taught me an incredible amount of blacksmithing info. We forged a handled punch which Brian uses to make hammers, two top fullers, a beautiful 3 inch bottom fuller with a 1 inch shank, and he taught me how to make punches and chisels. When he was done showing me how, and after i made mine, he generously gave me the ones i watched him make. Everybody made a bunch of other tools as well, too many to list. We forged all day sunday as well. After an amazing weekend, i started to pack up all the beautiful tools we made, feeling ever so grateful that i was going home with all this great stuff. i placed the awesome bottom fuller on the step of my truck along with my prized handled hot punch so that i could open the door to my truck. I loaded all my tools, and a whole bunch of tool and mild steel that Brian gave me, forgetting about the tools on the step of my truck. I am such an idiot. I drove home that night and went to sleep, the next morning to my HORROR, i realized that my beloved tools were nowhere to be found. They must have fallen off my truck step somewhere on the road home! What a bummer. Anyway, heres the pictures of the stuff that DID make it http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhttp://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gifhome.http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 I almost forgot, Brian made a set of tongs while i was striker. Sweet tongs too! I can't express enough how great Brian Brazeal, Ed Brazeal, Karen, and everyone else were. These people are the nicest most giving folk i have ever encountered. I learned so much. It was literally a life changing experience to be able to learn from and get to know people of their caliber. Simply amazing! I will be doing everything i can in the future to be able to spend more time with the Brazeals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasper77 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Did you drive back to see if they were still there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted September 9, 2009 Author Share Posted September 9, 2009 No, i emailed Brian and Karen, and they looked all over, and didn't see anything, i felt bad asking them to look for stuff i misplaced. I'm heading up that way this weekend, i will drive through the route i took when i left Brians shop and see if i can find them. Unfortunately i live 2 and a half hours away. Those tools were so sweet. That bottom fuller was a full three incher, it was beautiful, and the hot punch was awesome, super thick in the hitting end, and it had a great shape to the punch. the worst thing about it is that i was striker for Brian while we made all these tools, and i am very upset about losing them. Its not very often that you get to forge with Blacksmiths of their caliber, Brian Brazeal is amazing. I am proud to have tools with his touchmark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double_edge2 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 (edited) you ...you...lost..what? when he finnishes kickin himself... somebody slapim:D Edited September 9, 2009 by double_edge2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 I hope you find them, good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 look at this way you didn't loose HOW TO MAKE THEM ...thats the most important thing you took home...your always have that ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 No one can take away your knowledge or your wonderful learning experience. Now you have the chance to practice what you learned so that you don't forget any of it, by remaking the tools that were lost, thus doubling the learning experience and making the information permanent in your mind. If you have the time you could photograph the steps in the process in making of the various tools and contribute the information to the forum in the Blueprint section. That way we could all share and benefit from your experience with these generous smiths. Best wishes, Dave E. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Just make a road trip out here to Virginia in November... Peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaylan veater Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Wow, I sure hope you can find them when you retrace your way back. Once I lost a hunting knive that a find of mine made for me.I didnt know till I got home the knive had fell out. I retraced my route and ways able to find that knive 4 hours later 2hr drive and 2 hrs looking. Good Luck!!! But like some have mentioned you havent lost the knowledge to repeat. I too would be interested in step by step photos . Thanks again for the above photos. Gaylan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonteCristo Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 That is unfortunate! The work of Brian Brazeal I have seen on here has been so inspiring and high quality that I too would be upset if I lost such items. Be thankful you still have some things, plus got to work and learn from him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 That is the PITS! Sorry for your loss but I bet the fellow following you is happy as all get out. He now has the nicest set of tools to start blacksmithing with a man or woman could want. Now you get to go to that class, where was it in VA., and make them all over again. Ain't it going to be fun!:cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 It truly was a life changing experience to work with Brian Brazeal. Everything he does seems so effortless, and his teaching style is so absent of ego, he just really wants people to understand the easy way to make steel move under your hammer! I am more upset due to the sentimental value of the tools. I will definitely meet up with him again in the future. I feel like i've made a true friend. I'm going to re-trace my steps this weekend and see if i find them, wish me luck fellas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 It's funny like that, the things that will stay on or fall off a moving vehicle, when I was working on the road and had service trucks I would leave a tool or something on the bumper and loose it sure as shootin but I have diven miles with junk or boxes of trash that never fell off, my worst case of this happend one time 5-8 yrs ago back when I still drank, one night me and some friends were hanging out at my shop and at some point I lost a beer, antone that drinks knows how that can happen, well I said the heck with it and got another, well the next moring I was at the shop at work and was there for an hour or so and walked out to my truck to get something and as I approched my service truck my heart stopped....there on the back, sitting on the top of the liftgate post was a half of a can of beer, needless to say I never moved so fast to get rid of that can cause that could have gotten me fired if the wrong person saw it. What are the chances that can would stay there for a 15 mile drive on bumpy curvey back roads and that paticular truck road like a pack mule, if it was a tool it would have fell off and landed in a creek or something. Not to mention it was a waste of perfecly good beer. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Ironstein, Over a 36 year period I was an accident investigator (Reconstructionist). During that time I have reviewed over 200 thousand + accident reports. Two of them most notably caught my attention. And they were accidents where people had placed their babies (in carriers) on top of their cars and drove off. Many other people also did the same thing time and time again with other valuable and expensive items such as computers. After all was said and done, in each case we found that the person who had been loading the vehicle was interrupted during the process. When they got back to what they were doing with their vehicle, they had forgotten about the items that they had placed on top of the vehicle, and then drove off! So I would not beat your self up, it happens, and can happen to the best of people! Good luck on finding your tools! Ted Throckmorton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironstein Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 Thanks guys, all these posts made me feel better. I am so happy that i found blacksmithing. Not only is it extremely interesting, but i have met nothing short of spectacular people, including the people on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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