junker Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 i haven't been on in awhile but i am on a family vacation in DC, i was wondering if anyone knows any smiths in the area or between here and florida. i have a mentor but i would love to visit another smith and see how they do things. also if anyone knows where to find some blacksmithing exhibits in the smithsonian that would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 There are a lot of smiths in the MD/VA area. If in D.C. go to the National Cathedral. Some of the best ironwork in the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted June 14, 2010 Author Share Posted June 14, 2010 oh cool, any working exhibits or exhibits of old swords, daggers, that kind of thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I wish I could say for sure but Lindsay was the blacksmith in a living history park somewhere near DC. Lindsay was a student I had the honor of showing a few things during an all too brief amount of time. She was heading to the DC area for her next run of post graduate classes and wanted to learn a little smithing before she left Alaska. After spending about 40 hours with me she'd picked up a healthy quantity of the basics and as a tool steel project made a nice sheath knife. The next thing I heard she'd made the rounds of local knife shops leaving some of the propriators a little agape over her first attempt. so, she gets recommended to a local living history mill where the resident blacksmith likes her work and offers her the position. If you get to talking to a gal name of Lindsay ask if she took a few lessons in Alaska and if yes, tell her Frosty says hi. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 so i went to the national cathedral... WOW just WOW, the iron work is amazing, i can't wait until i've been doing this for long enough to be able to do anything remotely like that. Even the sign holders for the tours were wrought iron, both in the metal and in the worked sense. I've also found out that we're going to the caverns in virginia on the way home so if there are any smiths located near any of the caverns or between them i'd love to hear from ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Junker, when are you leaving? I'm a member of the Blacksmiths Guild of the Potomac. Our shop is in Arlington, just across the Potomac from you. If you want to come by some evening, I might be able to meet you there. If not, I may be able to find someone who can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 that'd be great, we're leaving at like 3am friday morning. but i think we're actually going to the arlington national cemetary, the tomb of the un-named soldier, and the vietnam memorial wall tomorrow or the next day. my dad says it's something important to see b4 i enlist and i just think it's plain important. ill keep u updated on what's going on, where exactly in arlington are you and is it easily accesable by metro (1 1/2miles or less of walking from the station, whiney little brother)or do i need to take a cab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 and what is the name of your shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 It's the Guild's shop. BGOP website. The address is 3608 North Military Rd., Arlington. It's on the Gulf Branch Nature Center property. I'm afraid it's in an older, residential part of Arlington, so the Metro isn't very close. The nearest station is probably Rosslyn, which (according to Google Maps) is about four miles away from the shop. I sent out an email to a bunch of BGOP members to see if anyone might be free to meet up with you sometime this week. There's also a shop meeting at the Guild this Friday at 7:30. Each shop meeting normally consists of guild business (which usually doesn't take long), followed by show-and-tell and a demonstration. The demo this week is supposed to be forging snakes from farriers' rasps. In fairness, I should warn you that the meetings sometimes move v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. [Oops. Disregard. I just noticed that you said you're leaving Friday morning.] I'll let you know what comes of the email. My young niece and nephew are staying with us for the week, so it's a difficult time for me to try and get away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gettica Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Yeah, hi! There should be a bunch of us at the BGOP forge tonight and Thursday between 7PM and... well, we usually leave around 11PM. We'd love to see you there! Caitlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 im going to be in arlington today. i'd love to visit, it's going to be hard to make that meeting though, im staying in the district of the columbia in a more ghetto area, might not be the greatest idea to leave here after dark ill pm both of you my # so we can keep in touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 hey matt im sorry but i can't seem to pm you ill pm gettica but my # is 3213881735 ask for kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Yikes! Thanks for the heads-up. My PMs were full. I've cleared some out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junker Posted June 17, 2010 Author Share Posted June 17, 2010 so i went to the BGOP open forge last night and it was great. those are some awsome members u got there, and $6 for a 50ibs bag of coal is unbelievable. u guys sure are in a great position there, u got a real nice shop. so just keep on forgin' guys (and lady) lols Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 so i went to the BGOP open forge last night and it was great. those are some awsome members u got there, and $6 for a 50ibs bag of coal is unbelievable. u guys sure are in a great position there, u got a real nice shop. so just keep on forgin' guys (and lady) lols Glad it worked out! Sorry I couldn't be there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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