Hi,

I am planning to go to Isreal & New Zeland later this year. I would greatly appreciate help with my quest to seek out other smiths in other cultures. My particular passions are forging techniques from the 1800's & the Mande Blacksmiths of Africa. I haver been looking into these various topics for a while now and I am planning to create a new set of inspirational reference points. Does anyone know of any Blacksmiths, or Metalworkers currently working in Isreal or New Zeland. I would like to contact them for research purposes and possibly to stop and visit along the way.

I would be grateful for any information given.

Thanks
Davs

I believe Hofi is in Israel from time to time. And we have an entire group from Australia, but not sure if any are from the island. Before too long one of two will probably pop up and let you know. Good luck and keep us posted.

Contacting these guys may help you. I suspect that as an industrially developed ex British colony which took the land of an ametallic group of cultures about 2-3 centuries ago, much of the tradition will be familiar. Not that you can't get inspiration from them of course.

Blacksmithing Groups
Check here for blacksmithing groups.

Mr. Hofi is from Isreal as well as Tsur Sadan. Tsur apprenticed under Mr. Hofi for 6yrs (I think that's right) and teaches at Tom Clark's Ozark School of Blacksmithing. Not sure how to get a hold of either of them for shop visits tho. You can PM Mr. Hofi here as he is a IFI member. For Tsur you might try calling/emailing Ozark School and see if they can give you contact info, just a guess. Man, sure wish I could be you little bag boy for this trip! I don't eat much and say Yes sir and No sir real good! Take plenty of pictures!

I have a friend called Jon Hall, who is a practicing smith in New Zealand, his site is Jon Hall Forgework Hope this is of some help.

There is a blacksmith in New Zealand named Darby West. We exchange e-mails from time to time. His e-mail address is: Darby West [[email protected]]. He has a small shop in the country, burns coal, and teaches blacksmithing to at least beginners. Good luck,

Yue are invited to visit me on your visit to Israel
on the first two weeks of august I amdemoing and teaching in Germany
on the last week of september and the first week of october I am in Hlland and Germany
and some were in the end of the year in the usa for two weeks.
so if you want to visit y have to set the apointment before coming
E-mail [email protected]
phon in the smithy o4-6374382
the websit is

post some pictures after the trip would ya!? for the sake of us pour slobs with less spare time and monny to travel ;-)

By the way Hofi; where in Germany and Holand are you ? annywhere close to the belgian border? anny openings in the classes? :-D
or else, if you wanna do some beer tastings of belgian beer, let me know ;-)

Wow, this is great I should have done this earlier. Thanks to everyone who has added something. Keep them coming please!!

And yes, I will put pics up after the trip.

Johannes
In Holland all the classes are full to the end of 09
in august in REINSTETTEN OCHSENHAUSEN AT ''ANGELE MASCHINENBAU'' I think there is still opening for the air hammer and hand hammer classes u ''ll have to call johannes angele 0049-7352922614
in berlin u''ll have to call MARTIN ZIEGLER
REGARDS

HOFI

thank you Hofi, I'm gonna look up if i can free up those days, in witch case I'l contact Mr angle.
kind regards
Johannes