"Shear Madness"
Blister and Shear Steel making class

22 and 23 January 2011
Sturgeon Bay, WI

Open to four students
$250

Take your reenactment and interpretation goods to the next level by using shear steel for you next authentic axe and knife from the French/Indian War, Rendezvous, Mountain Man, Trapper, Voyageur periods.

Over the two day session we will learn the ins and outs of making Blister Steel by adding carbon to wrought iron via the cementation process. We will sort the resulting blister steel and then stack weld the material to make Shear Steel. The final resulting bar of triple refined shear steel will have the same chemical and visual appearance of Colonial American and Early European/American high carbon steel.
Each student will make five pounds of blister steel and leave with a billet of shear steel and the knowledge on how to repeat the process in their own shop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gSU4kx_fqc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0WYYoW-4uM

Open to advanced beginner and above.

Contact Ric Furrer for details and to book the class.

Only two spaces remaining.

Ric

I have had three commit to the class and a fourth is on the fence.

Ric

What an opportunity folks. There are not too many people in the world doing this kind of work. Besides blister shear blades are some of the prettiest things out there IMO. I like a quick etch that is just enough to show the earthy colors.

Sounds great Ric and I wish you the best!

Thanks for posting the videos.

Very cool stuff!

Thanks Mackenzie...I try to put up good information.

Only one space remaining for the class.

Ric

Great videos, thanks!

If only earth wasn't so big, i would definitely take part. :)

Vielen Dank Arne,
It has been about 20 years since I was in Germany.....I would like it very much to travel and teach a few classes there for a group...maybe before or after a knifeshow?
To be sure Germany has a long tradition of excellent metalwork and there is still a large contingent of talented blacksmiths, steel makers and swordsmiths already in Germany, but perhaps I can bring something new to the group?

There are many museums I would like to see for the first time or again with more experienced eyes.

Have hammer, will travel.
Ric

Be sure to drop me a message if you should come to Germany again. I sure would like to meet you in person.

For the last few years I worked in the museums forge of the open air museum of Molfsee near Kiel(www-freilichtmuseum-sh.de). Maybe you've been there already? I can definitely recommend it. A colleague of mine still runs the forge there, whereas I moved to a small village near Munich. Chance had it that they have an archaeological open air museum (www.bajuwarenhof.de) and were looking for someone to run a forge. So right now I am in the process of building a forge from scratch. Two forges actually, one with a few more modern tools and another one is planned with a early medieval set of tools.
I try to forge there every sunday, but nowhere near your level. Being an archaeologist is eating way to much of my time to be a really magnificent blacksmith.

Class is now full
I look forward to seeing Jared,Michael,Scott and Jason in January.

I'll list the times for another Shear Madness for later in 2011 as well as bloomery and wootz classes soon.

Ric