Ep 128 Pete Mattila "There is a responsibility with blacksmithing"
BlacksmitHER Radio
This week I’ve got Pete Mattila from Tasmania, which is off the southern coast of Australia. We talk about his shop by the water’s edge, his US apprentice journey, and his design process. Before we get to the interview I wanted to mention today’s sponsors, First we have the Adirondack Folk School. It’s a non-profit school located in Lake Luzerne, in upstate New York. The blacksmithing program at the Folk School includes 24 classes with an incredible line of blacksmithing instructors this year. To see the complete list of classes or to register, visit their website: ...
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Ep 127 Iron Maegan Crowley
BlacksmitHER Radio
Hello welcome to episode 127 I am continuing my series of 12 podcast interviews (one a month) focusing on Design Process, Forging Process and Tool Making. Today I have Maegan Crowley from Colorado, she started her metal business in 2006 after attaining her Master of Fine Art from Cranbrook Academy. I’d also like to thank today’s sponsor, Even Heat, they manufacture the finest heat treat ovens available, Even Heat Kiln was founded in 1948 and has steadily grown to become a major kiln manufacturer. Find your next heat treat oven at . Maegan's website -
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Ep 126 Jeffery Funk on Design, Forging Process and Tool Making
BlacksmitHER Radio
Hello welcome to episode 126, as I mentioned before in the last episode, I’ve decided to do a series of 12 podcast interviews (one a month) focusing on the guest's Design Process, Forging Process and Tool Making. We begin with Jeffery Funk who has been working iron, bronze, stainless steel, and other metals for over forty years in a small shop outside of Bigfork, Montana. In our correspondence leading up to the interview, Jeffery said “Blacksmithing can be a portal to so many fascinating realms, far beyond the iron itself.” And that is the essence of how our interview...
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Ep 125 - 2019 Show
BlacksmitHER Radio
Hello Happy New Year, welcome to 2019 and episode 125! I've decided on a different format for this year's podcast. I sat down recently and came up with 3 main topics and questions within each topic. I will ask the next 10 or so guests the same questions and hopefully dive deep into their Design Process, Forging Process and Tool Making. Those are the 3 topics I’ll be asking my guests for the bulk of this year’s podcasts. This podcast is sponsored by Evenheat, they manufacture the finest heat treat ovens available, Even Heat Kiln was founded in 1948 and has steadily...
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Ep 124 Ambrose Burne “#150mmchallenge”
BlacksmitHER Radio
This week I’ve got Ambrose Burne, a very talented artist blacksmith living in Hereford, England. He attended the Artist Blacksmith program at the Hereford College of the Arts and then opened his own forge and is a lecturer on the BA (Hons) Artist Blacksmithing program for Hereford. Today we talk about his background a bit and about the 150mm Challenge he has started. BTW Hereford College of the Arts is asking for submissions from anyone willing to take on the challenge. The exhibition submissions need to be sent to Hereford for 1st March: Measured Making...
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Episode #123 – Michael Budd
BlacksmitHER Radio
This week I’ve got Michael Budd back on the show, he’s a very talented artist blacksmith from Sligo Ireland. We talk about his trip to Tomsk Russia this past summer, where he was invited to demonstrate at a festival called “The Festival of the Ax”. What We Talked About He attended a festival, the Festival of the Ax, as a demonstrator in Tomsk Russia, so he tells us about the festival and how he got invited. There were artists from over 100 different countries and 15 blacksmiths We really go deep into introducing the craft of blacksmithing to college students and how the use of...
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Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin for Nov 2018
BlacksmitHER Radio
This is the monthly Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin. Where you get the low-down about upcoming classes and events that are happening in the following month, I’ll be telling you about classes and events happening in November 2018. If you have an event or class you would like to submit, send an email to and I will send you the details I need for the press release.
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Ep 122 Anna Koplik "Weaponry Flatware"
BlacksmitHER Radio
This week I’ve got Anna Koplik, a young blacksmith who is currently completing an artist residency at the Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, Pennsylvania. She talks about her BFA in Jewelry and how she became interested in weaponry during college, which ended up being her intro to blacksmithing. Before we get to the interview I wanted to mention today’s sponsor is again provided on behalf of the New England Blacksmiths, an ABANA affiliate serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. And also will be driving the ABANA 2020...
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**Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin** For the month of Oct 2018
BlacksmitHER Radio
This is the monthly Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin. Where you get the low-down about upcoming classes and events that are happening in the following month, I’ll be telling you about classes and events happening in October 2018. If you have an event or class you would like to submit, send an email to and I will send you the details I need for the press release. OK, I’ll go in Alphabetic order here:
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**Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin** For the month of September 2018
BlacksmitHER Radio
This is the monthly Blacksmith Buzz Bulletin. Where you get the low-down about upcoming classes and events that are happening in the following month, I’ll be telling you about classes and events happening in September 2018. If you have an event or class you would like to submit, send an email to and I will send you the details I need for the press release.
info_outlineThis week’s episode is a quick one! I’m a member of the California Blacksmith Association and receive the bi-monthly magazine which is expertly put together by Mike Mumford, he does a great job every time. The latest Nov/Dec issue he wrote an article about something he saw in the education tent at the last CBA 2017 Spring Conference. Kevin Lauritsen was demonstrating in the tent and was talking about the difference between right handed and left handed tongs and the reason for the design.
I’ve never thought about it and Mike Mumford says he’s never thought about it either, so he went out to his shop and found that most of his tongs are right-handed, but found two bolt tongs that are left-handed. So, I too, went to my shop to see what I owned. I have 6 pairs of right-handed tongs made by Dennis Dusek, a few random tailgate pairs that are right handed and only two that are left-handed. Those two were made and given to me by Uri Hofi and Zeevik Gottlieb.
Here is what the article by Mike said:
- First, some really confusing terminology: The handedness of the tongs refers to the comfortable fit when held in your non-dominant hand.
- A right-handed person would hold right-handed tongs in their left, non-dominant hand.
- Right-handed tongs are designed to work best for a right-handed person.
- Start with the idea that the upper rein is held against the thumb and palm, while the fingers hold the lower rein.
- The more comfortable way to hold and release is that the lower rein is closer to the body, away from the palm. The lower rein naturally drops away as the fingers are released.
- The picture below shows right-handed tongs to be held in the left hand on top. Below them are left-handed tongs to be held in the right hand.
