Due to interest, we will be adding a Basic Forging Course to this year’s schedule. The new course is scheduled for October 12-16. You can reserve a seat here.
Also, due to couple cancelations, there is now available two spaces in the July 20-24, 2009 Basic Forging Course. These spaces may not last long, so act quickly to reserve it if you are interested!
No Comments. Respond here.As the fruit trees around the shop blossom and the everything else on Dragonfly Mountain begins to grow at a nearly unmanagable rate, Tomboyama Nihonto Tanren Dojo once again opens its doors to students.
Our first session of the year was attended by one student, Uwe, who attended our April 27-May 1 Basic Forging Course. Under Michael Bell’s instruction, Uwe forged a cable katana of 26 inch nagasa. The five day course was a complete pleasure and we are very pleased with the blade Uwe can bring home with him.
For more photos from Uwe’s Basic Forging Course can be seen in our 2009 School Year photo gallery, to which we will continue to add photos to as the year progresses.
Photos of classes and students of 2009 School Year at our swordsmithing school, the Tomboyama Nihonto Tanren Dojo (Dragonfly Mountain Japanese Sword Forging School)
31 Photos
Our July 20-24 Basic Forging Course has already been filled and other classes are beginning to fill as well. Those interested in reserving a space in a particular session may wish to do so ASAP.
Our scheduled classes run from April to August, although we may schedule a class for the beginning of October as well, depending on interest. During the winter, we will once again close our doors, as winter storms and other weather conditions can make travel difficult.
1 CommentLike every year, Dragonfly Forge will be attending the Oregon Knife Collectors Association’s annual show in Eugene, Oregon. The show will be held this year on Friday, April 17 thru Sunday April 19. It is located at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, Oregon.
Our table will be the same spot as usual, feel free to come by our table and ask us about our swordsmithing school. We will also be displaying some of our own work. Please come by, say hello, and have a look.
What can we find at the show?
Knives, Swords, Razors, Cutlery, Blades, Tools, Bayonets, Scissors, Hat pins, Pocket knives, Kitchen knives, Old knives, New knives, Custom knives, Straight knives, Stone knives, Knife Making supplies and anything that goes “cut.”
General Admission: $6/day
Free Demonstrations Saturday
435 Tables!
Show Hours:
Friday: Members Only
Saturday: 8AM to 5PM
Sunday 9AM to 3PM
5000 people attended last year’s show.
Is previous experience necessary to take courses at Tomboyama Nihonto Tanren Dojo?
All of the classes we currently offer require no previous experience, including our Basic Forging Course. In fact, a majority of students who take our Basic Forging Course have had no prior forging experience.
For classes which cover hands on instruction of making other parts of the sword (Habaki Course) or certain techniques for blade refinement (Kajioshi Course), students are required to bring a suitable blade to work on or to make a habaki for. In the case of our Koshirae Course, students must have a blade with a finished well-fitted habaki to make the koshirae for. For the Tsuka-maki Course, students must bring a sword handle, tsuka, with the same-kawa already inlaid for wrapped.
No Comments. Respond here.An article regarding apprenticeships has been posted at our website, www.dragonflyforge.com.
“Michael Bell undertook a traditional five year apprenticeship to Japanese master swordsmith Nakajima Muneyoshi. Michael ’s teacher, Mr. Nakajima, was unique in that he learned all of the Japanese sword arts: swordsmithing, polishing, habaki-making, as well as making koshirae. Usually each aspect of Japanese sword-making is preformed by a specialist; a sword can pass through the hands of four or more artists before being fully completed. It was for this reason that he was brought to Oakland, California in 1963 by the Japanese Sword Society of the United States; Mr. Nakajima could perform all the different jobs necessary to restore old swords. In 1970 Michael Bell was introduced to Mr. Nakajima and shortly thereafter became his apprentice.”
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