Welcome to the Northeast Blacksmiths Association
Mission Statement: To promote and provide educational opportunities in the traditional art and craft of blacksmithing."I just wanted to drop you a quick line to say thanks so much for having me at this year’s semi-annual Hammer In, in scenic Olivebridge. I had such a fantastic time getting some hands-on time at a forge, which has been a dream of mine for over 30 years now. The instructor was incredibly patient, kind with his time, and supportive of everyone at the Student Demo and I think it’s fair to say that a great time was had by all. I can’t wait to attend the next one in the Spring!" Casey Ostrander
View registration options HERE: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/s7x5s6b
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Since 1977, the Northeast Blacksmiths Association has been offering opportunities to experience first-hand the traditional craft of forging hot iron into useful or artistic items. Semi-annual "Hammer-Ins" at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY provide a multi-level approach to give both beginners and experienced smiths the instruction and inspiration to improve their skills and confidence.
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Spring 2025 presidents message:
Greetings and I hope this finds all of you well and in good spirits. With the weather getting warmer we can look forward to our upcoming spring hammer-in. For those of you who were unable to attend our last hammer-in our group had elections and some changes were made to the group’s officers. Resulting from the election, I will be stepping into the President’s role, Timothy Miller will be Vice President, Chris Doherty will be Secretary, and Tim Neu will continue as group Treasurer. I would like to thank our former President Frank Shaw and Secretary Bruce Ringier for their service to the Northeast Blacksmiths Association. Looking ahead, we are hoping to make some improvements to our beginner’s workshop tooling and take steps to increase our membership. I would like to hear any ideas you may have regarding these items.
Our demonstrator for the Fall Hammer-in was Otto Engel owner of Innovation Forge in Berthoud Colorado. Otto’s demonstration “Thinking Big and Forging Small,” focused on forging delicate cross sections, forge welding tiny parts, and tooling and math to create a mobile/kinetic sculpture. Otto’s accomplishments as a smith and a businessperson were very impressive, especially for someone so young.
Our demonstrator for the Spring Hammer-in will be Anna Koplik. Anna graduated with a BFA in Jewelry from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where she discovered her love for metalwork and forging. After graduating in 2015 she shifted her focus to blacksmithing and began traveling, working at crafts schools and as a journeyman architectural smith, teaching blacksmithing workshops, and going on adventures whenever possible. Her personal work focuses mainly on tool and utensil making, and combining functionality with a refined, delicate aesthetic.
Anna has worked at Peters Valley School of Craft, Atlas Forge, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Spirit Ironworks, Center for Metal Arts, Davis Metalsmiths, Caleb Kullman Studio, Michael Bondi Metal Design, and MDO Welding and Fabrication. She has taught at a variety of craft schools, including Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and John C. Campbell Folk School.
At our hammer-in Anna’s demonstration will include forging a hammer using top tooling and a striker, then switching to hand forging for utensil making and other smaller forgings. To continue our trend of using the demonstration from the previous hammer-in as inspiration for the forging contest item, the forging contest will be a small, mobile/kinetic sculpture. The elements and joinery of the sculpture should be forged. I am looking forward to seeing you all at the hammer-in.
Kelly Anson
Greetings and I hope this finds all of you well and in good spirits. With the weather getting warmer we can look forward to our upcoming spring hammer-in. For those of you who were unable to attend our last hammer-in our group had elections and some changes were made to the group’s officers. Resulting from the election, I will be stepping into the President’s role, Timothy Miller will be Vice President, Chris Doherty will be Secretary, and Tim Neu will continue as group Treasurer. I would like to thank our former President Frank Shaw and Secretary Bruce Ringier for their service to the Northeast Blacksmiths Association. Looking ahead, we are hoping to make some improvements to our beginner’s workshop tooling and take steps to increase our membership. I would like to hear any ideas you may have regarding these items.
Our demonstrator for the Fall Hammer-in was Otto Engel owner of Innovation Forge in Berthoud Colorado. Otto’s demonstration “Thinking Big and Forging Small,” focused on forging delicate cross sections, forge welding tiny parts, and tooling and math to create a mobile/kinetic sculpture. Otto’s accomplishments as a smith and a businessperson were very impressive, especially for someone so young.
Our demonstrator for the Spring Hammer-in will be Anna Koplik. Anna graduated with a BFA in Jewelry from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where she discovered her love for metalwork and forging. After graduating in 2015 she shifted her focus to blacksmithing and began traveling, working at crafts schools and as a journeyman architectural smith, teaching blacksmithing workshops, and going on adventures whenever possible. Her personal work focuses mainly on tool and utensil making, and combining functionality with a refined, delicate aesthetic.
Anna has worked at Peters Valley School of Craft, Atlas Forge, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Spirit Ironworks, Center for Metal Arts, Davis Metalsmiths, Caleb Kullman Studio, Michael Bondi Metal Design, and MDO Welding and Fabrication. She has taught at a variety of craft schools, including Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and John C. Campbell Folk School.
At our hammer-in Anna’s demonstration will include forging a hammer using top tooling and a striker, then switching to hand forging for utensil making and other smaller forgings. To continue our trend of using the demonstration from the previous hammer-in as inspiration for the forging contest item, the forging contest will be a small, mobile/kinetic sculpture. The elements and joinery of the sculpture should be forged. I am looking forward to seeing you all at the hammer-in.
Kelly Anson
Something for every skill level and ability!
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World-class demonstrators
Fully equipped Forges Spacious lecture areas On site coal and steel sales Tool and equipment sales |
Personalized instruction
Parent/child packages Tools and steel provided
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Tailgating sales of tools, equipment, and materials is an important activity at our meets. There is no additional fee for vending merchandise...it's all part of the program!
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Ashokan Center
477 Beaverkill Rd. Olivebridge, NY 12461 |
Program and registration:
845-657-7553 |
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