Last week we went on our annual family vacay to TN. A friend of the fam owns a private cabin in the mountains outside of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. Every year the week after Thanksgiving we go up (down?) there with my folks. This year some other friends of ours were in town at the same time and told my dad they went by a shop that had, "a forge or something from that knife making show on tv." Turns out it was Robby Bowman from Forged in Fire. He was on Season 3 then voted back by fans of the show for a "fans pick" on Season 4.
Anyway, he wasn't there last Thursday when dad and I went, but I got to work with others he's taught anyway. Here's my first ever forged piece.
I DID get to meet him when the wife and I went back by the next day. SUPER chill guy and great to talk to. Got a pic with him I guess I could post but whatever. Anyway, I'm hoping 2018 will bring me a forge and anvil and I'll be making knives 100% from scratch. The tobacco pipes are likely going to be another endeavor altogether.