Hey all:

My home phone/internet went out several days ago and is going o be down for at least the next week. I'll try to get access when I can and handle the moderating, but I may be a bit slow on some things. Please try to remember to log in so you r comments get posted without being put in the moderation queue.

I'm finally back home and somewhat rested up from the Atlantic Coast Blacksmiths Conference at Ashokan, NY. What a truly great conference!

The featured demonstrators, Mark Aspery, Peter Ross and David Norrie were all very good, with different styles and deliveries, providing something to suit almost anyone. Mark Aspery's style of teaching seemed to suit my style of learning particularly well, as he focused on explaining the "why" of things rather than just the "how." I would love to spend some time taking instruction from him. I did pick up a copy of his book, "The Skills of A Blacksmith, Volume 1", and from what I have read so far it is a really excellent teaching tool for the beginning blacksmith and a great reference for the professional as well. I'm sure you'll all see me quoting from it in the future.