Matherton Forge Iron Age Challenge

The Matherton Forge Iron Age Challenge

and Venture Brothers film Festival

August 14, 15 and 16 2009

This is Nasticles. Nasticles says modern bladesmiths are nothing without their fancy alloying. Nasticles has only bronze weapons and armor and feels they are superior to anything we have to offer. Nasticles challenges all comers to defeat him and show the bronze age is indeed over and a new metal is ready to rule the world.

The challenge: In three days, using raw ore and ancient smelting methods, produce an iron age blade capable of cutting Nasticles down to size.

Friday, August 14, the bloomery furnace will be fired at around 9:00 a.m., hopefully with bloom consolidation and forging beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 15, starting at 9:00 a.m., blade forging, grinding, and other aspects such as heat treating as time allows before dinner time. Dinner is potluck, bring your own favorite to grill and we will have a cookout. After dinner there will be a special single Malt Scotch tasting event.

Single Malt Scotch tasting event (and more blade making Q&A): To participate - (obviously you must be 21) bring a bottle of single malt scotch with purchase receipt. A $20 Scotch gets your name entered into a drawing for the big prize; each $10 beyond that in price will get your name entered again. So, for example, say you bring a receipt showing a $75 bottle of Scotch, you will get 6 tickets or entries in the drawing. All power to tools and equipment in the shop will be shut off before the Scotch tasting begins.

The winner of the scotch tasting drawing will take home the sword blade made in the three days, or $200 worth of damascus steel should we fail in our challenge.

Sunday, August 16, at 9:00 the process of finishing the blade and putting it to the test of cutting will proceed.

For fans of the Venture Brothers, and I don't know how you can't be unless you have never seen the show in which case we can fix that, all three seasons will be available for viewing all weekend long!

In case you haven't caught on by now, this event is not a formal hammer-in, I do so many of those I get burned out, but instead just an opportunity to hang out with other blade makers while attempting something very cool and have fun! Think of it as a camp-out where we get to grill, laugh, chat and play at all things concerning blade making; kind of A weekend summer camp for big kids who want to make blades.

Where: Matherton Forge

5615 Tyler Street,
Hubbardston (Matherton), MI 48845
989-981-6780

The Results