Crossed Heart Forge

Inspired by the Japanese art of swordsmithing, Dave has been making knives since 1990. His work brings together a fusion of cultural and artistic styles from his experiences in Africa, North America, and Asia. His bladesmithing, finishing methods, and designs draw deeply on the Japanese tradition while his kitchen utensils reflect the plain and simple aesthetic gleaned during his foundational time as a blacksmith in Amish country. Continue reading →

Old school is good school. The main tools like the forge, anvil, vise, and post drill are between 100 and 150 years old. The work is mostly hand powered and the raw materials for blades are reclaimed from farm equipment and other machinery. The forge is fuelled with softwood charcoal that we create in small batches in a kiln fired with construction scrap and other bits of Continue reading →

Davej operates out of a small but inspiring traditionally equipped blacksmith shop in the central Vancouver Island area. Every swing of the hammer is done by hand. When he is not working on his art tanto he also creates hand forged utensils, ornamental ironwork, various other pieces of art metalwork, and functional objets d’art. IslandBlacksmith.ca →