Artist in Residence: Museum Forge
Although temporary demonstrations and events have been held at the museum since early 2012, the blacksmith-in-residence project at the museum forge was officially launched in 2015 by Red Cod Forge. Building and installing the traditional swordsmith forge was started in 2016, the first lighting in 2017, and since then bladesmithing has been a regular part…
Railway Days at the Museum
A yearly event around the theme of railways hosted by the Vancouver Island Garden Railway Club, The Oceanside Model Railroaders, and the E&N Division of the Canadian Railway Historical Association. Around four hundred people attended this year and enjoyed the many special exhibits on the grounds. The museum forge was open for viewing, though the…
The End of an Era
It is with some hesitation and a great degree of uncertainty that I interrupt the usual flow of news to bring you this official announcement of the end of an era. While we were blessed to have a workspace on the same property for several years, the recent kajiba project came to a close much…
Photo Essay: Views of the Shiageba
Talented Vancouver Island photographer Jordan Wende stopped in at the Island Forge in mid-July to document the atmosphere and some of the work going on. In this installment of the series, several views of the shiageba at rest. Photographed and edited by Jordan Wende Polishing, Fittings, & Lacquering Togi oke (polishing bucket) after a long…
Natural Earth Plaster Walls
In contrast to the rough walls of the kajiba, which are arakabetsuchi (荒壁土), the traditional infill technique using a rough mixture of natural clay, sand, and straw applied over lath (komai/kabekomai 壁小舞), the interior walls of the shiageba are finished with a finer natural earth plaster top layer. This small shiageba will provide work areas…
Building a Togi-Dai for Polishing
Togi (研ぎ) is the process of using several stages of abrasive stones to refine, smooth, and sharpen a blade. The word togi does not differentiate between the action of polishing and the action of sharpening, in the Japanese concept the operations are one and the same –an integral process. A togi-dai (研ぎ台) polishing platform is…
Organizing the Carving Area for Making Saya
A few views of the preparation of the woodworking space for carving saya (scabbards) and tsuka (handles). The loft area of the shiageba provides a small floor working space and storage area for tools and wood while downstairs is for polishing. The window faces north to provide stable lighting conditions throughout the day. Woodworking operations…
Preparing the Shiage-ba (finishing shed)
Traditional knifemaking is generally divided into rough work and clean work. Forging, shaping, and kaji-togi polishing can be done in the kajiba, but finishing work must be done in a cleaner area. This small shiageba will provide work areas for carving saya (scabbards) and tsuka (handles), polishing blades, and other finishing work such as lacquering…