The Annual Bill Gichner Memorial Hammer-In at the Hutchison Brothers farm in Cordova, Maryland, January 4-6, 2013. This year’s demonstrator is William Roan of
Oakland, California.  Bill Roan is a well respected artist blacksmith, skillfully using traditional and more modern methods to achieve his ends. He has a wry sense of humor which makes itself apparent in some of his sculptures. He is skilled in helping others learn by doing, so you can expect to be challenged and encouraged in the production of the demonstration pieces. Passion and Power by Nancy Zastrow has a number of photos of some of his whimsical work. He is an artist whose work proclaims that you can be yourself when creating, and can expect your work to be notable and well-received.  Registration form now available.

What can we do different? That was the question posed to me the most at our most recent hammer in. Now I’m asking the membership at large the same thing. What’s the answer? We have provided world class demonstrators, a wealth of information, lots of one on one time, a perfect venue & less than 40 members attend. Please take a few minutes & try to find an appropriate answer to the question. I welcome your comments & concerns. Even though attendance was down the Tuckahoe Metal Smithing event was in the black. Thank you to those of you who attended.

Well let’s look forward to January & the Gichner Memorial Hammer In. Send in your registration early.  If you might be interested, plans are underway for a “possible“ hammer making class to be held at my shop.  This will be either Friday before or the Monday after Dave’s January event. If you are interested contact me. Also we will be hosting a plasma cutting seminar sometime either this fall or winter; probably on a Saturday at my shop.  Also sometime this Fall I am planning on spending a day in Furnace Town tuning up their power hammer & showing those folks how to safely use their plasma cutter.

On a much sadder note our old friend Hans Wendt has passed on to the Great Metal Shop in the sky. He was 75. Hans was one of my original mentors & lifelong friends that assisted me in my metal fabrication career. The things Hans taught me are too numerous to even comprehend.  He could be found at any event playing one of his many harmonica’s. or enjoying a meal or both. Always pleasant, joyous & happy; whistling was a full time event.  And when he was around the shop when he stopped whistling I knew I’d better go check on him. He was up to something. Our shop is eerily quiet now without him & that’s sad. Our old characters are leaving.  I only hope we can fill those shoes & create some new ones. Get To Work!

Eric R. Harvey

President MASA