Batsons gathering was a event. It was the largest crowd I have seen at any hammer in. It was great fun and the information over load was extra special. This is a must attend for old hand as well as beginners. If you have one chance to see the forged blade crowd this is it. Jim pulled off twenty five years of excellence.

On the backs of giants

Wally Hostetter on the shoulders of one of the giants in the forged blade industry

Jimmy Fikes

Jimmy is a legend in the forge blade industry  and hell of a good friend.

Jimmy Fikes  Don Fogg and Jim Schmidt  started all the performance testing done on blades world wide..

Jimmy's blades are scary sharp and reflect the ice cold purity of his work. We all owe a lot to Jimmy Fikes for his contribution to the craft 

Wally Hostetter is a premier maker of Japanese fittings and swords.

We all have advanced in the craft because of the giants before us

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steve schwarzer 2006