Houston
Area
Blacksmith's
Association
7418 Branch Point
Houston, TX 77095-2649
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Blacksmiths Association
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Maps
Hammer Making Demo
with
Daniel and Chris Riffe
at
Tudor Forge
in Magnolia, Texas
The June HABA meeting will be at Dave Koenig's Tudor Forge in Magnolia. The date is June 18. The gate will be open at 7:30. Sign-in is at 8:00. The business meeting will begin at 8:30 with the demonstration to follow.
The featured demonstrators will be Daniel and Chris Riffe. They will be demonstrating how to make a rounding hammer and a Brazeal hot cut hardy. Chris and Daniel have recently completed a class with Brian Brazeal in Mississippi.
The demonstration will take place outside of the shop where there will be more room for people to see. A 10' x 20' canopy will provide shade in addition to the trees. Bring safety glasses with side shields, a chair, hat, snacks and anything else you will need to be comfortable during the day.
NOTE: Tudor Forge has neither toilet facilities nor running water.
More info will be posted soon. Until then, click here for photos and here showing them at work during that class.
Daniel keeps an outstanding blog updated as well on what he has learned about blacksmithing. Click his web page at The Apprentice Blacksmith.
On your way home or for lunch, head north into Magnolia and see progress on the Depot Shop we are building with Magnolia Historical Society, Inc. The Flickr page collection of the build is at Magnolia Depot Blacksmith Shop - HABA/MHS 2010-2011.
Photos from the event are posted on our Flickr page at Father's Day Hammer Demo.
Directions to Tudor Forge
From Houston:
Take 249 NW from Houston. Travel through the towns of Tomball, Decker Prairie and Pinehurst. At Pinehurst 249 changes to 1774. Stay on 1774. About three miles ahead on 1774 look for a Shell station on the west side of the road at a traffic light. One half mile past the Shell station, turn left or west on Tudor Way. There is a small white office on the corner. You will find the forge about a mile down the road on the left.
Or if you are coming from Magnolia:
From the intersection of 1488 and 1774 in Magnolia, go south on 1774 about 4 miles. Look for Tudor Way just after the Country Jamboree building. Turn right and follow the signs. If you see the Shell station you went too far.
What to Bring
Safety glasses with side shields are a requirement! Hearing protection and gloves (leather and/or rubber) are recommended.
Bring a chair to sit in.
You do not have to be a member to attend our meetings! Bring a Guest!
Bring your Membership Dues if you want to work at a forge and are not a current Member !
Minors are welcome but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
ABOUT TUDOR FORGE
Tudor Forge started in the driveway of Dave Koenig's home in Kay County, Oklahoma in 1979. He built a forge with a crank blower and made an anvil from oil field junk. He bought a bag of coal and after several attempts had a coal fire burning. He heated up a steel bar and began hammering on it to see what would happen. There was nothing more or less to that first attempt to change the shape of a steel bar with a hammer and anvil.
The Koenig's returned to Houston at the start of 1980 and Dave learned
that Joe Pehoski was teaching blacksmithing near Washington, TX. Dave
attended a couple of Joe's classes and joined the Artist Blacksmith's
Association of North America (ABANA). The passion for forging began.In 1982 Dave purchased some land in Montgomery, County TX and built a pole building that is now called Tudor Forge. At the time there was no electricity available within a couple of miles so the shop was built without electricity. That means all but a few pieces of wood were cut with a hand saw.
Tudor Forge became a weekend retreat. Dave joined the Texas Artist Blacksmith's Association,TABA, now Balcones Forge, attended some ABANA Conferences and continued to increase his knowledge of forging through books, ABANA publications and demonstrations.
Tudor Forge remained inactive from 1985 to 1988 when the family lived in the Middle East. The overseas assignment kept Dave away fromTudor Forge but did not stop the smithing related reading. It was also a time to see first-hand some of the old ironwork in many other parts of the world.
Once back in Houston, smoke was again pouring out of Tudor Forge on weekends. Paying jobs were really non-existant but bent iron in the form of gifts and auction items and an increasing scrap pile came out of the shop.
About 1996 Dave began smithing for the public at parks and for other non-profit organizations. This work continues today. He retired in 1997 and began devoting more and more time to the art and craft of blacksmithing. He started the Houston Area Blacksmith's Association, HABA, and served as its president until 2003. He now serves on the ABANA Board of Directors and is the Conference Chairperson for the 2004 ABANA Conference in Richmond, KY.
Tudor Forge is pretty much the same place it was 30 years ago. There is still no power at the shop and probably will never be. Tudor forge is a place to experience traditional blacksmithing. It's a place for a person to step up to a fire, heat a piece of metal and using a hammer and anvil and hand tools create something completely new. The opportunities to creatre are endless. Forging is a test of a person's skill and willingness to learn something new. Tudor Forge is a place to preserve and promote the art and craft of blacksmithing.
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Last updates were on June 17, 2011
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