The Herald Times Reporter is reporting that this weekend, from 11am to 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday, there will be a blacksmithing demonstration held at the Pinecrest Historical Village. The over all event is a "Holiday in History" happening. The Pinecrest Historical Village is located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. More information can be found one the historical societies website.

Such a great event to hear about! A gateway was recently constructed and installed at Paterson Park in London. The effort was lead by Rotherhithe-based blacksmith Kevin Boys. He set up his forge in the yard at the City of London Academy where locals gathered to help create the gate. The London SE1 community website has the story.

The San Fransisco Chronicle is running a decent interview with Daniel Hopper, a local blacksmith. There is a few questions and answers I found to be a bit insightful, some discussion of inspiration. All and all it is a fair piece. Be sure to check out Daniel's home page at danielhopper.com.

The New Observer has a great write up on Peter Ross. They provide a lot of background and detail, discussing both his current work, and how he got started. It has a number of nice photographs of his work. He is making headlines in the local paper since he recently decided to open up his workshop for the Chatham Studio Tours. If I were located anywhere around Chatham, North Carolina I would be sure to take the tour. You can find more information on the tour's website.

The folks over at Popular Science are hosting a very detailed write up on building a gas forge. I'm not sure I think the body is my favorite design, but it looks like it would get metal hot just fine. They also layout a home built burner. Well worth the read, and full of pictures and details.

The Nashville News is reporting that the John Geist and Sons Blacksmith Shop may be up for sale. It was once thought to be Nashville's oldest business in continuous family ownership and operation. Apparently the business dates back to the 1840s. . The children of Catherine Baltz and John Geist Jr. still own the shop and two adjoining houses. The shop has been used since 1891, and was only recently closed in 2006. Many original tools are still present. The current owners are apparently looking for a buyer. No word on the price, but if you are looking for shop space in Nashville, this could be a great historic location.

The Harold is reporting that the Tobacco Farm Life Museum will be hosting Blacksmithing demonstrations. Amos Tucker will be manning the anvil. For more information you can reach the Museum at (919) 284-3431. Directions and other information can be found at the Museum website.

The Rapid City Journal is running a piece about a local blacksmith shop that is alive an kicking. The proprietor, Jack Parks, started out as a hobbyist and eventually turned his passion into a business. Now he is active teaching a new generation. This article has some great pictures of his shop and Jack at work. It is definitely worth a look see.

PhysOrg has a great article up about a new technology that is being developed. The article quotes Dr. Verena Kräusel, head of department at the IWU, as stating, “The new method is based on electromagnetic pulse technology (EMPT), which was previously used primarily to expand or neck aluminum tubes. We’ve modified it to cut even hard steels.