Nesting Owl Forge at Wilder Grove Retreat

Nesting Owl Forge at Wilder Grove Retreat We are Nesting Owl Forge. Smithing for my own mental health.

Coming from a long standing fascination with fire and steel, I spent 8 years making armor for heavy fighters in the US and Europe. I specialized in articulated finger gauntlets that provided crush protection as well as flexibility and comfort. Unable to escape my passion for edged weapons, a chance meeting allowed time with a new friend that taught me some of the basics of knife making. Research a

nd a lot of trial and error has resurged my passion for bladed things over the past few years, and has inspired an interest in blacksmithing as a reviving art form as well a means of making tools that I am able to utilize for my craft.

Back into it yesterday. First fire in a very long time. We'll see how it goes this time.
11/16/2025

Back into it yesterday. First fire in a very long time. We'll see how it goes this time.

11/15/2025

Hey all..
So my last post was about this time in 2021. A lot has happened in the last several years. Multiple surgeries among other things. Rebuilt my thumb a couple of years ago. And then life in general has gotten me in my own way. Well event of the last month has cleared the cob webs. So let's give the hand a try and see how it does with hammer and tongs.
More to come...

06/28/2023
A fire in the forge for the first time in a long time. I really feels good to be back with hammer in hand. Realized that...
10/29/2021

A fire in the forge for the first time in a long time. I really feels good to be back with hammer in hand.

Realized that my ash shovel had degraded to point of crumbling. So I made a new one.

Saving for later
11/14/2020

Saving for later

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Process for making charcoal to save it for later.
10/23/2020

Process for making charcoal to save it for later.

Charcoal Making the IJ Method - IronTreeForge Recorded by Iron John Logan 2017 https://www.irontreeforge.com/blog

I've been out for quite a while with carpel tunnel and a tumor growing on the nerve in my hand. It made using a hammer e...
08/15/2020

I've been out for quite a while with carpel tunnel and a tumor growing on the nerve in my hand. It made using a hammer extremely painful. Well two surgeries later and today was my first day back in the forge.

Christmas before last my family gave me a pack of tongs blanks from Ken's Custom Iron (www.kensironstore.com) but I haven't been able to do anything with them, until today.

One down, five to go. Gotta take it slow. It's amazing how tired your hands get when you haven't done any forging for so long.

We have a successful weld!
02/16/2019

We have a successful weld!

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Fredericksburg, VA
22406

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