The Hammer In at TrackRock Campgrounds was held this past weekend.  We have been participating in this for years, even before we moved to this area.  We participate for a number of reasons, the fun being one of them.

This Hammer In is always free to attend.  We defray the cost of it with the Iron In the Hat drawing, a knife donated by one of the makers or guild members and donations.  What is left after funding, the next show is donated to a Childrens Hospital somewhere, this time it was the Atlanta Scottish Rite's.  So we figure we get to have some fun, help a newbie make a knife and donate to a good cause.

I cannot begin to tell you how fantastic it is to work with a group of grown men that want to share beating on steel with kids.  I swear it makes each of them turn into a full sized kid themselves.  Anyone is welcome to come and build a knife but the unwritten rule is kids are first on the anvils.

In case you didn't notice, she can't reach the anvil so she is standing on our cooler :)

No matter what it takes as long as they can be sure a child is safe while forging they will make time and a way for it to happen.  The young ones make little swords

And for some of them the love of the forge sticks and they come back.  We have a young girl that started at age 9 and now at 14 she brings her anvil and forge and helps the young ones enjoy the day playing with fire and steel.  We have another that turns 18 next month and he has been at it since he made his first sword at age 4.  The more they attend, the more ambitious they become.  What kid doesn't want to spend the weekend with Paul, making this beauty.

These men qualify as some of the most giving and generous I know, to me they are all heroes of a kind.  This was the start of a new tradition that we are proud to be a very small part of.  Through donations from these guys, we gave a young man his first knife set up.  He received a forge, an anvil, steel and forging tools.  Luca has come to every hammer In for about 3 years and each time he gets better and more excited for the next weekend he can come get some anvil time.  Some would think the first thing this young man would do is build a knife but NO!  The first thing he did is ask a young boy...hey, do you want to make a knife?  He spent a day sharing skills and passion learned right here in this barn and hopefully igniting the fire in a new knifemaker.

Sorry that pic just wants to be sideways LOL.

It really is not just the kids that get involved.  This young man and his lady brought a passion to see this done with them.  When they found out he could make his first real knife right here he jumped at the chance.  He left with a knife, she left with a tiny sword and the URL on how to make a soupcan forge so they can try at home also.

Sandals are not recommended footwear by the way

and of course the work can also be displayed and sold.