Category Archives: News

New regarding Dragonfly Forge’s swordsmithing school, Tomboyama Nihonto Tanren Dojo (Dragonfly Mountain Japanese Sword Forging School)

News, Videos

Gabriel Bell Returns to HISTORY Channel’s “Forged In Fire” Season 3

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Tomboyama is proud to announce that it’s very own assistant swordsmithing instructor, Gabriel Bell, will be competing in the upcoming season finale of History Channel’s hit show Forged in Fire. Forged in Fire Season 3 Episode 16 will air on Tuesday, February 14th 7pm EST on History Channel. The episode titled “Redemption” will be Gabriel’s second appearance on the show.

http://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire/season-3/episode-16

Forged in Fire has been a hit show for History Channel and continues to set viewership records. Its popularity got it renewed for a fourth season and is great indicator of the growing enthusiasm in the techniques and traditions of swordsmithing.

We invite our dear alumni, friends and family to tune in and join us as we cheer him on. If you are in the Portland, Oregon area, Gabriel is hosting a live episode viewing party that night (Februrary 14th) at Shut Up And Eat restaurant on SE Gladstone. Food and Drinks are available. And yes, kids are welcome! Best of luck Gabe!

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2017 Sword-making School Class Schedule

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March 2017
Monday March 27 – Friday, March 31 – Basic Forging Course

April 2017
Saturday, April 1 – Sunday, April 2 – Kajioshi Course

Saturday, April 8 – Sunday, April 9: Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon

Monday, April 17 – Friday, April 21 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, April 22 – Sunday, April 23 – Habaki Course

May 2017
Monday, May 15 – Friday, May 19 – Intermediate Forging Course

Saturday, May 20 – Sunday, May 21 – Kajioshi Course

Monday, May 29 – Friday, June 2 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo-Course

June 2017
Monday, June 26 – Friday, June 30 – Basic Forging Course

July 2017
Saturday, July 1 – Sunday, July 2 – Kajioshi Course

Monday, July 24 – Friday, July 28 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, July 29 – Sunday, July 30 – Habaki Course

August 2017
Monday, August 21 – Friday, August 25 – Koshirae Course

Saturday, August 26 – Sunday, August 27 – Tsuka-maki (Handle-wrapping) Course

September 2017

Monday, September 4 – Friday, September 8 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 9 – Sunday, September 10 – Kajioshi Course

October 2017
Monday, October 2 – Friday, October 6 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 7 – Sunday, October 8 – Habaki Course

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“Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire: The Art and Science of the Japanese Sword”

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March 14th, at 7pm PST, Michael and Gabriel Bell of Dragonfly Forge will be the featured speakers of “Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire: The Art and Science of the Japanese Sword” at Linfield College in Mcminnville, Oregon. The panel discussion will include Tianbo Xao, professor of physic, Brian Winkenwder, professor of art history, Chris Keaveney, professor of Japanese, and Jesus Ilundain-Agurruza, professor of philosophy. The event will be held in Ice Auditorium in Melrose Hall.

The event is free and open to the public. The lecture will also be live streamed from those unable to attend. Link to follow soon.Linfield - March 14th Seminar

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Something Old & Something New

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Tomboyama is offering for the 2016 school year something old and something new.

We’ve had many requests to do another Oroshigane Seminar, having not done so for several years. This is a weekend event on converting pure iron into high quality sword steel.

Oroshigane is the process by which carbon content is adjusted; It can be iron to which carbon is added or steel of too high a carbon content needing a reduction in carbon. Once adjusted this steel is termed Tamahagane, “jewel blade metal”.

We will be adding carbon to electrolytic sponge iron (denkaitetsu in Japanese), thus making Tamahagane.

This steel and the steel smelted from high quality sand ore are the only materials allowed in modern Japanese swords, as the two are chemically nearly identical.

The new part is this year we will follow up the weekend seminar with a five day course using the steel just made, which we are calling our Advanced Forging Course. This will include assembling a billet of steel and folding the metal for the required number of folds. When the folding is done a bar will be drawn out and cut to make blanks that will be forged to shape. Each student will have enough material to forge a tanto.

This promises to be an interesting and challenging course and will aid in the understanding of the Japanese sword.

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2016 Swordsmithing School Course Schedule

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March 2016
Monday March 21 – Friday, March 25 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, March 26 – Sunday, March 27 – Kajioshi Course

April 2016
Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12: Oregon Knife Collectors Association (OKCA) Knife Show in Eugene, Oregon

Monday, April 18 – Friday, April 22 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, April 23 – Sunday, April 24 – Habaki Course

May 2016

Monday, May 16 – Friday, May 20 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo-Course

Saturday, May 28 – Sunday, May 29 – Oroshigane (Steel-making) Seminar

June 2016
Monday, May 30 – Friday, June 3 – Advanced Forging Course

Monday, June 27 – Friday, July 1 – Basic Forging Course

July 2016
Saturday, July 2 – Sunday, July 3 – Kajioshi Course Course

Friday, July 15 – Sunday, July 17 – Introduction to Forging Laminate Wood-working Tools

August 2016

Monday, August 22 – Friday, August 26 – Koshirae Course

Saturday, August 27 – Sunday, August 28 – Tsuka-maki (Handle-wrapping) Course

September 2016

Monday, September 5 – Friday, September 9 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 10 – Sunday, September 11 – Habaki Course

October 2016
Monday, October 3 – Friday, October 7 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 8 – Sunday, October 9 – Kajioshi Course

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2015 Swordsmithing School Course Schedule

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March 2015
Monday March 23 – Friday, March 27 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, March 28 – Sunday, March 29 – Kajioshi Course

April 2015
Monday, April 20 – Friday, April 24 – Introduction to Forging Laminate Woodworking Tools

May 2015

Monday, May 18 – Friday, May 22 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, May 23 – Sunday, May 24 – Habaki Course

June 2015
Monday, June 15 – Friday, June 19 – Kajioshi-Habaki Combo Course

Monday, June 29 – Friday, July 3 – Koshirae Course

July 2015
Saturday, July 4 – Sunday, July 5 – Tsuka-maki Course

Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31 – Basic Forging Course

August 2015
Saturday, August 1 – Sunday, August 2 – Kajioshi Course

Monday, August 24 – Friday, August 28 – Intermediate Forging Course

Saturday, August 29 – Sunday, August 30 – Habaki Course

September 2015
Monday, September 7 – Friday, September 11 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, September 12 – Sunday, September 13 – Kajioshi Course

October 2015
Monday, October 5 – Friday, October 9 – Basic Forging Course

Saturday, October 10 – Sunday, October 11 – Habaki Course