SteveSamet.com

The Mustad Nail

Shayne went to Stoneleigh UK for the Mustad Champion of Champions last week.

All of the World Champion Blacksmiths were in attendance except Bill Poor his mother was seriously injured in an accident. It was a quick contest, lasting for only two classes. They made a roadster of course and the live shoeing. The premise was, as if in a Highlander movie

“There Can Only Be One”

The winner would receive 5000 pounds to the charity of their choice.
Shayne selected Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund
It is a scholarship fund designed for fallen soldiers children.

What an event to see the likes of Dave Duckett, Bob Marshall, Grant Moon , Billy Crothers, Craig Trnka and the like all together.

Each of the contestants were suppose to bring an auction item.
Earlier in the day, Shayne approached Justo Delblanco and told him he wanted to start a nail business and asked him if he could give him any recommendations.
Shayne said he gave him “a roll your eyes-oh no another company to buy-out look”
Then he took his sample out of his pocket…

Needless to say, he bought the Damascus nail at the auction.It brought a whopping 1500 pounds (can’t find the pound symbol on the keyboard). That would be approx $2500. The money from the auction also went to the charities of the competitors.Since There Was Only OneEvery one else placed secondPaul Robinson (Ireland) won and Shayne said it was rightly deserved.For more info try: forgeandfarrier.co.uk

Great News! Jay Sharp DVD’s

Alice Johnson to the rescue! I have been so afraid that the knowledge Jay has will not be preserved. But alas, Alice has been visiting Jay in Vegas. She was a student of Jay’s way back in the day and is a great friend too. She has taped and edited Jay working and is selling FOUR DVDs of Jay working.

Jay Sharp Spurs $35.00

The Great Pry Bar $15.00

Jay Sharp Tongs $35.00

Edward Martin and A Wee Glimpse of Greatness$40.00
A portion of all sales will go to competition and clinics. Jay’s DVD sales will go towards the JAY SHARP Invitational
Edward Martin’s portion of sales will go to EMP Edward Martin Perpetual in Grass Valley CA
To order any and all of these please contact Alice at: AJNTRAVIS2@AOL.com or by phone (408) 590-7386

Cowboyin

Jay Sharp cowboying around 1952

Jay Sharp Birthday Party!!

Harry Patton will be hosting the 5th Annual
Jay Sharp Invitational Farrier Forging and Match Play.
Shayne will be the judge and clinician
The date is March 27th and 28th 2010
Salinas CA

This will also be a birthday party for Jay. He will be turning 90 on February 23.

Jay’s creations of shoes, tools, bits, spurs and miniatures will be on display

Info: Mike Deleonardo (831) 262-8898

Candelabra 2009

For this year’s family gift swap, Shayne did a variation of a candle holder. He made two. A set to hang on the wall and a set to put on a table or shelf.

The finish he applied with his hammer

The actual candle holder was pretty cool and very sharp to the touch

Caulk and Feather Roadster

These are photos of the Caulk and Feather Roadster specimen shoe for the WCB Clinic and Contest held in Denver January 9

Candelabra

Christmas gift swap 2004
This Candelabra was actually more difficult than it looks. He tried to make one for last years gift swap ( instead the trivet), but it was just to difficult to get the swirlies on the end to be symmetrical and smooth

Middle Candle holder, there are three

Hammer finished
I think it is just beautiful, it sits on our mantle.
Yes, we have actually used it to burn candles in, red ones to be exact, the wax is a little messy

Heart Trivet

Every year Shayne makes something for the family party gift swap.
Last year he made trivets.
He usually makes two items, one for me and one for the party.
This one is mine
feet. there are three

welds

Signature stamp
Its on about everything he makes.

He whipped both of them up in a couple of hours the morning of the party.
Typical Shayne Carter
He says he works well under pressure,
but
His procrastination drives me crazy!

Close ups of Bit #1 From A Previous Post

Two of The Reasons

Shayne has not been making tools

Alaska Trip

Shayne and our oldest son, Chance, went to Kodiak Island AK to hunt Sitka Deer with John Arkley and Joel Ringler, Alaska Farriers and great friends. More pic’s to follow when I get SMC’s camera.

Cowboy Bowie

Shayne made this Cowboy Bowie for The Wrangler Auction held at This Is The Place Monument last month. It was a fundraiser for the President of the Republican Party. It sold for $700. The shotgun sold for $600.

The guard is stainless with feral pins

The handle is stabilized giraffe bone

Shayne also does leather work and made the sheath

SPK Knife

SPK is the name of this Drop Point Hunter feather Damascus pattern knife

Bronze Guard

Fossilized Walrus Ivory Handle

Mosaic Pins

SPK stands for “Shayne’s Personal Knife” he made it for his Alaska hunting trip to Kodiak Island next month. This is his first try at the feather pattern.

Jay gives his "Two Bits"

We have two bits here:
This bit Jay custom made for a gray horse we have. He went out and measured his mouth every which way. It’s just too pretty to use when they kids are riding him around the house, so it sits on a shelf in the living room (Shaynes’s Shrine with all of his awards)Jay also handmade the chains. Clamping down each one individually with pliers. Take note of the chin strap and the bit stand. The buttons are made from scraps of damascus and forged with a hammer.Jay has made Trudy’s barrel horse and Chance’s horse bits also. But not this fancy
Bit #2
This bit Jay started last fall for Shayne. It is totaling damascus steel (except for the chain). The bit stand is the same.

Each ring is also handmadeJay takes a file and files the roller by hand
His stamp. Amazing welds
Jay mailed this up to us in June after he completed it and decided he wasn’t coming up for the summer. He said he wasn’t driving anymore. Shayne offer to take him to get groceries, He said “I didn’t get this old depending on other people” typical Jay Sharp
He made this bit when he was 89 years old. Yes. He is an amazing man
Side Note: I can’t even remember the names and of artists of these bits. Yet, a man twice my age can produce them. I feel a need to try a little harder. A need to be a better person. How about you?

Jay Sharp

So Every fall when Jay goes back to Las Vegas to live with his sonwe wonder if he’ll be back.For 3 years we didn’t think he would be back because he is getting up there in age, he is 89 after all.Well, this year was the year.He decided to stay in Vegas. And I miss him.

Jay has been spending summers with us since 1999.He is brilliantA true living legend
Jay at Shayne’s shop in Draper 2004
Shayne and Jay have not made tools for over 5 years now.
Jay has been working on bits and spurs from the 15th century – present
stuff he’s been wanting to do for 40 years.
I’m not bugging him to make hammers
Sooo if you see a Jay Sharp hammer for sale
BUY IT

The Bits and Spurs Jay has been reproducing have been made as the craftsman had made them back then. He makes tools for the tools. They are absolutely brilliant. His attention to detail is astounding, you would think Jay’s eyesight would be a little shaky. Not any worse than a 40 year who has to hold the pill bottle at arm’s length to read the fine print. I guess I better start off slow so his creations don’t fry your brain So Jay got on a kick of making these bits and spurs out of old rasps

If you can zoom in on the details. His precision is amazing. Even the stand for the bit is a piece of art.

Makes an interesting pattern. I should have written down the names of the bits when he gave them to us

Spurs made out of rasps. Two different patterns. These are actually “useable” spurs. Some of the ones he replicated had rowels on them that were 8-12 INCHES ouch those mean Spaniards

So Cool

One thing Jay does not do is make damascus. So Shayne supplies him and he creates. Check out the buttons. He makes everything.

To be continued…

Updated Photos WCB Raffle Knife

It’s true.
Shayne is good at everything.
These are the pic’s he had taken.

WCB Raffle Knife

Craig asked Shayne to make a damascus knife for a drawing at the end of the year for the World Champion Blacksmiths Association (WCB). The WCB is selling raffle tickets for this knife. You can purchased them at their website here

I have never claimed to be a photographer, but I can usually fake it. Not with this knife. It was so hard to capture of the beauty of it. I failed miserably

The handle is fossilized Walrus Ivory. The blade is 120 layer twist damascus 1080/15N20 carbon blade. The fittings (guard and butt cap) are stainless steel. The blade style is “Big Belly Hunter”

More items for the raffle to come…Drawing to be held in January. Championships will be held in Denver CO

Eastern Idaho Farriers Association

Shayne will be doing a clinic for the Eastern Idaho Farrier Association

Date: August 14 and 15, 2009
Location: North Bannock County Fairgrounds
Contact: Dave Wright (208) 775-3451 (one of the nicest people you will ever meet I might add)

Shayne will cover Anatomy and Shoeing.

Inspiration

Shoes from when horse had to work for a living and farriers took pride in their work. circa late 1800s

LLHA Spring Clinic

Shayne will be traveling to Mt. Zion, Illinois to do a clinic for the LLHA .
April 24 &25 2009. Contact Loren Lamar (309)874-3272 for details.

Topics to include: Power Point Presentation “What is Balance”
anatomy of the equine digitmethods of maintaining overall health of the hoof capsule and its contentsfoot and leg bio-mechanicsvarious therapeutic shoeing applications as they pertain to hoof problems seen in everyday work.

Shoeing demonstration by Shayne

Q&A and General Discussion

Tool Maintenance/Building/Knife Sharpening

Keg Shoe Modification/Shoe Building

We have been getting a lot of favorable response from the clinics Shayne has done in Michigan and Montana this past January and February. Shayne has always been an awesome clinician, But for some reason, he is really on a roll…