Show Me Success! An Interview with Bladesmith Jodi Anderson
(Image credit: Jodi Anderson)
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Jodi Anderson is a budding bladesmith out of West End, North Carolina. Her forge, 2717, is turning out beautiful work, and while admittedly a beginner with a lot to learn, Jodi has already made a name for herself in the bladesmithing world. Last month, she participated in her first Blade Sports Competitions at Grudge Match, and in November, her blade will undergo vigorous testing in the Forged in Ducksauce Competition.
RELATED: FILLING THE VOID WITH DUCKSAUCE
Jodi talked with us about her forge, how her dream of meeting Eustice Conway got her into bladesmithing, and shared her advice for other beginning smiths.
How Jodi got her start
BRUTE de FORGE: How did you get into bladesmithing and forging?
Jodi Anderson: I had a nonprofit organization called “Anderson Bears”, where I sewed teddy bears for grief. I made them the size of newborn babies, and they helped mothers who were grieving after stillbirths or babies that had passed within the first year of life. The bears could wear the newborn's clothing, and they were the baby's weight. I also made them with high-quality mohair and dressed them using the clothing of loved ones who had passed. It was a very helpful and healing journey to be on with people.
During this time, I had been watching the History Channel for years and loved the show Mountain Men, and I wanted to meet Eustace Conway. I learned that Eustice’s organization has events in the spring every year called Families Learning Together. I contacted them and asked if they would let me bring my bears up and help raise funds for their summer camps for kids, and they said, “Yeah, come on up!”
“I fell in love with the blacksmith shop when I saw it. I decided that I needed more.”
So, I took the bears up and fell in love with Turtle Island Preserve—that’s the name of his organization. I met Eustace, and I consider him a friend of mine. I adore him. Turtle Island has a blacksmith shop, and I fell in love with the blacksmith shop when I saw it. I decided that I needed more. For Christmas, my husband and I make gifts for our family every year, and after I saw the blacksmith shop, I knew I wanted to make knives for my family. So, from that experience, I knew I needed to learn more. When I finally did, I absolutely loved it.
BDF: And you got to be friends with Eustice Conway!
JA: I know! It all worked out. It's funny because I went up there to meet him and see his property and all the things you see on television, and it is exactly like they portray on the show. Everything there, he made by hand using the trees from the property. Without electricity! But what is so unique about that property is all the people that are involved with pulling that off. Not only did I fall in love with Eustace and his property, but also the people involved that make it all possible. Desere was his camp manager then, and she and I hit it off. She's just amazing. She's the one who got things going with this whole bladesmithing thing and helped me connect with all the people I've been able to connect with.
A Tightknit Community
BDF: How long ago did all that happen? How long have you been forging?
JA: It's been two years now. In connection with Turtle Island, there's another gentleman named Spencer “Two Dogs” Bolejack. He and his brother had a show on Amazon Prime called Hillbilly Blood. He offers classes on his property in the mountains of North Carolina. I contacted a couple of my girlfriends to see if they wanted to go there and camp out. The idea was that we would take a knife-making class, and we would come home with a knife and give it to our families for Christmas presents. That's exactly what we did! We camped out and took a two-day class. Spencer taught us how to make knives. That was the beginning of learning how to make knives.
From there, Robby Bowman—one of the Forged in Fire guys—offers knife-making classes at Turtle Island Preserve. My husband and I took his class two times with other Forged in Fire people, Chad Osborne, Dustin Rhodes, and Cheyenne Brown.
RELATED: BIG CHANGES ARE IN STORE FOR FORGED IN FIRE SEASON 10
(Image credit: Jodi Anderson)
We have been meeting people left and right; they are all so supportive and amazing and continue to push and help me grow. This bladesmithing community is so supportive. Nothing is a secret, and I think that's special. Especially being a woman and coming into this field, I was intimidated. Frankly, I still am intimidated. But, I have not had an experience with the bladesmith community that has made me feel “less than.” That’s something really special. Plus, the inspiration and support from women like Cheyenne Brown, Nikita Rose Blumenshine, Chevy Robertson, Jennifer Lyddane, Christy Tolbert, and Kelly Vermeer Vella are incredible to have. Those women rock! I can only hope that I can become as good at this craft as these accomplished women.
I’ve also met some amazing people through Last Blade Standing. Although it did not end in the best way, I have made some fantastic friendships with some wonderful people! Such as Juggernaut, Priest Parrish, Nikita Rose Blumenshine, Jason Burks, Mark Benton, Jeffery McGuffey…I could go on and on. This group of men and women are so helpful, and they are truly wonderful people. Priest put together the Forged in Ducksauce competition all on his own, and it’s been amazing to see all the people come together to support the cause. These are my people!
“I know a lot of people put a lot of stock into Forged in Fire, but I think there are also other amazing things that are happening from the smiths themselves.”
It seems like a dying art, but there's been a resurgence. I know a lot of people put a lot of stock into Forged in Fire, but I think there are also other amazing things that are happening from the smiths themselves. Drew Alexander, for example, is amazing. He's doing some cool blacksmithing stuff. He is an amazing artist. He’s doing the fencing, tables, and some really cool artistic things that are unbelievable.
BDF: Blacksmithing seems like a whole different ball game compared to bladesmithing.
JA: It is. I want to learn blacksmithing as well. That's actually a goal of mine. Turtle Island has no electricity, so all of their cooking is done over a wood fire. They have an old wood fire stove and oven, but they also have a kettle crane over their fireplace. I want that set up for my house. I have a beautiful fireplace in my home, so I want to forge one of those for it.
Jodi’s Preference for Coal Forges
BDF: I noticed on your Facebook and Instagram that you use a coal forge. Is that your preference?
(Image credit: Jodi Anderson)
JA: I initially learned forging with a coal forge at Turtle Island. They use the hand crank for the blower, and I loved that salt-of-the-earth feeling. But honestly, part of it is also that I don't have a whole lot of money to pump into this hobby! My forge is made from a laundry machine drum. We cut a hole in it and filled it with sand. Then we put a pipe in it with a hairdryer hooked up to it. That’s how I was forging. Dustin Rhodes has taught me how to improve it, but that's where it originated.
I'm at that level now where I need to be more precise on the temperature, so I should look into a propane forge. It's difficult for me to get the heat treat right. I'm still figuring that out. That's why I keep saying I'm still a beginner. I have a lot to learn. If I had the propane forge, I could set the temperature to exactly what I need it to be, plug it in, and go much easier than the coal forge.
(Image credit: Jodi Anderson)
The coal forge is a whole different game. Cheyenne Brown brought me up on stage at the Grudge Match last year. They called a couple of people up, and basically, two sets of ladies were working together to get two blades forged. But they called me up, and they were using a propane forge. I had no idea how to use it! It is a whole different thing.
The Inspiration Behind Jodi’s Forge
BDF: What is the name of your forge?
JA: We call it 2717 Forge. It stems from Proverbs 27:17, which reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
My husband and I chose that because we wanted to represent our faith. It works two ways. As I've been saying, the community sharpens each other. We help each other hone our skills in the same way that God does with people. He helps us become who we are the same way we forge the metal to become what it needs to be. We pound on it, bang on it, go through hard times, and it stinks, and it's hot, and—like life—sometimes it's no fun to go through. But, when we come out, we're better, stronger, and sharper, just like our blades.
BDF: I know you're new to this, but would you say you have a style?
JA: I'm still working on it, but I like to add a feminine curve to the blades instead of keeping them straight. I love boning knives. I like that curve that they have and how the handle curves right on with it. I like the swoop to them. I'm sure there are terms for all that stuff, but I don't know them. I think they call it a recurve. I know I'm not supposed to be working on that because I'm new, and there are other things I should be focusing on, but I can't help it.
“It stems from Proverbs 27:17, which reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.””
I also really love the Kris-style blade. Cheyenne Brown does some of them on the anvil. There's a hole the tools go in called a hardy hole. At Turtle Island, Cheyenne helped me make one after I told her I wanted one. She brought some copper—because I love copper—and she said we could make a blade with copper, and I asked her if we could make a Kris out of it. She said we could, so we did! It turned out gorgeous. So anyway, I guess the feminine curves, like on the Kris, are my style.
Jodi’s Life Lessons From Forging
BDF: What is one life lesson that you have learned through forging?
JA: Never give up. I know it’s cliché, but I have learned never to give up.
(Image credit: Jodi Anderson)
Also, I’ve learned that you're worth it. That one sounds strange, but so many times you look at what other people are doing, and you're thinking, “I don't know if I can put the time into that,” or “I don't know if I have the talent to do that,” and “I don't know if I'm worthy of being taught or to be given the time.” I've learned that people are willing to give you the time, and you're worth being given the time. That's a lesson I'm still learning, though.
“People are willing to give you the time, and you’re worth being given the time.”
When Robby was helping me learn how to grind, he took the time to show me, and I started tearing up. He said, “Well, you don't have to cry!” (He was playing with me). But I was just so grateful. I'm so grateful he showed this to me. These people are taking time out of their schedules to show me how to do this, and it's just so humbling.
Jodi’s Involvement in Ducksauce
BDF: Well, you seem to be a quick learner! I saw on social media that you are already part of a competition called Forged in Ducksauce.
JA: Yes! I've been helping Priest put together some of the competition stuff, the logo, and things like that. He just actually wrote to me today and said there are forty bladesmiths now that are involved!
Priest invited me into the competition, and I said, “You want me to make a knife? Did you see who else you have in your lineup?” I don't anticipate getting past the first round, but I'm thrilled to be asked to participate. That's how we grow, and I'm happy to be a part of it. Especially for the reason behind it. We are going to make it right.
Jodi’s Advice for New Bladesmiths
BDF: Do you have any advice for aspiring bladesmiths?
JA: Just get into it. Give it a shot. You don't have to have all the big fancy stuff; use what you've got. The first actual bladesmithing I did with Robby at Turtle Island was a railroad spike knife. Anyone can walk the railroad and find spikes. From there, you can contact someone or look it up on YouTube.
Go sign up for a Forge a Memory experience also! You can find those throughout the nation. Book a time, go and make a blade from a railroad spike, horseshoe, or something. It's a great introduction, and it's a lot of fun.
I hope to encourage newcomers because I am a newcomer. I have a lot to learn, but that doesn't mean I can't encourage people to start. I am a sixth-grade special education teacher (GO DRAGONS! SHOW ME SUCCESS!!). It does not matter what your background is; anyone can do this craft! There are tons of ways to create your own little forge. It doesn't have to be expensive. Give it a shot! But you’re going to fall in love with it, so be ready.
To see more from Jodi, follow her TikTok page. You can also find 2717 Forge on Instagram and Facebook.
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