Big Meaning

     Last night, at around 8:45 pm, Jacksonville State University, and the surrounding apartments, and houses, were hit by a massive tornado. Ranging at least an F3, possibly an F4 on the Fujita scale, many were lucky to survive. As of yet, only two major injuries, and no deaths, have been reported and confirmed. The devastation started near the Jacksonville Dollar General, north west of the campus, and ended among the houses to the north east of the campus. At the moment the scale of the total damage is still yet unknown, as brave men and women, both city employees and volunteers, search among the wreckage.      Buildings effected include: Numerous homes sustaining a wide variety of damage. Apartments “Gamecock Village” and “The Reserve” sustaining some of the heaviest damage, being declared unsafe to enter by former residents. One Jacksonville City police officer who was on scene late last night described how he assisted personally wit...

So I am in the process of putting together the second article for my American Craftsman Project: The Old Gunsmith. Travel with me to Boaz, Alabama, to meet a true jack of all trades, and one of America's last old master gunsmiths. He opened up shop in the 1970s to what has now become "Sand Mountain Shooters Club" and family business where all the family participates, and everyone that comes in is treated like family. Stay tuned.

     I had a lot of fun working with the guys at Alabama Damascus. They may not realize it, but its rare to find a group of people so in love with their work and what they do. This is the aspect that defines the American dream, builds good businesses, and creates success, which is more than just how much you make in your paycheck.                                                                (That's me on the far right)

     This links to the Youtube documentary I made for Alabama Damascus, for more in depth information on the Knife makers , and if you just want to see more of the shop.

     For over 20 years Alabama Damascus has crafted some of the world’s finest and toughest knife and steel blanks in the world. Today, Alabama Damascus remains the top commercial producer of Damascus layered steel in the United States, and competes globally with other such producers like Pakistan, China, and India, but those who know true knives, know Alabama Damascus steel to be some of the best.      Even Hitler, in WWII, fell in love with the beauty and potential of Damascus steel, and had five blacksmiths that could only make enough for his top generals. The first record of folded steel comes from 200 AD, where laminated metal combined the properties of multiple metals, into a pattern that resembled a cloth, for which the city was named. Fast forward a few thousand years, opened in the 1970s, in an old cotton mill, Edwards steel became the first and only commercial level producer of Damascus steel in the world. Edwards steel bec...